The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-03
ARMY NOTES.

The Democratic press of the country is
much exercised over the promotion of
Lieutenant Colonel Richard N Batchelder
TO be quarter master general of the United
States army over six officers his senior,
and quite few OF the most prominent
journals are not 10th to express their dis
appreciation of the Presidents action in the
premises. If they were line officers, per-
haps valid reasons could be cited to show
the cause, but the gentlemen over
slaughed by Harrison are staff officers of
long and faithful service and each of them
well qualified to conduct the affairs of the
quartermaster department in a most
credltable manner. 1t shows the dnin1us
of Blaine, Lige Halford and Grandson Ben
in their endeavors to have associated with
them as heads of the departments in the
army men who, like themselves, are of the
tire-eating school of Republicanism. The
esprit d,t corps Of the army Of the United
States is surely on the wane when we
are compelled to take due cognizance of
such fragrant act We quote from the
Kansas City Times of June 20, 1897
The promotion of Lieutenant Colonel
Richard N. Batchelder to be ouartermaster
general, over the heads of six senior
officers Of his corps was not expected.
the ability of the ncwiy appointed officer,
it is decidediyof opinion that the President
has made a mistake. Any one of the six
officers who are Colonel Batchelder's SEN
Tors are capable and efficient men, and has
a right TO expect that consideration to
which their past services entitled them.
II they are not MT men to be at the head of
the corps, they should not be permitted to
remain in the service An army officer
| N ion nv itx-a
reward for faithful service, but il political
influence IS to decide the right to distinc
ton in any branch Of the army-and no one
can deny that Colonel Batchelder's ad-
vancement is not due to this fact-then the
service IS indeed getting itself into sorry
plight. The spectacle of army officers
scrambling for places is perhaps witnessed
nowhere else but in the United States 1t
is destructive of the discipline of the army,
and if remedy is not applied by patriotic
men in Congress, it will not be long until
its transformation into political camp
will have been contaminated. The Times
wishes it distinctly understood that it has
no objection to Colonel Batchelder as quar-
| termaster general, for he will certainly
make an efficient head of that corps, but it
| protests against the methods resorted to in
bringing about the appointment and over
slaughing six worthy officers. 1t extends
ID INN cordial support in his new field,
with the sincere hope that the reforms in
augurated by his predecessor win be taken
up and carried out.
The above extract from the Times was
evidently penned by an officer of the army,
perhaps one attending the school of in
struction at Fort Leavenworth, and in it.
self speaks volumes Our pen cannot i'm
prove upon it, nor can we add anything to
it, save our most hearty appreciation. 1t
will also be borne in mind by The HERALD
readers that in 1854, when Blaine ran for
the Presidency, Colonel c. H. Smith Nine.
teenth infantry. and his adiutant, Captain
G. i. Hall, of the same regiment, stumped
the state of Maine for the Republican nomi-
nee. BY the retirement of General tirier.
son on the Sth inst, Colonel Smith will have
his account squared with the party of his
choice by his appointment as successor tc
General Grierson. Truthfully can it be
said that the army will soon be transformed
into a political camp if patriotic congress
men do not very soon apply remedy and 9
strong one at that. OBSERVER.
July 2, 1890.