Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-03-21
The Army and Navy.

The Investigation OF the charges
against the officers II the III ited States
Steamship Enterprise haa brought ont
some startling testimony. After max
Ing full allowance for any prejudice
against their superior officers which
may exist among the men, there il still
shown condition Of affairs which Ia
anything but cr.ditable to our navy.
Indeed the admissions OF Lieutenants
Mulligan and Ingersoll would seem
enough to show them totally untitled for
the positions they occupy were there no
other evidence Of their cowardly cruelty
70 those under their command. II IL
evident that the investigation now in
progress did not come at all too soon
II should be searching and thorough
The officers who have been guilty Of
brutal treatment of the men should
be dealt with In such summary man
ner, that they shall have no imitators
hereafter. The American navy was not
Intended to be stamping place for
bullying msrtlnets Uncle Sans blue
should not be made livery Of disgrace
to the men who wear It, Slavery was
abolished some time ago In this coun-
try, and the ''overseer'' has no
longer any calling in America. Il
was never intended that the men who
enter our navy should part with their
seifrespect; that they should be hound
ed, and cursed, and bullied and crueized.
by sap-heads destitute Of the very ele-
ments Of manhood and decency. When
torture and profanity become essential
adjuncts to discipline In our navy it will
BE- high time for this country to do away
with that branch Of the service. 70 our
mind radical change is needed In the
make up Of our navy. II is the same
broadening process which the Journal
sometime ago. advocated for our army.
The naval schools are not altogether
blessing to the service so long AS they
operate to cut of all hope OF promotion
from the rank and ale. We earnestly
believe that there should be no barrier
erected to prevent deserving men from
rising -Uut OF the rank and file to the
highest positions in the service Ability
and character should count for as much
In the service whether 1t comes from the
forecastle or from the school at Auuap.
oils. II must be obvious to the observer
Of events that the path Of advancement
IL practically barred to the rank aud iile
both Of our army and navy There Ia no
chance for the common soldier or sailor
to rise above his present condition when
. sufficient number OF officers berths
cannot be found to supply the graduates
Of West Point and Annapolis.
Army and navy dudes are becoming
alarmingly numerous in these modern
days. The methods Of both services are
we'll calculated to produce them. The
youthful Nsp>leons and Nelson's of the
country have been doing about all their
fighting In the social word up to date.
Indeed SO enamour,d have they become
with this class Of wat fare that IL Is said
the naval officers on the Pacific coast
could not forego the pleasures Of .
grand ball on the very evening Of the
terrible afiliction that befell Secretary
Tracy. 1t Is well to look matters square
" In the face, The present methods of
organization in both our army and navy
are radically and fundamentally wrong
They are Incompatible with our republi-
sAn institutions. The very spirit Of
our national life leads US to open wide
the doors Of progrsss and possibility to
all uen. why should those doors be
forever closed to the rank aud fie Of our
army and navys The efficiency of
the service demands that they should
b opened wide. We have had
safety Of red tape and gold lace,
now let Us have little common sense
BY way Of change The wholesale de-
ssftions from the army. As shown by the
report Of the Secretary Of War. presase
u the near future "a army made up Al
nost exclusivsly II oaacers, 4 condition
Of afAirs which would certa,ulv h. a.
p'orabie. The fact has been repeatedly
bewailed that = sufficient number Of
American sesmen cannot be secured to