The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-05-31
WEST POINT AT IT AGAIN.

terrible it has been for the country,
WEST POINT AT IT AGAIN.
The recent addition of a rider to the
Army Appropriation Bill in regard to
staff appointments is fresh display of
the hostility of the West Point clique
toward those vino are appointed from
civil life.
1t is perhaps inevitable that there
shall be cliques and jealousies and ami
mosities, more or less open and bitter, in
both Army and Navy. They seem in
separable from such establishments, no
matter in what country or time, and they
have done incalculable harm in the past,
as they will probably do in the future
There is some consolation in reading the
history of the rebellion to find that the
rebels complain as bitterly Of the evils
of West Point cliqueism in their army
as we used to in ours. In that case the
evil seems to have gone some distance
toward neutralizing itself
But though cliqueism is inevltaDIe,
yet for that very reason it should he
carefully watched and its manifestations
depressed and thwarted as far as posi-
BILE.
The present manifestation is a scheme
to shut out all civilians from appoint
ments in the Paymaster, Quartermaster,
and Commissary Corps of the Army
staff. To the common-sense civilian
these are the places of all others which
should be filled by civilians trained in
the progressive business methods of the
outside world. They are the places
from which graduates of West Point, I'M
educated in business and knowing only
the Anticipated and out-worn methods of
the Regular Army, should be carefully
excluded. The business world is an in
tensely live, progressive world, and radi-
cally new ideas and methods, new mate
rials and processes, are being constantly
evolved. The only way that the Army
can be kept in touch with these is by
new blood constantly coming in directly
from the ranks of modern business men.
What chance has West Point gradu-
ate who has spent his life in Army rou-
tine got of becoming acquainted with
new processes in food and clothing pro-
duction and improved business methods,
compared with man directly from the
business world, breathing its air and
saturated with its ideas? To shut out
civilions from the strictly business de-
partments is to condemn them to hope
less old fogyism, and help to keep lis in
as bad shape for war as we were when
the rebellion broke out.
There is still another strong objection
to this proposition. 1t is an insult to
every volunteer who has upheld the
honor of our flag and made our arms
glorious. While the Regular Army has
never failed to do its whole duty, the
burden of the great wars in whieh the
country has been engaged has always
been borne by civilian soldiers. Wash.
ington and all his Generals in the Revo.
luton came from civil life. So did
Gems. jackson, Harrison, and other sue
cessful commanders in the war of 1912
Three-fourths of the men and officers il
the Mexican war were civilians, and
during the rebellion the only great army
commanders not taken directly from the
business world were Thomas, Sheridan,
and Meade. Grant, Sherman, Rose.
Grams, Hooker, Mcclellan, Logan, and
a brilliant galaxy of other historic
names were all in civil pursuits when
Sumter was fired on.
, To make discrimination agains,
civilians entering the Army is gros
disrespect to the memory of these men
and the millions of civilian volunteers
who have made the name Of the Amer
lean army forever glorious.