The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-08
THE BURNSIDE BILL.

GENERAL CEITIClsM OF The MEAsohr-
rIoN OF THE CIVIL AUTHORITY TO THE MIL
ITARy.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Congress at it's last session enacted law creating
commission to consider upon. and report If neces-
sary bin to reorganize the army. and under that
law commission was appointed consisting OF men,
bers Of both houses. The commission met and
organized by selecting General Burnside as its chair
man; it adjourned to meet at tho Warm Springs of
Virginia. it met there for weckat least few of its
members did-and it then adjourned to meet in New
York in November What it did at the Warm Springs
no one seems know. If did anything it has not
been made public. As to what 1t did In
New York, all that is known is that 1t occupied par
lors at the Fifth Avenue Hotel for fortnight. had
detail of artillery soldiers to guard its DOORS allowed
no one to know what it was doing. and. after ex-
hausting it's appropriation for expenses adjourned
to meet in Washington when Congress should con-
vene
1t then seems that really this body held two ses-
sons of three weeks in all. and in that time con-
sdered discussed aud determined upon bill Of 294
pages. whose provisions should repeal all the laws
enacted by Congress for the efficiency of the army
for 100 years. and not only determined upon the bill,
but actually had it licked into shape and readyo be
presented. And presented it to Congress before
the holiday recess.
OBJECT OF THE BILL.
To the statesmen of former days this would seem
quick work. and some thinking people
might well question: without seeing the result of its
labors whether the commission had taken sufficient
time to debate such an important measure. But
when reads the bill presented. studies its ncon
gruites realizes its revolutionary tendency recog
nizes the master hand which evidently directed it's
building remembers the history Of our late war.
nix Of fufu vnrs no
He sees at glance the incompetency Of the men,
bers of that commission, and he wonders how such
individually composed it should collectively
assert that their names should be appended to
such document. To discuss it section by
ton land each and every one would provoke
criticisml would hll the HERALp's columns for
nent features. and principally to the one which
is the most prominent. The evident object Of the
power of the land paramount to the civil. to usurp
the great civil office of the Secretary OF
the ef' General ~ of the Army, to olothe him IN
with the power to direct the power to control and
the right to choose tine persons who shall dis5urse
the annual appropriations made by Congress, not
only for little army but for the whole military
establishment. In short it places in the hands OF
General Sherman power never before claimed by
any military man, but often and urgently disclaimed
by all great ones notably so by Wellington, Washing
ton Macomb Scott and Grant.
EXISTING LAWS CoNTRAvENED.
If this does not mean revolution what does it
mean? II it is not intended to mean this. can it be
conceived that a body Of otherwise intelligent men
should be capable of devisng such measure? 1t is
conceivable and the only explanation is that this
revolutionary measure was prepared for'th1s weak
body by designing men, by military men high in
authority aided by those who. hope to rise as high
and adopted without thought, and without knowing
its anti-repubican tendency. trust the measure
will be fully debated when it comes up and its
iniquities exposed. The commission was charged
only with considering the reorganization OF the army
that has been the pride of our nation for so many
long years. 1t went beyond and has attempted to
reorganze the Office and duties of the Secretary of
War, and even. in some instances that of the Pres
dent. But it had to do this, otherwise it could not
have arrived at its foregone conclusion The const-
tuition prescrbes the duties the responsibilities and
the prerogatives of the President and the laws have
from time to time determined what shall be the
powers of his Cabinet officer. the Secretary of War;
and the duties of those charged with the dis.
bursement Of the public moneys AL of
these powers and duties must have been
well Known to the commission Tor one
must credit it's members with being less conversant
with the history OF our country than are our boys
ately ignores them, and in its report unblushingly
says that the proered bill does not contravene exist
ing laws. but only explains and amplhes them. l
wonder how many members of Congress will believe
such egotistical nonscnse? Their votes will show.
Another notable thing appears in this bill. 1t is
the evidence of what to-day is popularity called
''job 1t is the breaking of the government manu-
factories of it's military stores and hereafter farming
them out by contract 1t supposed by all people,
known to the whole army, as it now exists, and
equally well known to our late volunteer service that
the only really good supplies provided for the service
those fabricated in arsenas. In face OF this
pregnant fact, which. if not known to this
soldier of the past present comes this proviso to
shut up shops and place ourselves at the mercy
of private manufacturers. But this IL not all; it
goes further and annihilates Ordnance CORPS dis
charges from 1t nearly all of It's best officers 1t
turns out into the cold set of young and middle
aged who have devoted the best years OF their
lives the study OF their specaltes, aud who have
only their profession to look to- and this profession
is the most occult OF any connected with the military
sciences.
APPEARANCE OF JOB.
And for what is this done Can 1t be that this job
k1,at,f nr.lr N
say that the government should not manufacture
and thus establish its standards but that it should
have expert officers to declare the value of its
tract goods to fix the prices ut which they should be
procured and to protect its interests against
the well capacity of the shoddyites
existing or brought into existence by the
necessities of war? 1t looks very much like it.
II the members of this commission not cogni-
believe they were they have laid themselves
open to suspicion. and in the minds of too ready
population 10 believe i'll OF public men that sus
pcion Is almost equal to guilt.
Ii this bill becomes law the government now
manufacturing for its necessities and not for the
trade, interfering with none i'll the prosecution of
legitimate business, is to throw aside its experience
its invested capital its accumulated labors OF years.
dismiss its officers and depend for its sup
plies of all military stores upon the caprice
of private manufacturers. The proposition is
simply astounding, and il will strike every
prejudiced mind. Yet General Sherman says this
bill will meet with the concurrence of all, except
perhaps the Ordnance Department, which IL hurts.
1t must hurt that Department. but, than that,
IL hurts the nation. Individuals can stand such
legislation. but governments cannot. wrong to an
individual is soon forgotten. wrong to nation is
lasting. If this Congress is not mad it will quickly
suppress a bill that will. IL 1t becomes law, make
us the butt OF our foreign friends who have often
conpnlented our military institutions b.
ANOTHER DENoUNcING voICE-BAD EFFECTS OF
SHUTTING UP OUR ARMoRrEs AND xRsENALs.