Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-03
Report Of Inspector General.

General Davis, late Inspector Gen
eral of the army, recently retired, OBJ
serves Ia his official report TO the Sec
rotary of War for the fiscal year end
ing June 80 last that ''the character
of the men enlisting in the army for
year or two past has BEEN improving
but further improvement IN the enlist
ments Is needed"
This matter is one of paramount i'm
portance and attracts the atteD ton of
public men. who are led to believe,
from investigations into the subject,
that immediate legislation is needed
whereby the personnel of the army may
be vastly improved and constituted
generally of much better material than
is at present obtained. It is their opin-
ion that employment as soldiers IN the
regular army would be eagerly sought
as a profession by the better class
ofyouDg men provided the army could
be stripped of many of its discourage
ments. While as General Davis oh
serves, the character of men lately en-
listed for year or two past has been
i'm proving, it is nevertheless true that
many disreputable persons fad refuge
from their crimes by enlisting at the
various recruiting rendezvous, and
thereby the army is made practically
a Botany Bay. More importance in
enlisting men is attached to physique
than character, and hence the large
number of assertions and prisoners
sentenced to confinement, IN the mill
tary prison at Fort Leavenworth.
Applications for discharges are con
stantly increasing on the part of young
men who, having enlisted find the
service mental and unbearable. Sol
diers are required to work as laborers
at the various military posts, and those
who nave ambition to acquire the
profession of arms and possibly to
distinguish themselves In the field re-
sent such employment, and see moth
ing but oppression and failure in the
future. While discipline is a stern
necessity of army duty. it is frequent
~ administered tyranically, and it is
undeniable that many officers on the
frontier do not always set good ex
ample to the aen under their COM
E1and. If they drink and gamble
within the knowledge of their camHan
the enlisted men become likewise cor
rupted. Their duties are performed
mechanicly rather than with ardor
and patriotism and they are impatient
for their terms Of enlistment to expire
and be discharged.
The number OF courts matrial of of
fcers by no means diminishes, and
although this process is frequently
utilized to crafty personal revenges
and settle scores not incident to the
service, dismissals Or punishment Of
officers by sentence of court martial
is the rule rather than the exception.
Soldiers who have served their enlist
ment and receive honorable discharge
rejoice at their deliverance from what
they commonly term ''the jaws of
hell" and it is notorious that they
hold their army service in adherence
rather than with the pride that should
attach to an honorable profession. It
is common practice for judges to sus-
pend sentence on criminals conditioned
upon their enlistment in the army, and
the incorporation of such persons I'M
doubleday corYupts the service. Per-
sons who are DISAPPOINTED in love, un-
fortunate In business, or have ma lie
themselves obnoxious at home fire.
quentlv seek aaylum IN the army. In
some cases they may improve, but
usually they degenerate. Their treat
ment is severe, and as army discipline
is now largely administered, it breaks
the hearts of very large percentage
of earnest and deserving soldiers. The
service, it is claimed, can be made TO
attract rather than repel thd enlist
ment of men of good character.