The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-03
AFFAIRS IN GENERAL.
The Causes of Desertion to be Removed
Senator Van Wyck on Railroad Legisia-

The Causes OF Desertion to be Removed
Senator Van wyck on Railroad Legisia-
ton.
WASHINGTON, June 25.-The Senate
placed provision in the Army Appropria-
ton bill which, if permitted to remain, will
20 far towards removing the principal cause
of desertion. The amendment provides
that enlisted men detailed for extra duty as
mechanics, clerks, laborers or teamsters
shall be paid for such extra duty at the rate
of fifty cents per day for mechanics, clerks,
and school teachers, and thirty-fve cents
per day for laborers and teamsters. This
pay is in addition to pay proper as soldiers.
1t is now the custom in the army
to order enlisted men to perform
mechanical, clerical, and farm labor at
frontier posts and allow no additional
compensation for labor thus imposed, and
the result has been discomfort and numerous
assertions. Recently an order was for
warded to frontier post to have enlisted
men cut four hundred cords of wood during
the present summer, and within two weeks
from the receipt of the Order at the post
thirty-five men deserted. The officers of
the army have always deprecated this policy
of forcing soldiers to perform labor not con-
templated by the terms of their enlistment,
but the imposition has been necessary be-
cause Congress has uniformly refused for
several years to make appropriations for
furnishing proper supplies. The Senate
amendment apprOpriates S25O,OO0 TO pay.
for such extra work in the future, and if it
be retained in the bill there will be less de-
sertion hereafter from the ranks of the
army.
CONCEALED CAUSES.
A deal of gossip is excited in Legislative
circles by the attack of Senator Van Wyck
on the Judiciary Committee of the Senate.
The Senator's arraignment of the course Of
the committee in deciding to not consider
any of the Pacific Railroad bills passed by
the House and now before the Senate is
generally commended. Notwithstanding
Senator Hoar's smooth explanation, the
secret of the action of the committee
lies in visit of Charles Francis
Adams, Jr., made short time ago, and
the information which he gave. Adams
had long interview with the COM
mittee, and finally promised that il
the Senate would defeat the bills imposing
rigid restrictions on the Pacific Railroads,
and compelling them to pay more rapidly
their Indebtedness to the Government, he
would guarantee that the road in which he
was interested would set aside certain sat
isfactory sum for a sinking fund to pay the
debt claimed by the Government. He
further presented a peculiar statement to
prove that instead of the road of which he
is President being indebted to the Govern
ment the reverse is the case, as the road has
all offset for services in carrying mails, etc.
This information elaborated after the man.
of the AdamSes, so won the affections of the
Judiciary Committee that they decided to
manipulate the Pacific bills so they might
not be considered this session. 1t
was knowledge of this that led Van Wyck
to ask that the bill amending the Thurman
act with relation to the Pacific Railroads be
referred to the Committee on Railroads in
stead of the Committee on Judiciary. Com
ment somewhat severe is also freely made
in regard to the attempt of President Ed
munds to choke off the remarks of Senator
Van Wyck by the enforcement of an absurd
rule which requires that if Senator refers
to legislation of the House in way which
might be construed into purpose to influ
ence legislation in the Senate, he shall be
declared out of order and shall he seated,
and seated till a motion is made and carried
allowing him to proceed. The general Opn-
ion is that EdmundS would not have SO
rigidly construed an almost forgotten rule if
Van Wyck'S remarks had not rubbed him
against the grain. 1t is a common expires
sion that the Senate is dominated by rail
road influence. Party lines do not manifest
themselves in the treatment of railroads
Kick railroad corporation. and a majority
of the Senate, regardless of party, will howl
every time, if the opinions one hears daily
have any truth in them.