The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-01-17
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How Far the President Can Control
the Army and Navy.

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the Army and Navy.
The President of the United States
is made by the constitution com
mander-in-chief Of the army and
navy. Curiously enough, his con-
troll over the two branches of the
service differs materially. So far
as the navy is concerned he has
comparatively little executive au-
thority, but his powers in army
matters is very great. For example,
he might, if the Senate did not OBJ
ject, take any fresh graduate from
West Point and make him the gen.
eral of the army. In fact with this
condition granted, he can turn Gen.
Scho6eld out of his place of com
mand, drop him from the list alto
gether, and replace him with whom
soever he chooses. Indeed, more,
implying no contradiction from the
upper House in Congress, he has
the power to take any private in the
army and make him the general.
The law in this regard seems to
be very curious one, inasmuch as
no like power is vested in the Pres
ident with relation to the navy.
Mr.. Harrison, however willing the
Senate might be, could not take a
sailor in the service and make him
an admiral. Neither could he pro-
mote midshipman just out of An
napolis to such a position. Nor
would it be possible for him to ad-
vance to that dignity even a captain.
For it is only the senior commo-
dore on the regular list who can
legally become an admiral, and
throughout the entire navy promo
tions must follow this invariable
rule of seniority.
This is one advantage possessed
by the navy over the army. A mid
shipman entering the service at a
given age has the absolute and COM
forting assurance that, with reason
ably good conduct, he must arrive
at a certain time in the future, sup
posing that he survives, at defin-
ite rank. If he is graduated with
high rank in his class he may count
upon being at the head of the SER
vice before he is retired as if it were
a mere matter of mathematical cal
culation.
On the other hand, after the grade
of colonel in the army has been
reached, appointments are made by
the choice Of the President, only
restricted by the Senate's indorse-
ment. Greely was made a briga-
adler general over the heads of a
considerable number of those atop
of him on the list. In like manner
the Chief Executive turns things
about as he desires beyond the rank
of the colonels, though he usually
picks out for preferment the mer
whom he thinks the best qualified
for command. But it will be seer
that the young soldier in the line
has no certainty to anticipate such
as is held by the junior navel lieu
tenant from the start.
It has been maintained in con.
tention that has been carried as fal
as the Supreme Court that the Pres
ident is granted authority by the
Constitution to appoint anybody to
any place, though he should choose
to make hod-carrier admiral ol
the navy, and that Congress has nc
power to restrict the Chief Execu
tive in this regard. But it was held
on the other hand, that Congress So il
given authority to make regulations
governing the land and sea forces
and the Supreme Court decided &C
cording to the latter proposition
One officer may be promoted by
Mr.. Harrison over the head of an
other, even in the navy, but thu
man so overslaughed would simply
lose one place on the list. Th'
practice, however, has always beer
to follow the rule of seniority. IL
war the President is given very
much expanded authority. Hi
function as commander-in-chief Q
the army and navy. then becom
active, and he can dismiss officer
or give them rank pretty much al
he likes, without even referring t.