The sun., 1879-01-12

TO luxuriously enjoy the anomaly Of
a military system which can In q mo-
mcnt turn son OF MARS into
stcpson Of CRIsPtN. and keep him from
the hated sight of the Sioux and Comanches.
The men who willingly cease to be soldiers
on the fighting frontier, to become shoe
makers in safe inland city, should be
distinctively and appropriately badged
They have no right to wear on their
caps or shoulders crossed cannon, bu-
giles, or crossed sabres. Tho Ord
nance Corps has It's distinctive badge
So has the Corps Of Engineers. These West
Point shocmgkers should have theirs. a
second lieutenant should wear on his -hOul-
ders n brogan in silver lace two brogans
should mark the first Lieutenant; boot, the
toe turned inward to the neck, should desig-
nate the captain; the colonel would be suit
ably designated by two crossed shoemakers'
avis, with n boot rampant above. We com
mend the subject OF this blazonry to the
Crispin societies throughout the Union. aud
trust that they will welcome their new
brothers commanding the military prison
in Leayenworth into their guild by urging
their representatives In Congress to enact a
law that shall dlstnctlvely mark these
ncophytcs as cordwainers, which they are,
and not as soldiers, which they are not.
Thirty-nine thousand eight hundred and
eighty pairs Of army shoes in one year are
but n beginning. The operations Of that
military shoe factory will inevitably be en-
largcd. Tho regular army mind is eXpan-
sivc and engrossing. From making shoes
TO cobbling them the step will be sure and
swift. At all the forts, posts, cantorments,
and arsenals, army shoes needing mending
will be collected registered, marked classi-
fed, and regularly forwarded to Leaven-
worth to be patched. resoled. reheeled. re-
pcggcd. Boots and shoes run down on one
side at the heel will be spread out before an
epauletted board Of inspection and voted on
as worthy or unworthy Of rcadjustment to n
straight human foot and undetectcd ankle.
Those boards will be specially selected at
Washington, and the details TO them will, in
the charming summer season of the years.
give pleasure trips, at the public expense to
many officers whom the army is too small
to employ, but who never have n thought Of
resigning because there is nothing for them
to do. The carriage Of these old shoes and
boots all over the United States Will greatly
Quartermaster's Department, and in this
way provide employment and full pay to n
crowd of young officers who would rather
carry broken shoe to the national cobbler's
shop than not belong To the United States
army. And the inspection Of shoemaker's
wax, the careful selection of avis. the sit
ting Of boards Of inquiry on the best lap
stone, the most perfect hogs brstlcs, the
most serviceable shoe pegs, and the careful
choice by special boards between rival
waxed ends and shoe strings-what an ex-
punsion of employment for officers Of an
army which has no fighting to do yet in
sists on being supported by the unwilling
taxpayers OF the nation
It was genius that devised that national
shoe shop, and ollcerel IL from the gradu-
ates OF West Point. Ii his superior IN inren-
tion shall retreat from the Indian frontier
with the idea Of national tailOrs shop, 10
be located on Rock Island, in which every
garment worn 10y our troops shall be made
under the direction OF commissioned officers.
he Will have achieved the distinction OF
making the United States army nOminally
useful to even q greater degree than con-
Verting portion Of 1t into epauetted cord
waiuers. But the cost Of those trousers,
shirts, and drawers. Like the cost of the
shoes Of epauetted production, they would
repeat the waste OF the regular army's man
ufacturc OF muskets AT Springfield, Mass
For at last the astounding fact has been let
out that there has been planted in that
business, from first to last, sixty millions Of
dollars OF the peoples money!