Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-08

'When ranks are SO guarded that 1t 10 an
honor to be q soldier. volunteers will present
themselves. As long as men confer favor by
their service or are accepted on the mere asking,
enrolled strength will depend on the whim Of
the moment, and response to duty that may in
volve hardship will be doubtful factor
Adjutant Gen. Mosher found that gem in the
report Of Col W. L. Chase, acting inspector
general for the state Of Massachusetts, and the
truth expressed by Colonel Chase may easily be
applied to local conditions. Especially is it
true just now, for it is uncontradicted gossip
among National Guardsmen that quite large
proportion Of men who would be deeply
offended if any one said they were not soldiers
have failed, or will fail and purposely. to put
In an appearance on the rifle range on days OF
regularly ordered class practice, simply because
they feared that they might be detailed to do
an hour or two of duty as markers. Many of
these strikers have regulations for a certain
line OF soldierly ability. but that is a very small
thing and has not in it enough salt to keep the
general average in q savory condition. Men
who are willing to drill themselves until move
ment Is practically automatic and who will
spend hours each day in acquiring this ability
are content with that insignificant degree of
proficiency, and seem willing to remain igno-
rant OF the one thing that every soldier should
be able to do at least moderately well.
good drill instructor can make a recruit
present a creditabie appearance in ranks after
few ours of teaching, but unless a man il of
the phenomenal variety he cannot learn to
IN period five times ~ long, The enlisted man
VINO cannot shoot IL no soldier at all. He would
be lore dangerous to his comrades than to the
enemy and In every sense 10 an incumbrancs.
In the District National Guard there are 1900
or 400 men, and of this number at least half
know how to handle the rifle. The other half
does not, and unless there is a sudden awaken
ing OF intelligence on the part of those 700 men
they never will. Most Of them attend drill
regularly and go through the old '.fours right"
business until any one would suppose they
must be suffering from unspeakable WEAKNESS,
but when they are called upon to devote one
day in the year to rifle practice so that gem
erai idea Of their efficiency may be obtained
they are absolutely careless, and for every
purpose to which a real live soldier may be put
are worthless in the same ratio az they are care
less. Company commanders are not held
oiameless III this matter. They exert them
selves tremendously to make fine showing at
Inspection. but fail to realize that it would be
infinitely better for their efficiency record IL
they put in = like amount Of energy in seeing
that their men have opportunity to qualify on
the range. By and by several commands will
leave the city for the purpose of going into
camp, and while some Of the camps will be
means to the improvement Of the men, several
others Will DO Toy affairs in which thu particle
pants will rightly earn the title of 'tn soldiers"
1t had been supposed that many Of the CON-
panles. If not all Of them, had gone far beyond
this unsatisfactory state, but it seems az though
the lesson had yet to be learned that the SOL
dier who only does the least important of his
duties and neglects everything else Is no soldier
at all With the limited appropriation at Gen.
Ordways command the hiring OF markers for
the official class practice was not possible but
II Congress had given the guard five times as
much money rs it did that occurrence would
not justify the engagement Of any one to do
the duty which guardsmen should attend to for
themselves.
Official class practice on the range will con-
tinue on Wednesday next, when the first battal-
ion will bang away at the targets from 9 a. m.
until the work has been done, and on Friday by
the fourth battalion. Practice will be at 200,
800, 500 and 500 yards, each man firing two
scores. Shortly after noon q ration of bread
meat and coffee will be issued to each man.
The rifle range at the barracks will be open
every Monday and SATURDAY. until August L.
and every Monday, Thursday and Saturday
from August IA to August %, inclusive from
l:3O p. nj. until retreat, for voluntary practice.
Ammunition will be furnished on the payment
of two cents for each round An inspector Of
rifle practice will be in attendance daily; he
will certify all scores to tho captains Of COM
panies, to be credited as part OF the required
practice. No officer enlisted man not prop
erly uniformed will be permitted to practice at
any time.
The resignation o. First Lieut.. Bresnahan
Of company d, third battalion. has been re-
ceived at brigade headquarters and accepted.
Company A, second battalion (Corcoran
Cadet Corpse, will give their twenty fourth
moonlight excursion to Marshall Hall on the
evening Of Tuesday. the 18th inst. capable
committee promises to do its utmost to make
the affair most enjoyable.
Company G, engineer corps, il trying to
figure out q location for its encampment
From twenty-five to thirty members have signi-
fled their intention of spending about ten DAYS
under canvas. and 1t is not yet certain whether
they will do it on the Jersey coast or at Chi
cago. III the railroad rates settle down to from
Sl5 to slS the company will probably go to the
worlds fair.
Everybody has been congratulating Capt.
Harry Walsh and the members of his company
A OF the fourth-on the drill victory they
won at Newark. but there are those who insist
that the Emmett Guard gathered brighter
laurels when it stood its ground against the fire
stampede which took place in the hall at New
The second separate (cycle) company has
started out to have a very pleasant time All
the wheeImen want is q suficiency Of fine
weather.
Atlantic City will once more have the honor
OF entertaining the first battalion Washington
Light Infantry Corps). Atlantic City without
the Infantry in August or September would be
funny sort Of place.
Members Of the brigade rife team detachment
will continue to practice with their old rifles
until notified that the new ones are ready for
issue. Some necessary changes in the new arms
have caused slight delay.
Considerable adverse comment has been
made upon the failure Of the second battalion
to parade FOR rifle practice as q battalion ac-
cording to orders. There were but two COM
pany officers-Capt Reicheiderfer and FIRST
Lieut.. Mosher-with the four companies and
the total attendance was less than Of three
companies Of the third battalion.
THE PRESIDENTS ILLNESS.
Secretary LamOn. Describes 1t in . Tele-
gram to Sscre AIRY Gresham.