Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-11
THE ENLISTED MEN.
An Artillery Man Expresses His Views ut
Some Length.


HE ASSERTS THAT TIE BILL WHICH HAS PASSED
THE SENATE PROHIBITING RE-ENLIsrNINf
AFTER Ten YEARS sARvIcx WILL WORK In
JUSTICE TO MANY VERY WORTHY HKx.
The bill which passed the Senate last week
prohibiting the rs-enlistment Of soldiers in the
regular army after ten years service does not
appear to meet with much favor among the
persons directly interested. STAR reporter
had occasion today to test the sentiment Of the
soldiers stationed in this vicinity and found it
almost unanimous against the measure. One
Of the privatcs Of the third artillery stationed
at the Washington Barracks. who acted as the
spokesman Of his comrades, said he was sur
prised that the bill went through the Senate SO
easily. He said he regretted the action and
waxed eloquent while he talked.
AFFECTS NEARLY 10000 MEN.
"This BILL said he. affects nearly the entire
army of &c, 900 men, and will do a great wrong
to many Of them. especially those who have
served ten or fifteen years. For instance, take
the soldier of today in his first enlistment The
average age is between twenty-one and thirty
hve years. Let that man serve ten years in
the army. He then knows something about the
service and is just the kind Of q man that an
officer would require for important service.
Under this bill, however, he must 60 out But
what is he to dc? He has been so long in the
service that he is scarcely fit for the life
OF civilian. What can he do? Soldiers
are not instructed much in trade and business
that would make them living outside tho
army. They would be lost as civilians entirely.
Of course there are few exceptions, but very
few / will venture to say that not one of the
soldiers that this bill affects does approve of it.
rip md inc hot. LOT ~
soldiers should be disconnected at the within OF
few Senator's. II the government would pro-
vide work for those that turned out, why
that would be horse Of another color. But the
bill makes no such provision. When say work,
mean work, no snap jobs, &c. l am not afraid
Of work. l have always worked and always i'm
tend to work as long as l can get it. have
something to work for"
HOW HE ENTERED THE ARMY.
"How did you come to get into the army?"
inquired the reporter, getting interested in the
man.
well. it WAS not compulsory" replied the
soldier, with some show OF pride ~ went in the
nrst time as a sort of adventure. had never
seen the blue uniform nor had any idea Of
soldiers life when first enlisted. leaving behind
me about 100 acres of fine land in the Missis-
sippi valley all under cultivation, which was dis
posed OF three years after was in the service.
After got on the blues l settled down to bust
ness and got along all right and let me say right
here that there is no man living that knows the
life OF soldier unless he tries it himself for just
as a man conducts himself in the army he will
get along accordingly. have never had any
trouble at all, probably that is why would like
to remain.
well, when was discharged had become
80 much attached to army life that l took
another blanket (re-enisted). This, of course,
gave me more pay, but it is well earned II
known Init no karr ont
after my second five years service the govern
ment would certainly not be now taking out of
my pay l219 cents per month for supposed lux
uries in after years.
'In other words. If this bill passes it will be
like turning man out of his home and will de-
stroy the present incentive for remaining in the
service. / would prefer the bill recommended
by some Of our officers. which limits enlist
ment to three years. That gives time enough
to discipline u man so that he can handle a
mpsket properly. But some provision should
be made even for these three-year men 1t is
hard. however, to discharge a man who has
served from five to fifteen years and tell him
that he can go now, Uncle Sam is through with
him.
PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATION.
''Say, for instance (some might think this abb
surd. but it is the best wav to explain the mat
teri, that the Senators who passed the bill las:
Wednesday were put in shoes. Oh. my!
what different tune would be sung. l do hope
that the military committee in the House when
THIS bill comes up will use great consideration
before acting upon it. l certainly coincide
with friend L. C. P i'll The STAR Of the
9th instant where he refers to the merchant
with his clerks. railroad companies and all
those that have men under them who have
learned their business, become experienced and
the folly of discharging them to let in new and
inexperienced persons"
$50 you think this bill will prove unpopular"
suggested the reporter.
Certainly" replied the artilleryman. "The
more you consider it the worse it appears
In all batteries, companies, troops. &c, the
material for nOn-commissioned officers is very
scarce. This bill will take at least rs per cent
OF all non-commissioned officers that are now in
the service out entirely. 1t will cut down the
number of hospital stewards more than one
half and will retire nearly all the acting stew
ards, not saying q word about the poor privates
who will have to take walk. There are lots of
young men who you might say were born and
raised in the army, who never knew what .
home was outside. They will all be turned out.
with no trade whatever to fall back on.
BENEFIT OF THE RETIREMENT LAW.
st is true that those in their fourth enlist
ment will get the benefi. Of the retirement law
when their thirty years are up. On the other
hand, however, the men in their second and
third enlistments are discharged without any
provision for the future. II it was not for the
retirement law these men would not now be in
the army. The retirement is the inducement
that holds them to the service. There ought
not be n man living that would be so unjust as
to begrudge these poor devils what little retire
ment pay they may get after serving their life
time to obtain it.
What is going tobe done with the 1917 cents
per month that has been taken from these SOL
diers for the last fifteen years? Will that be
refunded? If Congress passes this bill don't
see why they might not az well do away with
the United States army entirely.
SOLDIERS are scarce enough as it is Not one
regiment of regulars today has the number of
men IT is entitled to.
speaking of non-commissioued officers now
IN the service, can pick you out batteries
right here at Washington barracks that won't
have single non-commissioned officer left,
from the first sergeant down, il this bill be-
comes a law
As the reporter moved away he caught the
soldiers concluding words. as follows: ~ have
not said one-half what feel like saying, but
sincerely hope that my words may do some
good and that this bill will be seriously con-
sidered before it becomes law
Why Russia is Not More Wariile.
The war department Of Russia has rejected
half Of the output Of new small-calber rifles in