The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-14
DISCUSSED.
General 0. 0. Howard Talks Of the Army
ChaplainCy.
The Rev de Witt Talmage on the Death OF
Sturgeon - Phoebe COuEins Gives Her
Views on Woman as a Diplomatic.
Special to THE SUNDAY CALL

SIeduy tendency, IN off1clai Circles TO Wna6
the English denominate bureaucracy" and
bureaucracy" always has resulted in over
abundant decentralization, IL it is proper
to call the multiplication of offices and OF
the several landings of official papers ''cir-
cumlocu!lon."
Business increases, and the desire for Of
fee increases often more rapidly than bust
ness; and so it occurs to some bright intel
lect that this business could be little better
attended to, or, ut any rate. managed with
more steadiness, system and completeness
by well-established and WelI-regulated
bureau.
a bureau in the War Department, Of
course, takes on a special form. The or
ganiZation consists in an officer Of consider
able rank at the head with one or two as
sistants. and an adequate amount OF clerical
and messenger help and attendance, with
the necessary ramifcatiOns from the main
trunk to cover the extremties of the land.
The tendency to bureaucracy" in our
service has been so great that little by little
the geographical department heads have
been relieved of responsibility. Now the
engineers, the ordnance, the quartermaster,
the cOmmiSsary. the inspector, the medical
and the justice bureaus, to say nothing OF
minor divisions, wheels within wheels, have
become measurably well established and
independent Department commanders raise
some objections and fret now and then over
authority diminished in the interest OF the
Washington bureau; but still the process
goes on until war breaks out; then, of
course, there is an instant return to the
essential system, essential in war, l mean,
of authority and responsibility.
The above comments [ do not wish to
write in the way OF fault-6nding, or even
Of criticism, but to state the actual ten
dency and patent facts with view to the
further consideration Of the subject you
have at heart. namely, the CHI aplaincy.
| have of late noticed growing dissatis-
faction on the part of army chaplains and
their friends with the chaplaincy system
which has been long in vogue There is
evidently desire OF Christian people for
radical change.
JUDGING BY THE BILL
Just introduced into Congress | should say
that, on reading brief of it, | detected the
same peace tendency to which L have
alluded, namely. tendency to the chap
laincy bureau, with headquarters at Wash
ingtOn, and with the usual variation OF rank
from the senior head of the bureau, per-
haps, at first with the rank Of Colonel,
through the several army grades, down to
the assistant chaplain named In the bill,
with the rank of lieutenant. And, in
deed, there is nothing unreasonable, on the
face of it, in the desire OF chaplaIns through
out the army to b. on a par with other
officers, and if there should be established
a chaplain corps it would be wise, in my
Judgment TO make it so much on a par with
other bureau corps that proper selt-re-
spect aud an adequate compensation should
. no oAo Lii oft fret
TO last commensurate with the important
service they are to render.
But before giving a full Endorsement to
such n new order OF things, may We not
stop and inquire, first, what Is the object OF
the ehaplaincy ln the armyP
We may state without fear of co ntradic-
ten that the legitimate object of the chap
laincy is to supply the religious wants of
the officers, the soldiers, employees aud all
families, men, women and children, properly
connected with its ministry.
When a regiment takes the field the chap
lain should go with it and be ready to meet
the new wants that AZ such time always
arise, when men are thrown into hospitals
or are suffering on the field from wounds.
Certainly many Of them desire and solicit
the advice and consolation that nobody Is so
well fitted to give as The minister of religion.
When not in the field the chaplains will be
attached TO the several gsrrsons where the
army is stationed, and there, to the best Of
their ability, meet all the requirements
which the minister Of the Gospel every
| where supplies.
They baptlze the children, they conduct
! the Sunday-schoo they give lectures and
| sermons to the officers and men OF the
army, and they perform their part of the
| burial service when any one is called away
| by death.
| Now the bureau system to which l have
referred. If we should view the whole chap
! laincy just as we do the medical provisions
| for the army, might afford an effective ar
rangement to meet all the religious wants
| Of the service in complete and satisfactory
manner.
WHEREIN THEN LIE THE OBJECTIONS?
Practically, the objections that are en-
countered are the same throughout the SER
vice; that is TO say, at posts and in every
regiment. IL is that each individual con-
nected with the army prefers what he can
have III civil life, a minister of his own per-
suaSion The Catholic asks for a priest,
the churchman for an Episcopal Clergyman,
and men of other denominations, when
practicable, desire to have a man OK their
own persuasion.
The second objection heretofore made has
been that the office does not seek the man.
but tie man the office This is so much the
case that those who are old or inflrm or
weary with too hard work, and IN some
cases, perhaps, those who are least fitted
for doing the work, are likely TO be and too
often are earnest applicants for the posi-
tons. This being the case, 1t is not at all co
be wondered at that so many who do not
give satisfaction find their way into the
United States service The bureau system,
| submit, would certainly not remedy this
evil, but would rather increase 1t.
Abundant remedies, my dear sir, have
been suggested touching the subject OF the
appointment Of these ministers OF the faith,
but none of them seems to me to be salts
factory or TO promise any wholesome fruit
age.
Should you visit any garrison or post
| from Washington City to the Column bia
River you would find that the members Of
| that garrison feel and express themselves
| very much as the members OF an individual
| church. The church is sometimes obliged
| TO take the priest or the clergyman sent to
| it by the Bishop or Archbishop. but the best
harmony prevails ana the best fruits result,
as general rule, where the members OF
| the church, agreeing TO abide by the will OF
the majority, formally assent to the calling
of their pastor. In the exceptional cases,
on the contrary, the attendance upon the
services is impaired and the church greatly
deteriOrates.
Now, it does appear to me that this sub
ject. for the benefit Of the army Itself, could
be disposed OF without additional cost, as
suggested by this action of the individual
church. Any one garrison. for example, for
| the Catholic Christians could employ a
priest, and usually the other
CHRISTIAN PEOPLE
| OF the post would agree upon some indi-
vidual, some clergyman, and instruct their
| council of administration to employ his ser
vices. The council of administration may
consist of the commanding officer aud two
| or more representatives associated with
! him. BY this method it is thought BY many
of US that the best talent could be COM
manded at least a part of each year, and
| that the clergyman would come to the gar
rson with all the freshness, faith, love aud
| other graces of q Christian minister who
has been working successfully among the
people, and that he would never be worried
| or troubled by the caste-feeling which soon
| affects a commissioned officer Of any rank
whatever and seldom fails to reach u COM
| mssioned chaplain.
/ min If 81 "a