Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-09-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the BeRALD.

Written and compiled for the HERALD.l
WASHINGTON, Sept, "a, 1904
Any one who supposes that Secre-
taIy Carlisle is visiting President
Cleveland merely for recreation
makes big mistake. Mrs. Car
Isle and Mrs. Cleveland will prot
ably get considerable recreation
out of the visit, bat it is business,
and very important business
prin cirally of a political nature
that occupies the time OF the
esldent and his Secretary of the
Treas ury. What the result OF this
important conference will be is, oil
course uLkno at this time; but
s)me shrewd politicians will miss
their guess if one If the results be
not some speedy action on the part
of the adm lnlstratiOn, intended to
h g, p its party in The Congressional
ca mpaigp, which is reported TO be
far from satisfactory up to THIS
time. Secretary Carlisle bad
extended conference with Cnair-
nan Halnty, of the democratic
nation al committee, and Chairman
Faulkner of the CongrCssiona com
mlltee. before he left Washington.
He will remain at Gray Gables for
a week.
1t is now pl4iu that tie law
which makes private in The T..
S. Army eligible for promotion 10
a commission after two years ser
vice, when he Is able 10 pass a
satisfactory competitive txa mira
ton is a wise ole. When it W as be-
fore Congress it was predicted that
1t would attract many aH3i' OlS
young men of good Character anJ
fine ability to eulist in the army for
the purpose OF trying to become
commissioned oficers-tbat a prl'
vate in our army could feel, as the
great Napoleon once SAID of every
private iu his army. that lie car
ried a MArshaPs baton In his
knapsac kin Other words, that 1t
is possible for him to become com,
mander OF the army, lfhe possesses
the proper qualifications. Army
officers say that this law b as
already made a marked improve
ment in the kind of men who en-
list. Instead ola majority OF the
applications for enlistment beng
men who have demonstrated their
unfitness for other occupations,
either from lazlness or bad habits,
they are ambitious young men VINO
adopt the profession because OF
their love for it, and who enter 1t
with the determination to make 1t
la lifetime occupation. We have
had two striking Illustrations OF
this in Washington within a short
period. Oily few weeks ago a
Young man from Baltimore who is
wealthy, educated and enthusas'
tic upon military matters, enlisted
in the cavalry branch or the ser
vice for the purpose OF entering
the examinations for a commission
as soon as he has served long
enough to make him eligible, and
more recently a young Nasulng'
tOnian, who lacked the pOilllcdi
influence to get an appointment
to West Point, and who was at
the last session captain of the
prlze drill company of the Wash
inyton High School cadets, enlisted
in the infantry branch of the ser
vice with the same object in view.
SO long as we have to MAINTAIN a
standing army, however small, II
is greatly to be desired that II
should be composed Of young men
of this stamp. The great draw
back to this law Is the disposition
of the West Pointers to look down
upon their associates who baye
risen from the ranks, but time VIII
probably be the best cure for that
as it is arrant nonsense to CLAIM
that going to West Point makes a
man better than his fellows.