The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-11-26

men, but subsequent appropriation bills by
pr0visos have limited the expenditures to Is.
600 enlisted men. Still the legal strength is
$4,000 enlisted mon. and that number Is the
least possible at which We can maintain the
present organization Of forty regiments In
anything like good order, discipline and econ
omy, and infer this end can be reached by
simply emitting the pr0visos in the next ap-
preparation bill.
condition Of the Treasury may now enable
Congress to provide suitable ornaments for
the forts which guard the chief harb0rs Of the
country"
SPEAKING Of the Northern Pacific, Union Pa
ciic and Southern Pacific Railroads General
Sherman says:
''These railroads have completely revolu.
tiQnized our country In the past few years,
and impose on the military an entire change
Of policy. Hitherto we have been compelled
to maintain small posts along wagon and stage
routes Of travel These are no longer needed,
because no longer used, and the settlements
which grow up speedily along the new rail-
roads afford the security necessary, and the
regular stations built for storage at c0nve-
nient distances afford the necessary shelter
for stores, and for the men when operating in
the neighborhood. We should now absolutely
abandon many Of the smaller posts hitherto
necessary, and concentrate at strategic points,
generally near the National frontier or where
railroads interect, 90 - to send out de.
tachments promptly to districts where need
ed.
In my Judgment tho time has now come
for the military authorities to select suita-
BILE strategic point for permanent occupation
and Improvement, whence attachments can
be sent out for special service. As long a. We
possess and must care for these small posts 1t
is impossible to abandon them to waste, and
we are forced to hold them, but II Congress will
designate to the President, the Secretary of
War and . Board Of Officers the right to sell
these posts and appropriate the proceeds Of
sale to strategic points, 1 am certain it will re-
suit in great economy and enable Us to main
tain large garrisons with increased discipline
and better service. For similar reasons and
because the commerce Of the world is carried
on in ships of 1000 tons and over. and because
Of the heavy draft Of war vessels, most Of our
sea-oOast defenses are superhuous. We now
have 100000 people, and the idea Of any
hostile force landing on our coast is
preposterous; yet our great commercial ports
should be made SO safe that even an apprehen'
sion of danger would not be felt. Portland,
Boston, Newport, New York, Philadelphia,
Hampton Roads, Port Royal, Key West, PEN
sacola, New Orleans, San Diego, San Francis
CO and Port Townsend should all be properly
fortified and garrisoned. ALI minor forts
should be sold or abandoned. An annual APP
preparation of $1.0O0.000 would in ten years put
these forts In good order, and another million
year would properly arm them, and the Sec.
rotary of War and President should have dis
erection in the disbursement of this money,
Artillery officers should also be associated
with engineers in constructing, altering and
repairing sea-coaSt dcfcnses, because the men
who have to fight these batteries should have
something to do in their construction
Referring to the reports of General Schoicld
and Colonel Getty relative to West Point and
tho artillery school at Fortress Monroe, Gen.
er.l Sherman saws: "a
"In my judgment both these institutions are
In a. good order as possible, and both are an
honor to the country. Education must always
be the surest basis of National security and
honor. The education and manly trainingim-
parted to young men at West Point have II paid
the United States q thousand times their cost,
and have more than verified the predictions Of
General Washington. From time to time
periodical complaints have arisen to its preju-
dice, such as occurred last year in regard to
the colOrtd cadet, Whitaker. A thor0uGh,
patient, close investigation in the midst Of a
tumult Of abuse resulted in the perfect vindi-
cation Of the authorities Of that Academy.
Every cadet at West Point is an appointee of
a member of Congress, each member having
cadet of his own nomination there. with
only ten appointed by the President at
large. The corps Of cadets Is there
fore a youthful counterpart Of our
National House Of Representatives. The
same laws. the same regulations, the same in
mon to all. and more democratic body never
existed ON earth than is the corps of cadets.
Prejudice is alleged against colored cadets
Prejudice Of race IS the most diffieult to CON
tend against Of any in this world. There is no
more such prejudice at West Point than in the
country at large, and the practice Of equality
1t West Point u in advance Of the rest OF tn |
The authorities at the Academy
have no voice in the selection Of candidates,
and must receive, train and educate such a
are there, regardless Of nationality, color, or |
previous condition. To discriminate In favor
Of q colored boy BY reason Of his color is q |
much violation Of the Fourteenth Amend |
ment to the ConStitution as to discriminate |
against him, perfect impartiality being the |
rule, and that, believe, the authorities at West
Point have endeavored to follow. In this con- |
nection desire to state that In my Judgment |
the requirement that al enlisted men OF the |
Ninth and Tenth Cavalry and Of the Twenty |
fourth and Twenty-hfth Infantry shall be CO.. |
pred men, while the onicers are white, il not |
consistent with the amendments Of the Constt. |
tuition referred to. All men should be enlisted |
who are qualified, and assigned to regiments |
regardless Of color or previous condition. /
Such has been the law and usage in the navy |
for years, and the army would soon Grow 40. |
to II. No body of men ON earth has |