The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-15
xUsr THE pURcHAsE YsrEx 90,
FsuIt Fo-rs wttb The Privilege or Buyi.s
= Discharge r~ou the Array.

= Htsehsrwe IRON tne army
wAsHISGToS, Sept. 14.-One by one various
novelties of administration introduced during
the past FIVE years into the military establish.
ment have been modified or abandoned. Now
the system Of purchasing discharges Is under
scrutiny, and IL il possible that this will also
have to be amended or dropped.
Inquiries are 20 be made by the War Depart
ment a. TO the practical working OF the present
law. II is known that many officers think that,
with the term Of enlistment now reduced from
five years to three, there Is less reason for the
purchase system. In the last annual report Of
Gen. schofeld that officer gave as one argument
for the proposed reduction Of the enlistment N
three years, since accomplished. that it would.
in a large measure. remove the reason for the
existing Law providing for the purchase Of dis
charge. which latter has proved very prcjudicial
TO military discipline. AS soon as a young sol
der has saved up money enough TO purchase his
discharge he esteems himself independent Of his
commanding officer. and becomes FESTIVE under
necessary discipline since all he has to do to
avoid further submission TO such discipline is TO
buy his discharge. 1t would, in my Judgment"
adds Gen. Schofleld. be beneficial TO the mill.
tary service to repeal the law authorizing the
purchase OF discharges
This 10 certainly an emphatic opinion. and.
coming from the Major-General commanding
the army, cannot be passed by without serious
consideration. Col. f. NJ. Heyl OF the Inspector
Generals department, reporting on the same
subject, declared that company commanders
AS a rule favor abolishing the purchase sys-
tenn and reducing the term Of enlistment to
three years" Major Reyes, Third Cavalry,
commanding ohhcer at Fort Ringgold. reported
that all the recent laws regarding discharges
have been detrimental to the efficiency Of the
army. The least so of these Is the discharge by
purchase. This privilege could be granted with
N min FnnRh La not AaANAA ---
and Clothing money be barred in making asiHi1s Sp P pSss
amount required FOR purchase. Between the
three months law II is dificuit to choose which
is the worst" Z may here be noted that both
s session. SM0 o 5f't e6n iaws we Maj TsPeSWIs Wood e. s sese isit
idnrsntrX' eommen d at Fort Logon:
esu.sr and iP BY ord order 0 shd %Iih prey al al rs,ner ,h lSr
the more or less complicated system OF pur-
chase, &c, the latter being very unsettling. in
fantry, commanding at Fort Leavenworth. says
he does not think the purchase. system has
do not wholly .disapprove OF II, but think that
for a term Of enlistment OF practically only
FOR I'VE fslI years. aPs / pt think I would She a ifd% p pere
chase OF discharge any time after three years.
Seventh Cavalry, comGsndin S'S at Fort hMsS yeyy,,
recommends +" enlistments for three years, and
no man TO leave the service during this time"
chase and the inducement held out 10 men to
- thV- oiNti NV AthTF ITOuuCtS u
feeling OF restlessness, and has a bad effect upon
Will sufficiently, indicate the character of those
collected In the last report Of Gen. Breckenridge.
thoroughly approve the purchase SYSTEM ys"eTns While gihe
as strongly condemnins other portions OF the
Gen. Get OF w Th'Sh It. the fSF% late a I pfEs; tSi s.s%ipi q
a three months Ifurloush after three years ser,
ton I, permitting enlisted men to purchase
their discharge In time of peace, benefits both
unsuited for its life, and the individual, by Of
fering him an honorable means Of severing his
connection with a service for which he is un-
Which opinion is the wlserr When. In the
law . OF June TO- 1880; the privilege OF purchas.
sertions. 1t was considered that II a lawful
service, or from a service which for one reason
OF another the soldier urgently desired to quit,
take the dishonorable method OF desertion. How
far this has proved true II would perhaps re-
At frst there was a gratifying decrease in de-
.sertions, and the wisdom Of the plan seemed to
reimbursed the Government to some extent
for the cost OF recruiting and maintaining the
gan to increase there might we'll have been a
doubt as 70 the wisdom Of continuing this sys-
tenn. To have the double loss OF heavy .deser-
lions and the drain by purchase discharges
made a very serious prospect. There still re-
manned the reimbursement Of some Of the Gov.
outgo threatened to make the army still more
largely composed Of recruits.
Nevertheless II must be a grave question
whether the purchase system should be abol-
altogether. The which i'm
PEELED its introduction TO some extent remain.
experimental in our service. il had
been familiar elsewhere for years, and had ap-
he English system had been noted, although
the, details of our own regulations we're fixed
with special reference TO conditions prevailing
here The bAlipf was that nv nnapinu- an lnn,r
ible way out Of the service for those 10 whom il
had become almost, uncomfortable, not only they
yraced by desertiOn. but the morale Of the army
suffer less through the multitude OF sue
never expected that these attempts would be
,ntirely checked. To begin, with, the rules do
istmeHt. and Il is very apt TO be within Affi Si that snt
that the recruit is tired Of his experiment,
. ne goes beyond , the year he may become more
the advantages OF a change to a more agree
,6le station. BESIDES, he may have saved too
within a reasonable period. Or again, some
mem, even, II they have money, may prefer to
isk deserving with II rather than using It To buy
But with these drawbacks it yet seems posi-
he number OF assertions, while a good argu-
nent In its favor is is appeal TO that sentiment
ense, OF restriction and confinement in the J
inowledge that there y a way out OF it II one
he Government for its recruiting expe6ses IL
gOrth taking into account. .
Still, the opinions just quoted against the pur- :
base system deserve careful consideration, and =
Ia certainly a grave source Of instability and :
estlessness when desertions are not greatly 6
ecreased and an additional drain caused by the :
urchase OF discharges by men. who, either I
trough a sense OF honor OF a fear OF being !
einR caught, would never have deserted. Care !
al statistics OF the operation of the system =
ught TO be made up, and then perhaps IL would =,
e modified To advantage without being too :
astily abandoned,
he catholic Church and the Liquor Dealers.
EsaaiL WL.. - C-L-.. a---