San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-02-25
Washington Letter.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 1856.

WASHINGTON, TtD' 10, iooo'
ED. FREE Press - While we are
putting our forts and ships in better
fighting order, we are losing, by the
course OF nature, generation of gen
erals who were trained in the grim
school of war to use these weapons oi
national defense with the best skill
And this waste cannot be repaired,
We may buy ordnance and erect for
tifications, and invent ingenious tor
pedo systems, but we cannot provide
ourselves with ready-made generals.
In this respect we are at a dlsadvan-
tage with military nations, whose con
slant wars serve rs school in which
generals are educated. The terrible
civil war supplied the country with a
group of military leaders who were
competent to handle large bodies OF
troops, but scarcely one OF these gen
erals now remains in active service,
and all of them are feeling the ap-
proach of age. Were u new war to
break out, these veterans might find
themselves pushed aside by younger
men, much ms Gen. Scott was elbowed
out of the way at the opening of the
civil war.
We should remember that the coun-
try has enjoyed twenty-five years OF
profound peace, with scarcely riot
or an Indian frac0s to afford either Of
ficers or soldiers an opportunity to
smell hostile gunpowder This is ten
years longer than the interval be-
tween the war with Mexico and the
breaking out of the rebellion. Be
tween the victory of the colonies and
the second war with Great Britain
there was lapse of 20 years, and
thirty-two years intervened between
the peace Of Ghent in 1914 and the
beginning of the Mexican war. This
period was broken, however, by the
breaking out OF the Seminole war in
1885, which called into practice the
best endeavors of the regular army
for several years.
In both war and diplomacy this
country suffers at times from it's lack
of professional experts. But at all
great emergencies in our history, thus
far, we have found the man for the
time. Aud, as between the two, 1t is
wiser to take the risks of peace than
to burden ourselves with that policy
of the ancient despotisms, and OF
some modern nations, which seeks
quarrels with one or another neigh
Dor, so that the army may be kept fa-
miliar with the laws and practice OF
warfare.
Mr.. Hewitt, in speaking of the tar
iff bill to-day. said there seemed to be
an erroneous impression as to the
manner and method OF preparing
this bill. After the defeat of the Nor
rison horizontal bill, last session, Mr..
Morrison went to Mr.. Hewitt and
asked him to cooperate with him in
formulating new tariff bill. Since
then they have worked together, and
the present bill is the result OF their
joint labors, with the concurrence OF
speaker Carlisle The bill follows
more closely the Hewitt idea, and is
regarded as moderate in its provi-
sions. Since it's completion it has
been submitted to all the democratic
members of the committee in confer
ence, and while it is not as radical as
some of the more ardent free-traders
desire, in the main it fuilfils the
pledge of the Chicago platform, and
makes considerable reduction in the
higher rates of duty. The free list IS
quite large, and embraces salt, lum-
Der, iron ore, and nearly all the raw
material used in the manufacture OF
articles in this country. Mr.. Hewitt
said that they hoped to finish consid-
Grafton of the bin in committee and
report it to the house within two
weeks. Morrison, Hewitt, and other
members of the committee, expect to
get a nearly united vote of the demo
Gratis, and express great confidence
in its final adoption by the house.
OF the two bodies, the senate OBJ
seaved the death of Gen. Hancock in
the better taste. That chamber took
steps to erect a suitable monument to
his memory, and then proceeded with
the public business. The house cele-
brated by voting itself holiday.
i.