St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-01-23
SAILORS ROUGH LIBERTY.

Is Il Not So Frequent Or 50 Rough .. I,
2 Usea 20 He.
When the sailors of the United States
ship baltimore got into their recent
fatal fight with Chilian jack tars the
Baltimore's men were ashore for the
first time in a month. Back of this
fact lie ancient naval usage and the
precedents established by bluff com.
mandcrs for a century. Liberty" is q
vexed question in the navy. Old-fash.
ioned shippers regard it as a necessary
evil and advocate turning the men
loose once in three months. The newer
way is to make liberty dependent
on good behavior, save in case of
civil disorder ashore as at Val
paraiso. The sailor of earlier days
was an overgrown child. and this fact
was recognized in naval regulations.
Jack was sent ashore with the certain
ty tnat he would overstay his time or
return penniless and bearing the traces
of q recent debauch. As Jack returned
over the ships side. the officer Of the
deck noted his condition and reported
accordingly. ''Drunk and dirty" was a
not infrequent memorandum in the
plain language Of the navy. Rough
liberty was the SYNONYM for debauch.
hundreds of old sailors regard liberty
as permission to go on q spree. and
many agrizzlcd old sinner has returned
aboard ship with the moral certainty
that he would not again set foot ashore
for another three months
The older officers still cling to the
theory that Jack can have but one OBJ
ject in going ashore, and that spree.
Modern naval regulations are conceived
upon different theory. A ships crew
is divided into several classes. according
to behavior and efficiency. First-class
men, who have . record Of promptness
and sObriety, have liberty as . matter
of course whenever they can be spared,
unless there be civil disorder or infec-
tious disease ashore. United States
sailors In Haytien waters arc sometimes
kept iaboard ship for weeks together.
Second-class men are less to be depend
ed on. and less certain Of liberty. while
those of the lowest class, which is nu-
mcrically the highest pass most Of
their time aboard ship. and good deal
Of it on bread and water.
Jack is fertile in excuses for his mis-
dOings, though he knows in advance
that excuses are vain and presents
them rather from . sense of humol
than with any hope of mitigating his
A sailor who returned
aboard ship late one morning. when
his vessel lay at the Brooklyn navy
yard, made the excuse that he had
missed the seven o'clock train on the
bridge. Reform works slowly in the
navy. but it works. Rough liberty is
less common than Il was even twenty
years ago, and the ships writer sets
down drunk and dirty" less often
than he did in earlier days There i
fair play. some promotion, and highly
treatment for the man that
goes from enlistment to enlistment
with . clean record. There is, too, .
long leave between cruises for such
men, and the sailor that has been q
dozen Of years in the service takes .
certain satisfaction in the bars upon
his sleeve. and the glance Of friendly
from the executive ohicer,
who has known him and his conduct in
he Mediterranean. the China seas. at
Rio, and at 1.-THE MounG"-N. Y. Sun.
A Sad Case.
Gazzam-Life is easily destroyed.
xnew q strong man who died after hav.
ng . tooth pulled.
Maddox-How long after?
Gag azxam-About ten yearA-Judge.
OF the entire human race IL Is esti |