The examiner., 1886-03-13
THE AMERICAN ARls1ocRAcY.

mf. Reagan, or IeXaS, ChlnkS that our retired list of army officers makes sort of American aristocracy, and he is opposed to it; and he is not a thousand miles from being right about it. The Western Rural cannot see the advisability of pensioning any class of officials as matter of course. It is the private soldier who ought to have two dollars to the officers one; and if we are to have any retired list with magnifi- cent salary for every man who has passed a certain age, let it be made up of private soldiers. Our army officers are educated at public expense. They are paid good salaries and furnished employment, and the greater part of the time have nothing to do. If we have war and an officer is wounded pension him. If he is not let him take care of himself as the private who is not wounded or injured is compelled to. The observer Of events cannot help seeing that there is steady tendency in this country toward creating privileged classes. It shows itself in army circles. An army officer lives in world by himself. He is an aristocrat with red top boots and epau- lets, Boots, spurs and shoulder straps make him feel superior to the common herd. His claim is to be supported by other people and the country is foolish enough to gratify him. Then there is 9 class that wishes to swell our American aristocracy by providing handsomely for ex-Presidents. We pay a President fifty thousand dollars year, and if he cannot save enough out of that to live upon du- ring the balance of his life, and feels too respectable to go to work, he had better go to the pooG house. It is thoroughly un- American to be carrying man on our backs through life simply because he has been President of the United States. It is the theory of our Government that he is no better than anybody else, and he is not. While he is in office we show him great respect because the office demands respect
 When he leaves office we can and will re- spect him just in proportion as he behaves himself and earns his own living. Neither army officers nor Presidents do any more for the country than millions of men who are quitely developing our resources and building up society, and some of them do not do half as much. The prosperity of the country depends upon the industry and character of its citizens and not upon its army officials or it's Presidents. If there is war, army officials are useful, but then the men under them incur the most of the danger, save the country and make the reputation of the officers.
 Recently in Chicago the question of pen sioning our judges has been mooted. Judge Rodgers, one of our oldest and best judges, when asked his opinion of the movement, replied that he wanted no pen sion, and that if we had any judges who were not satisfied with what they were getting, they had better get out of the busi- ness. That is the whole thing in nut shell. If anybody who occupies any official position in this country thinks he is not getting enough as he goes along, let him get into something else. There is no law in this country to compel a man to be a general or President. The face of the nation ought to be firmly set against any thing like an aristocracy.-Western Rural.