The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-18

Regular Army.
Special + ON oar STAY Correspondent.
lamp CRAWFORD,
GETrYNBUrG Aug II
| L NOW appears that the failure Of
| M1j"r General 0. O. Howard, OF
the United States army, command
u ing the department Of the AtIan
TIC, to re'etve an invitation to review
the National Guard Of Pennsylvania al
Gettysburg was not accidental. Sec
retary of War Dan Lamont was inv
ted and so was Major General Sch,
field, but no invitation was sent
General Howard, aud his presence,
is understood, was not wanted. Their
is an intense feeling of bitterness
toward General Howard among tn
officers OF the guard, caUsrd by TN
criilcism Of the punishment of Privut,
lanla al Homestead for q legged trensOr
able utterances. In this article, whit
was published soon after that occu,
renee, General Howard scored tn,
Pennsylvania militia and denounce'
the punishment of Iams as unlawfr
cruel and sumething which would n
be tolerated in the regular army. Con
ing AZ 1t did when the public was
wrought up to high pitch of excite
ment, the article created more or les,
of sensation all over the country
Spea Ing of this incident Genera
Snowden says:
General Howard's syndicate articlc
on the lams case WAS not such as t.
commend itself to the National Guaro
of Pennsylvania or, 80 far as | eal,
learn from large number Of personal
letters, the officers of the regular army.
General Howard said that speakinp
from the standpoint of q Christial
soldier, the administration of disCiplin,
was not justified by military law. A
civil judge of Alleg county (Judge
Porter said that it was. The article
was published at tine when Penn
sylvania was in the throes of revolu
ton, and at time when the very eX-
istence Of discipline was threatened
The article was ill-advised and open to
censure, to say the least.n
WAS 1t for this reason" the genera
was asked, that General Howard wa.
not invited to attend the encamp-
ment?"
"You can draw your own inference. -
was General Snowden's answer.
Just before he started for Gettysburg
General Goblin was interviewed al
Lebanon on the proposition of General
Schofield to increase the regular army.
This is his reply:
II believe the regular army should
be increased to the extent at least OF
completing the regimental organiza-
ton, ss provided for in the new drill
regulations, by adding an additional
battalion to each one, thus making
each regiment consist of twelve COM
panies, divided into three battalions.
This, of course, applies particularly to
the infantry and cavalry. In the ar
tiIleTy arm of the service such impor-
tant changes have been made and are
still being made in the cannon and
missiles, as well as the explosives, that
well drilled men thoroughly conversant
with all the details are absolutely nee
essary. The training of artillerists is
evidently matter of greater impor.
tance than it has ever been, owing to
the distance at which the artillery can
be used, as well rs the improvements
in powder and cartridges. To strength
en- Notifications with improved arma-
ment and not have the trained men
skilled in their use to care for them, is
simply wasting that much money, and
yet every coast fortitication to be avail
able as fnctor in the defense of the
territory it covers, must have this i'm
proved artillery.
"A maximum of 10000 or $4,000
meu,o the general added, "would not
he too large standing army for q
government such as ours. I cannot
agree, however, with General Sch0-
fields idea of a flexible force. Soldiers,
to be efficient, cannot be gathered up
and enlisted whenever an emergency
arises, nor would it be judicious, or
r far to the men to discharge them after
the emergency had ended Their very
enlistment, it occurs to me, would
cause a panic by creating the impress
sion that the president, at that june
ture, deemed it necessary TO increase
the regular army. That the army
. should be a positive recognized body,
: as it now is, with sufficient men under
f trained officers to respond to the call
of the president whenever under the
, constitution he is authorized to Use It.
"The militia of the states | believe
. to he sufficient to take care of law
, breakers nd rioters at home, at least
I'm the states east of the Mississippi
/ and In mort Of them west of it. Tie
, necessity is foran executive officer who
, will call upon them and use them eff.
. cienilv, or if any particular state
should he deficient the president can
. call upon the adjoining or other states
, for the'r quota If troops rs Washing.
, 'on did dulIrg the Whisky Insurrec
ton OF li94, when he called upon the
. govern rs of Pennsylvania, New Jer
? sey, Maryland and Virginia for their
, quotas OF the 1880 men he proposed
Q to use 10 enforce the law and protect
the United States officers in the per
fnrmapce OF their duties. This, 1t oc-
ours to me, is preferable and more In
l keeping with our system of govern
8 ment.
r "rhe regular army, even though
\ composed of $1,000 men, could be use
8 fully employed without engaging in
D the settlement of troubles in muni-
3 cipality where state troops can be had
f to aid the civil powers in suppressing
8 disorders and maintaining the law.
OF course, whenever state troops fail
to respond or the executive of any
Q state refuses to call them out | believe
3 the president should use the regular
army wherever and whenever the law