The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-12-02

| Helu HrOCJOr VIII attract aJJenJlOu ~
its practical business character, its
originality, its humanitarian and states
manlike features. A cabinet officer
may display efficiency in carrying out
provisions of law; he may disclose a
genius for public affairs by originating
reforms, by devising new measures of
practical craftsmanship and by putting
them into successful operation. SGcre-
tary Proctor has won distinction both
tive officer. His report shows what has
been done under acts of congress TO
guard the four thousand miles of ma.
tional coast-line against attack; what
establishments for making modern guns
have been begun or completed; what
Notifications have been planned and
what armament has been provided.
The details of his report present evil
dence of scheme of national defense
that is gratifying to the national spirit,
and of the means of providing the best
modern enginery of defense that prom
ises independence of foreign work
ps-distinctively the American pol
icy, aud entirely becoming nation
whose political independence should
not be hampered by dependence upon
foreigners for food or raiment, or the
means ofoffensive or defensive warfare.
In his administration of the affairs of
the army, Secretary Proctor showed
what great natural ability and force,
with professional training supple
mented by years of experience in bust
ness affairs of magnitude and in the
civil offices of his state, can do for a
cabinet officer. The army was to him
a vast body of employees, not unlike the
men engaged in his marble quarries,
and he devised reforms and carried into
effect plans for improving the efficiency
of this body, for elevating the condi-
ton of the soldier and for returning
him to the ranks of civil life a better
man and better citizen. Provision
has been made for prompt and impair
tial trial of men for alleged offenses.
with assignment of competent officers to
defend them. Recruiting has been car
ried on in the smaller towns, in villages
and rural districts of the country, in
stead of in the larger cities as hereto
fore. Not only has better material for
good soldiers been secured by this
means, but applicants for enlistment
have not been accepted unless they pro-
duced satisfactory evidence of good
character. Men of questionable habits
and reputation have been excluded. In
case of doubt, they have been put on
probation for reasonable time, and if
the trial was unsatisfactory, they have
been discharged before any expense for
uniforms, pay or transportation had
been incurred. The maximum age of
original enlistment has been reduced
five years. The limit is now under the
age of thirty years. In this connection,
Secretary Proctor says:
1t would be very desirable if this age
limit could be still further reduced and no
establishments allowed except in case of
such non-commissioned officers as have at
| tanned special proficiency. This would return
| the soldier after three or five years service
to civil life in the majority of cases better
| fitted for it than when he enlisted. 1t is
| better that the soldiers service should be
an incident, and not the business, of his
| life If retained too long in the army he
cannot succeed out of it, and so may end
| his days in the Soldiers Home, instead Of
in home of his own The army, in time
OF peace, while training men for the posi-
! BILE contingency of war, should not unfit
them for the certain duties of peace. But
the age limit cannot be further reduced
unless greater inducement is offered to
good class of young men to enlist. This
should be done by reasonable increase in
| the pay of non commissioned officers es-
pecially that of first sergeants, and by Civ
ing them better opportunity TO compete
| upon examination for commissions. The in
creased expense in the pay of non commits
stoned officers could, if necessary, be bal
| anced by curtailing somewhere else. The
cost could be saved in many places better
than it can be spared in this. The charac
ter and efficiency of the company depends
largely upon the fist sergeant"
This is practical wisdom and practical
craftsmanship OF nlgh order, and
very apt expression of cardinal prn
ciple in the American scheme of gov
eminent. Promotion from the ranks
after examination before preliminary
boards, rather than upon recommends
ton of the company commanders, is
another of those sensible suggestions
with which the report is replete. Merit,
fairly ascertained, not favoritism, is
made the basis of advancement. The
effect of the reforms to which we have
briefly referred-and others which we
cannot enumerate-upon the morale of
the army has been wonderful. The
record of assertions illustrates the eff
feet of treating the private soldier as
man aud of affording him opportunities
for advancement. For the year ended
| Sanfapnh ar On 1aoariiopa bauo Ioox, laas