The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-11-07

GERS as may be available at the moment. The
courts assembled at the same time at differ
ent garrisons may be considering exactly
ANALOGOUS cases, ana awarding the most wide
~ varying punishments to the offenders. Col.
Lieber says that different standards of pen.
atty prevail In the different departments and
that there is no uniform system anywhere.
The consequences of this lack Of equal JUS
tlce are apparent. Independently Of the
wrong done in Furnishing similar cases In
the same army by different standards, dis
satisfaction must be produced among the
troops. The victims of this lack Of Impair
tiallty nave grievance against the govern
ment, and probably not few cases of de-
sertlon may be directly traced to this
MMIetched system Of administering Justice
Inc remedy required Is the drawing up OF
proper military penal code, under which
uennlte punlshments would be awarded for
.ne eiasslned offences. This Is matter
winch has been repeatedly urged by various
department commanders and others, but,
ike the project of establishing minor garri,
son courts consisting of single officer for
alsposing each morning of comparatively
!! tIiylal onenees committed the day before,
!. mas Ialled hitherto to receive the atten-
ton 1t merits.
Inc enormous number of trials is another
point TO notice. There were ,730 trials by
general gems court martial during the last year.
Still this number is less than that OF some
years preceding. In the year 1882 there had
peen 1880 such trials in the following year
the number rose to 1885 lin The year after that
10 2zoO; In 1885 1t had reached the extraordi-
nary total OF 1928: The desirability of call
ing halt somewhere had then become an
parent, and the following year showed de-
crease, bat during the past year there have
neen 9ol more trials by inferior courts than
tDere were during the year preceding. The
Whole number OF trials by garrison and regi-
mental courts was 10,447 and of these
only 1877 resulted in acquittals. Add
the number OF cases in general courts and
we get an aggregate of 12,177 cases for the
year. VI these more than II, 900 were trials
u enIisted men, and with less than two ac-
qulttals In hundred. These figures might
appear at first to show a gu er state of
thlngs In the army, but as a matter of fact.
under the present defective system, cases OF
an degrees OF Importance are made the sub
lects OF regular court martial, and hence
matters Of very ordinary discipline swell the
TOTAL 10 the figures already mentioned.
Stlll, with all allowance, it must be adj
mltted that there Is an extraordinary amount
q! q court martialling in the army, considering
make large ratio to tho enlisted strength,
and 1t might naturally be supposed that this
business OF holding courts, and hearing and
uecldlng cases Is one of the chief occupations
OF oiilcers In times of peace.
Getting on In the World.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6-The advance of
the Indians in prosperity is something ex-
traordinary, and it is thought they are by no
means anxious for the government to know
now wei on they are. The Indian Office has
inst had report from the Indian agency.
Washington Territory, saying sTRe $50
INDIANS upon the D'Warnusl reservation
near Puget Sound, have made according to
actual measurement, 20.0O4 bushels of grain.
Here Is the grain crop Of one reservation
tnat VIII amount to nearly as much as the
whole appropriation by Congress for the
D'Warnusli and allied tribes. They have
purchased five new Irvine binders, for which
the government contributes nothing. How
is this for Indian farming?"
Gen. Armstrong, who Is the head of the
Indian school at Hampton, has lately been
IA the Indian Territory, where he has seen
the operation OF the government schools He
writes to the Indian Bureau: "From what
have seen OF the Tissiton and other gov
eminent boarding schools in the past few
weeks. am inclined to have greater re-
spect and appreciation of them. have seen
no poor work, and much that was very good
where they had the chance"