The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-08

cency, and now that the Treasury is moi
loaded with debt the army should not be
| compelled to do overWork, and they ap
/ peal for relief He recommends the repea
OF the law limiting the army to %. 900
He holds that no soldier should ever be
compelled TO do menial labor without com
pensation, and recommends the repeal OF
the existing law to this end He speaks
| highly of West Point, and says the Acad
enly fuftlls its uses and can safely be
/ trusted to make soldiers
There are in the army $50 companies
necessarily widely scattered over our vast
domain, to guard property and prevent, as
| far as they can, complications and troubles
of every kind, at one time protecting the
| settlers against the Indians, and again the
Indians against the settlers. When these
occur it is always sudden, and reinforce
ments have to be hurried forward from
great distances, and always at heavy cost
for transportation of men, forces
| and supplies. This cost viii aggregate, in
my judgment, more than sufficient to sup
ply an increase of 20 per cent of private
soldiers, all that would ask for at this
time, because believe this increase will
add little if any to the annual cost in money
and yet greatly relieve our overtaxed sol
diers- In the last ten years our frontiers
have so extended under the protection of
our small army as to add at least 81 ,0Oo,-
000, 900 to the taxable property of the na-
ton, has enabled emigrants to settle up re-
mote parts of the country and is the prin-
cipal cause of thegreat prosperity through
out the country. When the National
Treasury was poor and loaded with debt
the army endeavored to gracefully submit
to overwork, but they now appeal for re-
lief, and do most earnestly ask the hon
orable Secretary of War to apply to Con
gress to repeal that clause of the existing
law which limits the enlisted force of the
army to 25, 900 men, and to enact that each
aad every company in the army may be en-
listed to at least fifty privates, making
sixty-two enlisted men and three officers to
each 430 companies, thus increasing the
army proper to %, $50 enlisted men, which
number in practice will probably never ex-
ceed %, 900. This should form the com
battant force. And as experience and uni
versal practice has demonstrated the ne
cessity for another or Ron-combattant
force, / further urge that special provision
be made by law for various special ser
vices of 3, ,789 men, which number, added
to &c, $50 will make the total enlisted force
of every kind 80, 449. Gen. Sherman sub
mits the statement that the actual number
was %, ,596. Nearly every general off Ger
commanding troops on the frontiers asks
for larger increase than is here indicat ed,
but this may be better accomplished by
giving to the President the right to increase
at his discretion the companies most ex-
posed to danger to any number of privates
not exceeding 100, limited always in prac
tice by actual appropriations OF money,
rather than by fixed number of men.
The general asks for an increase of nine
Majors IN the inspectors corps, and recon-
mends that the whole question of coast de-
fense be submitted to a board of high
officers, while a similar board should
consider the matter of military
posts and stations now obsolete. These
recommendations are with view to the
sale and relief of the army from the care of
useless forts, posts and stations. Some
old forts, the General admits are worth re-
hot mas no
properly taken care of he recommends
that the president be authorized to trans
fer out of the class of enlisted men who
have served for twenty five years or more
a number not to exceed 500, including
ordinance sergeants, (now 112) and estab
lish veteran corps to be established at
these old forts, with the rank and pay they
held at the close of their active career of
army service, to be subject to the rule
and articles OF war, but only to be used
for guarding public property, One or
two officers OF the retired class and half
dozen old soldiers would comprise q good
garrison for abandoned posts or forts by
granting retired officers thus detailed fuel
anu 1uaTl6TS We WOufA pIONIAG AotAAS0 va
worthy veterans which would be most
honorable and charitable TO them and ad-
vantageous to the government.
In the Star route cases the argument
was resumed on the motion to qnash the
information. Cook opposed it, as the re
quest came by direction of the deputy of
the United States deputy postofice, where
the frauds occurred. This method of in
formation had prevailed in the district for
many years.
Cook, of the counsel for the government
then made an argument against the motion
To ouash tse criminal information, prefac-
ing his argument by saying it might be
supposed he would reply to the vitupera-
ton which the defense had, through hired
scribblers and through the press bestowed
upon the attorney general, postmaster gen
eral and himself, but it could not be done.
This was not the proper place to do it. A
lawyer, in addition to his other qualities,
should possess those of gentleman, and
tbie consideration would restrain him from