National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-23
More Civilian Power Needed in the War
and Navy Departments.

our military men would ike TO control
themselves and TO have Congress give
them all the money they want, ask
no questions, pry into no secrets of
the two aristocracies, and be nothing but
their humble seryitors. But such Is not TO
be the condition OF affairs. II is republi-
can army and navy to which they belong.
One act of Congress can abolish the whole
establishment and turn into civil life every
officer, from general to lieutenant, from
admiral to ensign. The army and navy are
Mt this moment commanded by President
Cleveland, and not by Gen. Sheridan
and Admiral Porter. The Commander-in-
chiefs orders are determined by Secretaries
Endicott and Whitney, and the two great
departments Of which these Cabinet officers
are the heads control and expend the APP
preparations, direct all military and naval
operations, and enforce the laws and the
policy OF the people and Congress, whether
the officers Of the army and navy are pleased
with those laws aud policy or are hostile
to them.
This Is the correct constitutional theory
ofour military administration, and whenever
II shall be fully carried out, and the Presi-
dent and the Secretaries In fact as well as
In form, shall control completely, in gen
erals and in details, the army and the navy,
the services will grow strong with the peo-
pie and Congress. The President and Sec
retares, taking that deep interest IN mill
taiy and naval affairs which intimate
knowledge and complete personal respon-
sibility will be sure to arouse, will demand
and secure from Congress all useful legis.
lation, and will invoke for the officers and
men Of the services that popular favor and
support which are so much needed and
desired.
We regret to say that the true theory of
military and naval administration is by no
means carried out under present prac-
tees, almost solely because the Secre-
taries of the departments have not the civil
ian aid they ought to have. They are
practically the sole representatives in the
two departments Of the civil power. When
Secretary Endicott enters the War Depart
ment building the people and their power
are there represented. When he steps out
there is no such representation; the chief
clerks and other clerks are not adequate.
The military men disregard them and crush
them out. This is also true Of the Navy
Department.
Secretaries Endlcott and Whitney are also
the only lawyers in the two departments.
We do not refer to a knowledge of military
law, but to an acquaintance with those
legal principles which should be always
found near at hand where large sums of
money are to be disbursed and important
laws are to be interpreted and carried into
execution. The Navy Department each
year for the next four will disburse, in addi-
tion to its regular annual expenditures of
fifteen millions, at least five millions for the
Increase Of the navy, making upwards of
twenty millions a year. The War Depart
ment expenditures will probably reach fifty
millions year. Superior legal knowledge
should be present where the authority TO
make these expenditures exists.
We repeat and emphasize the facts:
Secretary Whitney is the only lawyer in
the Navy Department.
Secretary Endicott is the only lawyer in
the War Department.
If these Secretaries will surrender their
families and all social life, and will work
all day, evenings AMI sometimes Sundays,
they can perhaps acquire the necessary
knowledge and perform the necessary labor
TO properly control and conduct the great
forces committed to their charge. But un-
less they have iron constitutions they will
soon endanger their health, and have to alb.
sent themselves to take rest. Then the de.
partments will pass again under the domi.
nation Of the army and navy officers, into
military instead of civilian control.
Two remedies for the existing evils may
be applied. One certainly should be-: the
appointment Of an assistant secretary and
n solicitor from civil life In each depart.
ment. They should be given ample sala.
ries, otherwise men who can do what Il
wanted will not come forward; the offices
will be filed by men who will be more an
noyance than help to the Secretaries.
The other remedy may be additionally
adopted If deemed advisable by the Secre.
tanes and Congress. Some, or all, Of the
bureaus should have civilian heads. Start
ling as it may sound to our army and navy
potentates, there is not one of the present
eight bureaus Of the Wsr Department, or of
the eight bureaus Of the Navy Department,
which could not be placed under a civilian,
without creating difficulties in administra.
ton; the changes would even result IN bet.
decentralization We grant that the six.
teen civilian bureau chiefs, subsecretaries
in effect, should be men of high character
and Of superior capacity, in order fifty Ia
represent the chief secretaries in control.
ling the various corps connected with the
several bureaus. But 1t would not be diff.
cult to find such chiefs at a salary for each
Of S5,000 not much more than is paid to
each Of the forty or fifty retired rear ad,
mirals in the navy, and TO the retired
generals,
We commend our views to the considera.
tlon Of the many military and naval officers
now commorant in Washington, seeking to
establish their services In the confidence of
the people. Let them for the present cease
to press for further favors for themselves,
but with one accord urge the Importance OF
strengthening popular power in the de-
parments by the introduction of civilian
assistant secretaries, solicitors, and chiefs Of
bureaus. When this change is effected
there will be no trouble in obtaining from
Congress, through the intercession of the
able'bodied, sound.minded, well-organlzed
civilian rulers of the departments, all the
beneficial legislation for the army and
navy which can be justly asked for.
a Permanent Exposition of Working
Models.