The Wilmingtonian., 1886-06-19
The Naval Cadet

The attempt is being made in the United
| States Senate that larger share of those
graduating in the usual course at Annapolis
| Naval Academy fiud regular permanent
berths in the United States Navy.
It has the appearances Of ? grievance that
| a number of young men after serving six or
eight years in the Academy and Navy and
receiving graduates diplomas for that term
| should at its termination be turned adrift
with no future prospect Of utilizing in any
way the valuable experience pf which they
have possessed themselves.
They entered the Academy undoubtedly
with the strong hops of commission in the
Navy should their six or eight years of ser
vice end successfully.
The trIuble of course is that many more
young gentlemen graduate at Annapolis
than there are vacancies in the Navy to meet
them with. 1t is otherwise at West Point.
There is army accommodation for even more
than graduate at the Military Academy.
1t was stated in the Senate that nine
tenths of those educated at government ex-
pense at Annapolis acquire an amount of
technical Naval education which is never
utilized by the government and which the
Naval authorities have not the slightest idea
of making use of.
Senator Salisbury when speaking upon
this subject, in reply to a remark of Senator
Hale in reference to the status of disap-
pointed graduates. should like to ask
the Senator from Maine a question. | con-
cur very fully with him that we ought not to
provide larger force for the navy than
may be necessary for the work ofthe defense
Of the country. understi inl his position to
be this: While these young men went to the
Naval Academy there was no contract ex-
pressed or implied on the part Of the Govern
ment that they would after completing their
education enter into the naval service of the
country, can not take that view exactly.
My impl ession il that when the young gem
tlemen were invited to become students at
the Naval ACADEMY the idea was present to
their minds that aftor the completion of
their studies they shauli be admitted into
the naval service and have employment in
that profession If that is the case, it occurs
TO me that injustice was done by the act Of
| Congress"
| Senator Hale replied =
| 'Lct me ask the Senator even suppos-
ing that his assumption is cMrect, and
it may be, that these young boys sixteen
years of age supposed v hen they went there
that they would be instructed and would be
received into the naval service, does he hold
because of that, because a boy so expected,
that every rule of law aud Of policy and OF
the needs OF the Government shall be over
riddenP Does the Senator forget what the
Government was dong for these boys, aud
how much better cpntItiOn ul life they
we're IL than nine hundred Al ninety nine
boys 5ut of thousand. How eager would
| have been SO many b iys to have takeu theiI
! place, aud that even to them in their tender
years should be applied the rules which ap,
ply to men, that no mao shall be taken as
sssuming what is contrary to the law and
the needs aud the good of the Government
Does the Senator set up the Tact that the boy
! of sixteen supposed the Government Would
take him in as overriding everything else :
When iddge is appointed 10 a court and ii
is declared that he shalt not be removed TN.
til the expiration of his term, he expects