The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-11-22


more consideration than many of the
successful competitors.
Practically, it is now possible for
company commanders TO give these
valuable appointments to young
men who have enlisted for that sole
purpose, and who have not rendered
any merit OTlOus service except to quail
ify for the examination, thus induced
to enlist in the hope OF obtaining hard
earned and legitimate promotion.
The present system gives n great OPP
pOrtunity for favOrltism. Doubtless
there have been cases of it, and there
is danger that the abuse may become
a very serious one.
In order to insure exact Justice TO
ali and give full effect to the brnetCent
purpose Of congress, the initlatOry
step should he with the men themsei.
YES. Any enlisted man Of two years
service who is a citizen of the United
Stat4S should, undsr cartain hxad rIl-
~, be permitted to compete fora com
mission. BY this means the operat ion
of the law would be made absolutely
impersOnal, and every man entering
the army would be impressed with the
fact that he had an exact and even
chance for commission. This infor-
mHtiOn extensively disseminated
would. it Is hoped, further recon-
mend the army TO desirable men.
The secretary urges the adviSability
and necessity OF the thrce-battaIiOn
formation tor infantry, and remarks
regarding retirement OF officers:
Retirements ought to be carefully
limited in some proper way. The re-
tired list or any privileged class should
be strictly confined within he narrow
est limits compatible with the necossi-
ty which requires it's creation. But,
having such law, it should be n lust
one lust to the officers il is intended
to benefit and Just to the service it
was intended to relieve. The number
OF officers now awaiting retirement is
about sixty. These men are perform
ing no service whatever, but receive
full pay, while Junior officers doing
their duties for them are uniustly de-
privtd OF both the pay and the rank
which the law intends to attach to the
positions they are filling.
OF the 400 officers on the limited re-
tired list So were retired by reason OF
the loss of limb, and 80 others,
making l13 in all, were retired for
wounds. The inCOngruity of the pres
ent law is illustrated by the fact that
where an officer is disabled in the line
Ofduty, instead Of opening the way for
the promotion of juniors, it may and
often does, actually retard it. An of
ticer put upon the limited retired list
remains there so long as he lives, even
il he survives the age Of siXty-tour by
many years, thereby preventing the
retirement of another officer and the
consequent promotion of juniors. If
he had been retired for age in regular
course this could not occur. The
limtnOw established is proper enough
if the law were SO amended that this
limit could be construed according to
the reasonable intent of it's purpose.
An amendment providing for the
transfer OF officers from the linn
tied to the unlimited list when
they reach the age Of sixty-fOur
would still permit only 400 re-
tirements other than those who could
be retired Tor forty years service or
by virtue Of the sixty-fOur years pro-
vision. Whatever the limit be, such
is the only reasonable basis for it.
A bill to that effect is already pending
in congress, and If it be enacted ] be-
lieve that with the limit as it now is
the evil will correct itself.
Secretary Proctor presents the con-
dition of the volunteer records and
the rebellion records, Commends the
forthcoming transfer OF the signal ser
vice bureau to the department OF the
interior, refers to the abandonment OF
sixteen military posts and reserva-
tions during the past year, and says
that the war department has assisted
the national guard with very salts
factory results. He says;
Any money which the national gov
ernment expends for our citizen sol
diers goes to help those who help
themselves, and Is bound to give pro
pOrtionately large returns. Under the
present law there is annually appro.
priated for the beneiit OF the militia
S4OO, 900, while the individual states
appropriate in the aggregate, so far
as known, over 81 10000 and in
many states the militia also receive a
considerable support from local and
private sources. II the apprOpria-
tiOn of the general government should
he increased, and | wish it might be,
believe thatit would begenerously met
by corresponding increase by the
states themselves. ! heartily com.
mend every intelligent effort to in.
crease the efficiency OF the national
guard, and to bring them into closer
relations with the war department
and hope that measures to that end
may receive favorable consideration
Of congress. One of the most useful
directions which can he given to the
drill and training of the militia Of the
sea board states is in connection with
coast defenses, where its services arr
most likely to be needed, If at all. In
| that particular training the general
government must do more than CO
| operate; it must take the initiative
The secretary recommends that the
| law authorizing the detail OF army OF
ficers as instructors in agricultural
colleges and other institutions be sc
| HS W oNllOH JbG NlCbhl vi sON
enty-fiVe officers from the army, or al
least one for every million Of inhabi
tants. The secretary states that ht
has approved IA proposition to organ
iIe a thoroughly equipped expedition
to make systematic exploration anC
survey of Alaska, and recommends &
sufficient appropriation for carryin!
the plan into effect.
The expenditures OF appropriations
under the direction OF the secretary o
war tor the fiscal year ended June 70
1890, aggregated SAT 7357, ,756.42, anC
the appropriations for the present tis
cal year are $G2, ,799, ,695.45 The es
Inmates OF the department for the next
| fiscal year are as follows:
Salaries and contingent ex
penses. 2,O7l, ,43OO'
! Military establishments; sup
| port Of the Army and Military
academy. y........,................. 26, 100 90l Z
Public works .................,.. 10, ,7O9, ,2sS o;