The daily gazette., 1880-01-08
More 1Socps Wanted.

Since the close OF tne reDeiiion tne
Republicans have maintained their polit-
icai ascendancy solely by sectional cries
and agitation. That has constituted
their whole stock In trade. Destroy 1t,
and the party would at once 60 to pieces
az IL wifi do after the next Presidential
election, when that issue must die from
me exhaustion. The Republican lead
ers have been seconded constantly In
this crusade by Gen. Sherman and other
chiefs of the Military Ring, who aided
the conspiracy Of 1915, by which the
Presidency was stolen.
Recently q courteous invitation to be
present at ceremonial in North Caroli-
ma, where the blue and the gray uniforms
were to be blended together, In token OF
patriotic reconciliation, was insultingly
rejected by Gen. Sherman, with q mean
reflection on the people who had ofieted
him their hospitality. But when favors
are wanted, and the votes OF "Confed-
crate Brigadiers" In Congress are needed
to carry their schemes, these military
chiefs are quick enough to ask them, and
to seek the support which, for partisan
uses, they profess to despise. -.
Gen. Sherman has recommended vir-
tual increase in the army Of 5000 men,
and the consolidation Of the five regi-
ments Of artillery into corps, with Q
new Brigadier General for Its chief.
| Then the signal service is to be organiz-
ed into q special corps, with four Majors
and six Captains, instead Of one chief
and four Lieuteiiants, as at present.
Gen. Joe Johnston, Chairman of the sub
Military Committee OF the House, has
prepared bills embodying these and other
features, and, Of course, the Democrats
are expected to fall into line and vote
this increase of the rank and file and
these new Offices, because they are urged
by the head of the regular army and re-
ported by an ex- Confederate General.
formerly of the regular army, with wnom
Gen. Sherman made terms OF caapituia-
ton that Mr.. Stanton snmmarily dis
missed as unworthy.
These two Generals play Into each
others hands very nicely. They were
both educated In the same school, and
though they took different sides during
the rebellion they are now engaged In
| the common object of increasing the reg
ular army. We have said this PROPOSE
ton IL q virtual addition Of 5000 men
| to the existing force, and so 1t is. The
last Army Appropriation act, June 23,
| 1879, provides as follows:
| sand no money appropriated by this
act shall be paid for recruiting the army
beyond the number Of twenty-five thou
sand enlisted men, including Indian
scouts and hospital stewards; and there
after there shall be no more than twen-
| ty-five thousand enlisted men In the
army at any one time, unless otherwise
authorized by law"
1t is said that about one-ffth OF this
force Is diverted TO other uses than those
contemplated by law. That Is TO say
I've thousand soldiers are employed o.
clerks, stewards, signal service men,
scouts, servants and the like, who are
paid a. regular troops on actual duty
| Gen. Sherman wants five thousand more
to take their places, and outside OF tnem'
a special organization for signal DUTY, 70
be created apart. And Gen. Joe john
ston is chosen to father the scheme, and
to advocate it before the House as .
Democratic measure on the eve OF
Presidential election!
The vote on that measure will Dt
scrutinized with unusual care. The
people have been demanding for years
reduction of the army and scaling O
rstrenchment proportionate to that whici
was applied to the navy and TO the civi
service in the Forty-fourth Congress
The army Is the heaviest load the annua
budget has to carry, and the Mllitar!
Ring at Washington, with an organizes
social and political influence behind 1t
has succeeded, in spite of all efforts II
meet the popular expectation, In pre-
venting any real reform of abuses which
cost the tax payers at least fifteen mil.
lions year.
1t is pretended that these troops arr
needed on the frontier. That old stor,
Is made to do service whenever Q hun
cred or two Indians are driven to de
spair by bad treatment and ROBBERY o
their land or supplies by rascally agent
and Ring thieves. But Cen. sherman
has shown Its falsity himself, for only
few weeks ago he asked the War De
partment for regiment OF artillery an.
a band Of music, to be stationed at Wasl
, lngton, and is said to have prepared bar
racks for their reception at the arsenal
he collected the troops at Washington
In the winter of 1876 TO over we I'M
House of Representatives, and assured
inquirers that they were only en- route q
| 0ther points In tne Oruiuaiy couseo
transfer. He put them on war foofinl
with every officer pledged to secrecy
He had telegraph lines constructed con
Meeting the arsenal. the Capitol, tn
War Department, and the White House
for.the first time. And he planned, uH
der Grant, the whole military part o
that political campaign which mad
Fraud for the first time triumphant II
American history.
And now, with another Presidential
contest at hand, he asks for regimen
of artillery at the capital. What for
And the commandAnt of the marines ha
the effrontery to recommend an inoreas
Of fhis force, too, in presence Of q Demo
cratic Congress pledged solemnly to tn
last dollar OF possible economy. And pc
haps soma other convenient Joe John
ton will rise up In second that mouol
and offer his paw to pull the Republican
chestnuts out Of the fire.
|