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

be abandoned, aud 10 bs pilloried ~ u
D iconoclast, one who would destroy every
altar and tradition, is the simplest fate il
store for the objector. But only show som,
way in which organizations can drag theil
} recruits through at 200 and 500 yards, BY
hook or BY crook, and enroll them among
the grand army of'marksmen," and the cher
ished immediate d~istances' may go further
lii contended that the man who qualitie.
IN q match is a better shot than he who goe,
through the classes. The proposition i,
false. The man who shoots in q match like
competition, for the purpose of au.Iif,ina
as q marksman, is under no strain whatever,
Every GffcGmstance and surrounding con.
serves his comfort and tends to secure his
succees. To begin with, he goes to the range
cooliy and quietly, and with the pleasurable
sense of being his own master. He has the
comfortable reflection that should he fail In
the four trials allowed him to day, the Pc
cuniary ability which enables him TO be
present on this occasion will stand him in
good stead next week; he can afford to laugh
at bis poorer comrades. He 10 carefully
coached from beginning to end and he gen
orally manages to have come 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 extravagantly Ito him)
early hour in the morning, assemblies at his
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 DISSEMINATING;
perhaps is detailed for guard duty all the
day he is held under stric: military disci.
psine, be swelters in the sun or shivers In
the wind, shoots when and where he is bid,
is fortunate IT he gets any hely at all, and
more fortunate still it the so.called "help"
Is not all wrong; he has no liberty of in.
dlvidusl movement; be is marched
from firing point to firing point, now at
l0o, AGAR. at $50 yards, now across the
held to 800, where he undergoes
tne torture of "kneellpg." now
back to 400. where he gets his first taste of
the prone" position, across the field again
to 200 yards, and later on to 500, where
bis fluctuations end; all this too under the
restless drive and push Of class practice, in
the endeaysr Of the brigade and regimental
inspector, company commandments 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 OF making a showing which
oil signifies little or nothing.
Whoever shall be the coming man as gen.
eral inspector of rifle practice he must needs
address himself to the doing away with in
congrnities which hamper and impede true
progress. There must be no privileged
classes there must. be as few burdensome
exactions 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 mar to shoot
through the classes carry each one care
fully along as far as he is capable of going,
on his own 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 encouragement, and no possible ad.
vantage should be denied them.
STAFF OFFICER.