Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-04-08
Gl,e Edilfostcr 1ntelli9euter.
LANCASTER. APRIL s. 1856.
The Army skeleton.

General Logan's proposition, to increase
the army from its present force Of 25,OOO to
I 50, 900 men, was defeated in the Senate.
General Logan was very much in earnest
II advocating it and represented the army
7 view of the situation. The army officers
T consider that the force they command is
too small to be respectable ; and when we
consider the small number of men on the
average muster roll of the companies there
can be no doubt that the complaint is just;
3 company which is supposed to contain a
hundred men really has generally but a third
/ Of the number; General Logan says they
run from ten to fifty. AS there is cap
tain and two lieutenants to each company
beside the sergeants and corporals, it is
evident that there are too few officers for
I the men or too few men for the officers !;
and the question is as to whether the Off
cers or men are too many. The general
idea in the country, outside of military
circles, is that twenty-fi five thousand men
are quite enough for our need as a regular
military force. There is feeling against
. large standing army which has been bred
A0eO Oul DOhCs VIC haNC ihCu ikNih ii'
tory not only the cost but the dan
ger. Federal authority must not be
entrusted with needless power; and if we
do not need more than 5000 soldiers in
time Of peace we should not authorize the
enr0llment Of more. An addition of five
thousand is not very many, it is true ;
but II is too many unless the need for them
is clearly shown.
General Logan did not show it further
than by showing that the officers do not
have enough to do; and that may readily
be conceded. It is an unquestionable fact
The idea of over. .oflicering the army is that
in time of peace we shall be prepared fol
war, when we will need educated officers
who cannot he speedily made. We have
proposed to have the skeleton of a consid.
able army, which may be swelled by re,
cruits when needed to its full numbers
The theory is good one, but it does not
work SO well as it might in practice. Fol
the resulting tendency is to drive good
and energetic officers, who feel that their
abilities are not properly employed, out OF
the army; and to leave in it those
who are content with little to do,
for their epaulets and salary. The officers
rust and deteriorate under their situation.
They need to be actively employed, and
should be. AS they cannot be given enough
men to look after, it follows that they
should either be permitted to find
employment for themselves or have it
found for them by the government in
other branches of the federal service.
There are many places into which they
could be put in the civil service, where
they would be useful; for instance as In
dian agents. A company Of dozen or two
of soldiers needs no more than a ser
geant to command, and captain is fully
equal to the command Of a regiment
Of q hundred or two Of men. The officers
who may be SO well spared from the mill
tary service, and who are not wanted in
the civil, could profitably be given leave of
absence with permission to engage in
private business and an undertaking not to
call upon them until an emergency should
arise requiring them. Practically it would
be putting them on a retired list from
which when needed they would come to
the country's service from the active en-
ployments of private life, with unrusted
energies and contented minds.
What is there now to keep good officers
In the service, when the young Lieutenant
can never hope to be a colonel, and mus
look forward to captaincy coming bu
with his gray hairs; and that captainc.
over but score of men. What blanke
upon ambition is that