Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-03-05

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breathless, paused and mopped his brow
with silk handkerchief AZ red AZ his
\ face.
! There was silence a moment. Capt.
Lanes kindly features wore an expression
half grave, half quizzical. Hearn had
edged around nearer where Miss Mar
snail was sitting, and that young lady
had dropped her dainty embroidery in
her lap and was listening attentively.
Something in the gravity Of her de-
meanor gave Kenyon encouragement.
Now you, Miss Marshall, are accus-
toned to social circles in the north. Tell
me frankly, now, did you ever hear men
prominent in civil life express any other
opinion of the profession of an army Off
Ger than that it was rather a useless,
dawdling and unworthy occupationgr
In peace times, presume you mean,
MAJOR
In peace times, certainly; though the
necessity for it5 existence then il AZ great.
I You recollect what Washington said: in
time of peace prepare for war
Il confess that men who lead narrow
lives in business or professions and never
get beyond the groove are apt to say
something Of what you suggest. major.
But men who think and travel, especial
ly those who have visited our frontier,
come back with feelings Of much admi-
ration for the army, officers and men,
Then I'll rest my case with the men
who think and travel, said Hearn laugh
ing brightly. '.Come, YOU old cvnic.
don't make me believe | have no friends
outside my profession, when it some
times seems az though hardly had one
in it.
Now, there You 60, Hearn, inter
rupted Kenyon. That's inst exactly
where you're wrong. You would trust
to the few Travelled and educated men:
but what are they among the mass of
voters, who know nothing of the army
but what they read in the papers? Do
yon ever see anything good Of an army
officer in any paper until he's dead?
Never, unless it's something put in by
newspaper soldier and God save me
from more Of theml What could your
thinkers and travellers do, even if they
would condescend to bestir themselves
in our behalf-which they don't-as
against the masses and the press? No
paper in the land is SO low but what it
can hurt and sting you"
How? l should like to know
''How2 Simply by printing any low
scandal at your expense; and no matter
what your record or your character may
have been, no matter how damnable a
lie may be asserted Of you, the mass Of
the people viii read and believe. and
your natural protectors rs-the generals
and the war department-will call upon
you to defend yourself against even
anonymous assault
''You do not mean that, major, do
you?" asked Miss Marshall
Il do, emphatically I have seen Off
GERS time and again compelled to report
to division or department headauarters
that they We're innocent of allegations
made by nameless scribblers in the daily
press. have seen the most abstenious
men in the army heralded as drunk on
duty by sheet that withheld the name
of its informant. But all the same the
officers were called To account. When
we were sent to aid the marshals IN
breaking up the whisky distilleries in
Brooklyn; when the first colored cadets
were sent to West Point; when Chicago
was burned and we had to shoot some
prowhng robbers to rid the ruined city
of the gang that focked there; when we
were hurried in again in II. and all the
great cities Of the north were practically
at the mercy of the mob-at every one
of those times, and heaven only knows
how many times between, the press
made scandalous assertions by name
about one officer or another.
In most cases there was no truth
whatever in what was said; in every
case, however, the officer was compelled
by his superiors to establish his inno-
cence. By heavenI I'll never forget our
experience in II. We were ordered to
lose not an instant in reaching Chicago.
The strikers had sidetracked the Ninth
on one road and blocked the cavalry on
another line, and when we stopped for
water the railway men attempted to
leave us there. Iput Lieut.. Nairn with
small guard at the engine and kept the
strikers off. using no force. saying not
word, making no reply to jeers and in
suit. but the leading paper came out
next day and denounced Nairn and me
as being armed ruffians. declared we
We're both reeling drunk, and gave most
outrageous details of things that never
happened. Of course as army officers
We're the targets of this abuse, the ar
,fsl1
was man who never drank drop had
a magnificent war record, was a general
officer of volunteers and a gentleman
honored throughout the whole service.
'.All the same he and I were COM
PEELED to submit written denials to de-
partment headquarters, and all the sat
isfaction we ever got was that the editor
said his reporter had perhaps been un-
duly influenced by the prejudiced state
ments Of the strikers. Why hadn't this
occurred to him in the first place? Why
didn't he know that these men. furious
at being thwarted. would say anything
to revenge themselves after we had gone
on our way? He did; but because just
such sensational articles would make
his paper sell among the masses, and be-
cause he knew that where the army Of
ficer had one friend he had a score of
enemies, that was enough for him. Now,
that and host Of similar experiences is \
why say that no son of mine shall ever
take up so thankless profession. OF
course if the country We're in danger. the
flag assailel, he would fight as / would
As for me, Tn too old dog to learn new
tricks, and having lived my life in the
service must die in it. And again the
major paused for breath. "You think
I'm an extremist, don't you, Lane?' he
finally asked.
perhaps SO, major, although | admit
that the press has been most unjust; but
/ think we have more friends among the
people than you give rs credit for.
s'Not one bit Of i'll You think the
press knows better now and wouldn't 40
it all over again. That's what Hearn
here would say. Now, you mark my
words, gentlemen, so few are our friends
in this country, that is, in the north at
least-either in the press or the public,
that any story at the expense of an army
officer would be eagerly published by al
most any paper in the land, and used as
a text by hundreds Of editors all over
the nation to warrant a vicious stab at
our whole army, and the people far and