Telegram-herald., 1889-10-15


t.get1af, aha elEesrs sfs ths J1dss, .cft s1s
sxscutloners. I an. eeavlacSd tbaI IA gsT-
risou ooart uaarrl al Las terror ilstsfed
- L dive a1aarels q nea iBto eseeft!ca
every year Sol1ers ere piaceo - ocnfne-
r1eni fer tie taoss tFivial ofenses ss4lnss
Dis zas. s.-ch a. failure - szl ATE a. of-oer,
slea1lg dissespeesfuily q 40 on1esr ana
failing T. obey ths ordes < al oEooSf, ~
matter hou SnrsasoDstle ~ unInilltafs ihAt
crdeE a5sy lave beeu.
sSonaeElEaes, cat not oftsu. plissts 4 &C.
quilted On Irisl before q court MARTA BAT
see tie LniUsriee q u ssen Ia thls case. " HE
e@altLug trizJ os as besn under coarllle 1-ei-L
toE number II days, and. strange - s~y, ID
compelled - Do labor ue-r guard before
tFlal, Iust as Il hs was already coavietec-
Even sl1eF aeqaittsl he has 20 rolress Tor ths
tbJ1sIlce done hilR, bgt FstuFEs " company
quarters wiIh tie stigma u guard Rouse
bird upon bim. Naturally be saarss encer
tie insults and wrongs pat upon HIN, and l.
n-ads al tbs more uncomfoftable ~ tns con
sciOusnezs that the officer who preferred tas
charges against him has lu al pEonaoulsy
sworn % 'geg sysa' WITH him, and mat ne
VII, therefore, 10 locked up again "heneSer
tie slightest pretexs therefor can - found.
lie l. uAis - miserable BY tals petty naeging
thar be finally concludes % escape H. thus
another deserter Is added % the long roll II
the history of garrison court martial for
single year could be made public IN detail,
am afraid theI country would he greatly
shocked by thsIreyelati0nA
The fact Is too much time is spent by ON
sers ~ our army posts in dawGliBg, poker
playing, and indulgence ia social pleasures.
Our officers aFe now derlsiyely spoken OF as
carpet knights, and knights OF the round
table and the troop is left 10 the tender mer-
cies Of ncn-e4mmissioned officers who, hGv-
ing themselves risen from the ranks, are mar
tinets. The worst type Of military tyrant Ia
the corporal who was once private soldier.
As long as ht is private the men are bis
comrades. Hut as soon as he becomes al ON
Ger a chasrn tawns between him and them.
at is one ~ the traditions Of the barracks
that private can 30 nothing that is forbid
den by the code and escape punishment,
while an officer can do almost anything and
GO scot free. This is too near the truth. l
recall a case that Is not yet a year old. An
officer in command OF detachment Of troops,
not a thousand miles from Washington, vio-
lated not only the rules and articles OF war,
but the constitution Of the United States as
well, FOR he had q private soldier sentenced
90 Imprisonment without trial. When the
facts In this case were reported to the general
Of the army and the judge advocate general,
they conceded in the view that the officer
should be court martialed Yet, because il
was felt that a great expense would be in
CURED IN the assembling cf a court martial,
the officer escaped, and the wrongs OF the
poor devil Of private, who was wholly guilt-
less, are still unevenged.
''Of course you have a remedy 10 suggest
for this evil, generals!
In the first place congress should increase
tho pay Of a private soldier from sl3 to at
least $40 month That would attract more
men and better class Of men 10 the army,
and the recruiting officers could then refuse
10 pass many of the worthless fellows whom
they now feel it necessary To accept Provide
proper clothing for the private. Let his dress
and undreSS uniform be of fine material, well
Fitted and handsomely decorated, permitting
each regiment TO haveits own distinctive fac-
ings. Have the copi1,isspry department vary
the monotony Of pi'ssad ark and beef IN the
rations. Make the tra of service three
years instead Of five.
ut has been suggested that every deserter
when recaptUred be branded With big letter
d. so that be may DO known and despised
wherever he may go. But this savers too
much of the inhumanity which is already
one of the evils Of the service. 1t is too much
like branding cattle out on the plains a
better suggestion is 10 give n man the right
10 leave the army at will He should, of
course, have 70 give notice Of intention TO
quit, say three or six months, and he should
not be permitted TO leave till ho had served
year and a half. BE should. moreover, be
required 10 sacrifice something in order 70
get away, say SIS for two year man and
so for q three year man. This money could
be retained from his pay during tie time
served by him after giving notice.
DO not imagine that 10 efforts have been
made TO suppress dosertioD. Il has been one
of the problems OF tho Crmy for several
years. Efforts have been mada to mitigate
the conditions by which enlisted men are sur
rounded. The men have been encouraged to
play out door games, such as baseball, foot
ball and lacrosse, and many privates are very
slSillful at these sports. The moral effect,
too, is good Not long ago the war depart
ment issasd its first order regulating the gov
eTnmentsof post canteens- This Is an idea
that was borrowed from the English army,
where il has been tried for number OF years
with great satisfaction 10 all concerned. The
canteen Is a sort OF soldiers club. place 10
which the enlisted man can 20 for books,
games, conversation and luncheon. The can
/ teen Ia no longer an experiment. and Is gradu-
ally taking the place OF tho post traders
store, which is q nuisance TO the service, de-
generating, as it does, into a loafng place in
which drinking and gambling are surTepti-
tiously INDUCED in. ROBERT GRAVES.