St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-10
The Nations Giddy Capital More Attract
i've to Army Dudes Than a
Frontier Fort.
Secretary BndicOtt's Order Creating Fu-
Tor Among the Boys Who Have
Enjoyed Soft Berths.
The Personal Aids TO Distinguished d
Odicers--The Cattle Kings Fail
to BuIldoze Cleveland.
Henry Ward Beechcr Intercedcs for
an Offensive Partisan--AIaska's
Value TO Uncle sam.
Army Reforms.

Special 10 the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 9.-The capital is
much more comfortable residence than a
fort on the frontier, and of course army Of
fcers get themselves detailed for special
duty here whenever they can. and stick TO
! Washington as long as they can. Ii they
cannot get to Washington they are willing
TO take an assignment 10 special duty i'm
some other large city. where they can have
the advantage of civilization. Some officers
have been successful in keeping on this
kind of duty, and away from their COM
panies or regiments, for a long term of
years. The truth is that every lew years,
generally after a new secretary comes into
the war department. the fellows who have
not got soft snaps make such a howl for re-
form that good portion of the detached
service men are returned To their commands
and another lot of the unfortunates from
the frontier get the plums. The result is
that the number OF officers who have held
on TO Washington or equally desirable de-
tails for dozen years or so is extremely
small. The order just made by Secretary
Endicott is aimed at the fat fellows who
have been at the trough great deal longer
than their fair share of time, and to let in
a lot of thin and
HUNGRY ONES.
But it isn't going TO oust great many
men, for the number of officers who have
been serving away from their commands
over four years is not formidable, the gem
eral belief to the contrary notwithstanding.
4 year ago last winter Senator Logan made
hot attack on the army officers who get
themselves detached from their commands
and assigned to duty here, and then used
their personal, political and social influence
TO avoid being sent elsewhere, and he Of
fered a resolution which the senate adopted.
calling on the secretary of war for the
names Of all officers on detached service.
with theirTank and the service they were
on and reasons for it, and the length of
time that they had been absent from their
commands. This resolution was expected
to develop the fact that Washington was
full of army officers who hadn't seen their
commands since the war closed, but it did
not. The only conspicuous cases of what
might be called favoritiSm which il disclosed
were the cases of aids TO generals, but here
the favoritism was extended to the general
and not to the aid. 1t has always been
customary to allow to general officers the
privilege of selecting their own
PERSONAL AIDS
and keeping the same over. Col. Augur had
been Gen. Augur's aid for twelve years;
Lieut.. Schofeld had been Gen. Schofelds
aid for five years; Coils. Tourtelotte and
Bacon had been Gen. Sherman's aids for
thirteen years. Mckee Dunn had been
Pope's aid for sixteen years; Capt. Wherry
had been Schofelds aid for the same
period: Lieut.. Sladen had been Gen. How
ards aid for seventeen years, and CaptS.
Wharton and Ward had been Gen. Han
gpal--s ainc fprf
respectively. Secretary Endicott had de-
cided to insist on rotation in Office. even i'm
the case of aids who have intimate. per-
sonal and confidential relations with the
generals on whose stalls they serve. In re-
gard to other than staff officers what the re-
port referred to showed was that only two
officers had been on light house duty for
more than four years. and one of these
was Col. Babcock, since drowned. The
secretary of the Mississippi river commits
sion has held that place little over four
years. of fourteen acting signal officers
five had served four years or more. In re-
gard to this class of details it ought TO be
said that Senator Logan's project for
limiting service i'm the signal corps
to three years would keep the service i'm the
hands Of inexperienced men all the time
The report, to resume, showed that Col
scott was the only oincer IN the war record
Office who had been there four years. OF
the twenty-nine professors of military SCI
ence assigned to colleges not one had
SERVED THREE YEARS.
and most of them had not served two years
OH that detail. OF fOrty-seven officers on
recruiting service all had served less than
two years. and most of them less than one
year. AT the military prison only the gov
ernor had served over four years. OF the
officers on inspection duty, the one who had
served longest had only served three years
ana one month. Not one of the acting
judge advocates had served a. much as
three years. The only officer who had
served on special duty at headquarters over
four years was a colonel. who was in com
mand of department. The superintendent
of public buildings in Washington had
served less than three years. and has since
been relieved. The commander OF the Sol
diers' home had served two years and a
half. Capt. Pratt had had charge of the
Indian school at Carlisle five years, and four
officers had been on miscellaneous duty i'm
Washington for more than four years. two
OF whom were detached and sent elsewere,
more than year ago.