The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-09
RISING FROM THE RANKS
Nine Commissions Waiting for En,isted Men
OF the Army-Ths New Rules.

Nine sOmmIsSvohs W. ltlng Tor En1istcd M e \
OF the Army-Ths New Rules.
WASHINGTON. Nov. a.-The result OF the re.
contamination Of non commi ssioned officers
at Fort Leavenworth for arpointm cnts Us Sec
ond Lieutenants. has been the success OF nine
candidates. Eleven in all had passed their
examinations before the department Boards.
but two Tell short OF the percentage required
BY the final Board. Tho successful compcti.
tors were: First Sergeant c. C. Smith. Troop
Il. sixth Cavalry: Corporal ]. T.. Cusack. c.
FIFTH Cavalry: CORPORAL W. ]. IutE, Battery L.
First ARTILLERY: SerCennt-M Major J. Ponnync
Tenth Infantry: Serecan. II. l.. kinniaon
Company j.. Seventh Infantry: Sergeant W.
r. Fox. A. Twentieth Infantry: CORPORAL G. q.
Palmer. H. Eighth Infantry; Corporal W.
MARYLAND b., Ninth Infantry: Corporal q. II.
Wolfe. II. Fourteenth Infantry.
The highest ranking candidate Is son Of
MAJOR Gilbert c. Smith. and the second ia u
son Of Capt. Patrick Cusackc. Corporal pal-
mer Is son Of Cant. Guy u. Palmer. Sixteenth
Infantry. while Sergeant Macklin. who failed
In tho finals. was a son OF Capt. 7. j. Mncklin.
In the list OF previous year were sons of Cen.
f. .. c. Ord and Of the late Col. l.. W. Hunt.
and brother OF Lieut.. Sevburn. Indeed the
experiences OF late years has shown that reln-
cases. to take the road to The shoulder r. strars
BY way Of tho chevrons.
IhS nrst question that arises IS ns 70 the
CHANCES OF these young mon for immediately
r receiving commissions and assignments to
twenty vacancies ln the grade OF Second Lieu.
tenant in the cavalry ana infantry combined:
put there are still fourteen graduates of last
Juno'h class at West Point who nre serving rs
additional Second lioutunants, eight being in
NE en.ineets ard six IN the artillery. In 1891
TIC nss,gnmen's were mahe without re$nrtlo
Present Secretary OF War there should be a
different Interpretation Of the law the commits
would no likely to 10 issued. tho remaining
three waiting Tor vacancies to occur above the
all nine, Will shortly receive appointments us
SECOND l.ieutenants
that W III be held under the old system. For
several years there has bren conviction that
s mSn HA'sns tho Nn my GSsEnt 4 have
ssn 20w crv to tine
tuntty to aHrear before The Board was not al
WAYS easy: Secretary Proctor gave the subject
clusion that there were great inequalities in the
existing system. as thus described in one OF his
reports: Mon serving with .luptains who hold
comrades recommended fur rromotions from
other orGani7atons-th result hetnG that the
men entitled to more consideration than many
81 the successful connections. Practically
u Is nov Possible for company commanders
men who have enlisted for that solo purpose,
and who have not rendered any meritorous
thus excluding BONA flde soldiers who have
been induced to enlist In the hope Of obtaining
n mar, earned and leEitimate promotion. The
iayoritisn. Doubtless there have been cases
OF it. ana there is danger that tho abuse NAV
hecome Feiy serious one. In order 10 insure
hensilrcnt rurpose Of Congress. the ,initatory
step should be with the men themselves, Any
ysCrS Is "A
citizen OF the United states. should. under GER
tain 1lX9d rules De permitted t. comnete for
=, Congress was impressed with the justice Of
man on entering the army ought to feel that
ne had rs good chance as any other in the
ment was concerned. The consequences nee was as
the rnssnEe OF new law at the last session.
hI ASt for nd ed
recommended under this act in order Of merit
man who passes the final examination Shall
receive certificate OF eligibility setting forth
d.tion!s based: provided. that not more than
two two examinations examinations shall be accorded to the
The regulations for examination under this
,tn are to re pT9muiga1Gd Under
two Years and Is 80 years Of age may ma eompste.
whereas s hithnrt9 only n.commssioned on
cerS were eilEltlo. Instead OF having de-
partmcnt examinations preliminary to the
final. there will be but one. and that u
strictly competitive examination. But before
authority to appear before this Board can be
secured the moral character of each cnndi-
date both rc!ore and after enlistment will he
inquired into by Boards appointed for the pur-
pose.
=, 1t has bccn rumored that. as IT is evident
that all vacancies hereafter. above those
needed for West i'oint graduates will be alb
sorbed by the nlistcd men. tho civilians will
soon mako push 10 secure such vacancies as
may exist previous to tho first examination,
under the new rules. But there ia very little
probability that such q move would succeed.
1t Is to be presumed that when tho present
class at. West Point graduates. next june
there will not he vacancies enough for ali the
members. and the CARRYING Of an excessive
number Of additionals will be, likely to attract
criticism in Congress 1t is hard to SEQ how
the civilian asDirants could forestall the
appointments properly belonging to tho en-
list ed men. even ifthe army authorities failed
to look out for the interests Of the latter. With
the new system OF organizations. the army
ought to attract II good class of recruits from
among bilious and intsiliGent young men,
who will take their chances Of working their
way w to commission. They will need but
making try for the shoulder straps: and
should they then fai !. another year will release
them from the service. should they feel down
hearted Of their future. or for q smhll sum