Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-02-11
ANOTHER ARMY AM,

Useless Proposition from Republican
20 kurtfer Drain the Hationss rr.a.
ury.
Inc success of the army n procur-
ing law for the compulsory retire.
menf on officers on reaching the age of
sixty-four seems to have oyer-stimr,-
lated ingenuity in devising schemes
TOR further swelling the retired list.
Tine OF these projects appears in the
oaii OF Senator CuIIom, which declares
saae any of1cer now On the active list
Oh the army who served in the war of
the reheiiion. either in the volunteer
or regular forces. shall. ON his applica-
ton TO the President. be put on the re-
ered list with ths rank and retired paw
OF the grade next above the one which
ne noids at the time of his application
Inns Is an extraordinary measure.
anu It's necessity Is in no respect ob-
vieus. Il full advantage should be
saken or 1t, the entire military estab-
hshnent would go to pieces Every
general officer in the service, every
Colonel commanding a regiment and
nearly every field officer served in the
civil war. and hence would be able to
demand retirement. The war ended
only little more than twenty years
ago, and 1t Is therefore evident that i
very large part of the higher officers
or the army would De included IN the
privileges of this bill. and nearly all
those occupying the most responsible
positions. The only officers who could
not retire under its authority would be
the younger ones, who have taken
part IN no war on d large scale. Un-
doubtedly such q scheme would in
crease the flow of promotion. out it
would make no account of the inter
ests of the country.
1t may be said that there would be
little anxiety TO give up full pay and
active service for three-fourths pay and
retired service, and that this bill is only
designed to open the retired list, now
limited by law. for the benefit OF Il
small number of officers. But it really
does much more. It offers premium
on applications for retirement. It gives
the applicant the pay of the grade
above his own. There is much COM
plaint of the length of time that elapses,
during peace. between one promotion
and another. Hence there is good
reason to suppose that while an officer
VINO is within a few years of an eX-
pected advancement in grade might
prefer TO wait for it. officers who have
Just received Il promotion may De glad
to take three-fourths of a rate of pay
higher than the one on which thew are
likely to remain for wears. especially as
they would get this pay with absolute
freedom from active duty, and the full
command of their time Thus each
set of motions might be followed
by temptations TO retire. and these, IN
turn. bv others. so keeping the service
constantly unsettled.
But even were as little advantage
taken of the privileges of the scheme as
its projectors seem to expect. it is none
the less based on an unsound principle.
Why should the most experienced Off
GERS in the service be invited to leave
it. and be even tempted by the pros
pect of retiring on higher rank and
paw The knowledge gained by the
actual command OF large bottles OF
troops in a long war will disappear
from the service fast enough by natural
casualties and bv the enforced retire
ment for age There are many officers
in the army only little more than
FORTY wears old. who served during the
civil war. and are now in the prime of
life. Being thus full of the possibility
of usefulness for many years to come,
and i'll sound health. such officers APP
parently should not be allowed to step
aside. enTovine ttree-fourths of an in
creased pay through the remainder OF
life. even should they desire TO do so.
~ r san.