Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-18

be abandoned, and to be pilloried ~ o,
ic0noclast, n who would destroy ever,
altar and tradition, 10 the almplest fate il
store for the oejector. But only show som,
way in which organizations can drag theil
r~ecruits through ct 200 and 500 yards, By
hook or BY crook, and enroll them among
the grand army Of marksmen," and the cher
ished Immediate distances" may 20 further
II 10 commended that the man who qualife,
IN . match is q better shot than he who goet
through the classes. The proposition il
false. TIT man who shoots in = match like
the Diamond" or the Champion badge
competition, for the purpose Of qualifying
az . marksman, is under no strain whatever.
Every cifcImstance aud surrounding con-
serves his comfort and teads to secure his
success. To begin with, he goes to the range
cooliy q quietly, and with the ~pleasurable
sehse OF being his v master, He has the
comfortable reflection that should he fail IN
the Tour trials allowed him to day, the Pc
cunlary ability which enables him to be
present on this occasion will stand him in
good stead next week; he can afford to laugh
at his poorer comrades. He 10 carefully
coached from BEGINNING to end and he gen
orally manages to have some sharp friend
who sees that he has sufficient practice. or
at least advice, before the match begins, to
overcome the provision against sighting
shots" The soldier. on the other hand,
who goes to the range with his command.
has none Of these advantages. He is hur.
ried out of bed at an ex%travagantly Ito him)
early hour in the morning, assemblies at bis
armory, not ~uufrequently without breakfast,
and is marched from 4 half a mile to two
miles to the depot; the ride to Creedmoor is
not restful, for military trains are not over.
comfortable, and if a first, or acting first
sergeant, the thirty.6ve or forty
minutes is likely to be consumed in
dancing attendance on regimen,al rifle In.
spector or adjutant; he "falls in" and
marches to the range on disembarkipg;
perhaps is detailed for guard duty all the
day he is held under stric: military disci.
pine, be swelters In the sun or shivers In
the wind. shoots when and where he is bid,
Is fortunate 1t be gets any hely at all, and
more fortunate stnl il the so.called "help"
Is not all wrong; he has no liberty of 10.
dividusl movement; he is marched
from firing point to firing point, now at
Ivy, again. at $50 yards, o across the
field to 300, where he underRoes
the torture of "kneellpg," now
bach to 400. where he gets his first taste of
the prone position, across the field again /
to 200 yards, and later 90 to 500, where
his fluctuations end all this too under the
restless drive and push of class practice, In
the endeavOr OF the brigade and regimental
inspector, company communicate and scor.
ers. to crowd the work OF two days into
one. Contrast these two pictures, and
there will no longer be any question as to
who is entitled to be esteemed the better
shot; nor will there be anv wide difference
OF opinion as to the injustice of favoring a
fortunate few at the expense Of the many,
tor the sake ct making q showing which
all signifies little or nothing.
Whoever shall be the coming man as gem
eral inspector of rifle practice he must needs
address himself to the doing away with in.
congruities which hamper and impede true
progress. There must be no privileged
classes there must. be as few burdensome
e1actions as is possible. Let Creedmoor
and every other rifle range become in fact
what they are in theory-places for demon
stration and not for development. Make 1t
obligatory upon every officer and man in
the national guard to shoot over the range
once during the season take such number
of troops only as can be fairly handled in
any one day ; compel every man to shoot
snaousu tue GRASSES carry eacn one care.
fully along as far as he is capable of going,
on his " merits, and then leave him there;
no straining to pull men through as "marks.
men" by a lucky chance, who are not COM
petent to pilot their craft over the prescribed
course. But while doing this, afford the
men every assistance. No shooter goes into
a match without knowing his piece, its ele-
walton, etc. Class practice ie a match all
the way through. The rank and file deserve
something better than being compelled to
ehoot with pieces they know nothing about
no officer ever shoots with q strange piece,
unless it is now or then a conscientious in.
spection Of rifle practice, and he wouldn't
If he could help it. The men who carry
the rifle are worthy and entitled to receive
every announcement, and no possible ad.
vantage should be denied them.
STAFF OFFICER.