The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-02-21
Life in the United States Army.
BY FRANK ROBERTS,
Late Of United States Army.

thousand strong; but it will be though
that with so small u force every care
has been taken to obtain the very beS
men possible, and TO offer such induce
menls that they may feel proud d
surroundings. The object of this ar
ticIe Is to show how mistaken is such
an idea, and how utterly unsuited the
life is to any religiously inclined, sober
self-reSpecling young man.
In the first place, Il recruit must at
once he struck with amaZcment at the
amount OF drunkenness that prevails,
and this is not confined to the enlisted
men. He will soon find that tins con-
diti0n is a general one, and that, Tar
from trying to stop it, the authorities
pay premium for drunkenness. The
sale of beer in the "eXchange" is au-
thorized by the army regulations, and
is superintended by commissioned
officer; and the liquor is handed over
the bar by .non-commissioned officers
and privates, especially detailed and
paid for the work. Once q month, or
quarterly, to suit convenience, the pro-
fits are divided among the various Or
ganizations, and the money so obtain
ed is used to put better food on the
mems tables.
The more the men drink, the more
money is obtained for food; and as it
is Il sort of point of honor to support
their mess, men that would not other
wise do so are led to drink, unless they
are prepared to stand all the ridicule
and abuse that will be thrown on them
by their comrades; and, being led on
from one drink to another, they soon
get drunk, one excess leads to another,
until at last all selfrespect is gone, and
the young man that enlisted as a man
is soon lost so far as his manhood is
concerned, and, as natural result, is
soon engulfed in the other vices so pre-
valent. The government system is
directly chargeable with these results.
The seductiveness of alcohol is so well
known that the authorities have no
shadow of an excuse for thus placing
temptation, upon which they put a
premium, in the way Of their new re-
cruits.
Another feature that must strike q
recruit i'm an unfavorable manner is
the herding together, like so many
cattle, of forty to sixty men in one
room. Apart from the fact that such
thing must necessarily tend to Il re-
laXing of the ordinary requirements OF
decency. it soon becomes apparent that
the filthy denominations INDUCED in by
drunken comrades, whose actions can
be better imagined than described,
will soon further undermined young
mans self-respect, and it Is not long
before he may be found joining in the
laughter and joking carried on when
one of these drunkards has so far re-
covered as to be made aware of what
he has been doing. have seen very
much of this sort of thing, and can
testify to the fact that such occurrences
are looked on as part and parcel or the
life, and no effort is made stop them.
TO one that has not been accustom-
ed to gambling, it must be q source of
wonder that all sorts of games that
provide chance to gamble are so open
ly INDUCED IN. After a payday the
regular hands that run the games are
as busy as bees, and no attempt is
made to keep the matter secret. The
men gamble on their hunks in the
quarters, and when night comes retire
to some old building, and light up for
their nights indulgence in this vicious
habit. Inquiry, if one is of an inquir-
ing turn of mind, soon reveals the
fact that the officers in their clubroom
are gambling also, and SO what matters
it that gambling is forbidden by regu-
lation?
The system of shutting ones eyes to
what is going on around, and the ig-
norance displayed when questions are
asked, are nowhere TO lie seen better
than in the army: and in this conmec'
ton may he mentioned the fact thai
every possible means is taken to pre-.
vent any of the ursavOry details of
army life from leaking out. The cases
when published, are 30 uudeniable
that the army us body does its Ut
most To luck up its secrets in its own
breast.
Drink ruins the army, and if any
doubt this, let me tell them that tue
general reports, recently, that
the rate of admission to the hospi ais
for alcoholism is forty in thousand,
against 2.5G in the British army, and
O.30 in the German. Such figures rs
these tell their OWN. story.
it is not To he wondered at thai 50
many other vices prevail, or that the
New York Evening Post has to say o'
the army, so low is the mortal tone
that 4 military prison has To he mniIl-
tanned at Il cost of seventy.livc th0I-
sand dollars Il year" There are now
ut Fort Leavemworlh more than five
hundred prisoners, besides these ON
Alcatraz Isarnd, Cal, and in the State
peuilcnliaries. Bear i'm mind, too,
That it is only the very fragrant eases
that get to these places. But with so
plain statement Of facts brought hc
fore the people, they can draw their
own conclusions, aud judge for thcil-
selves as to whether the army is a NOR
al place :ls some of it, officers would
have one believe.
All the better elements have been
leaving the army wholesale during the
past eighteen months, or just so soon
;iS possible, considering the short time
that the new system Of recruiting has
been in force. Why: because they
found the life uncomfortable, owing to.
its many ahominatiOn$.' Take warn
ing, young men tliat may bc thinking
of rnlisling, and keep away from Il life
that provokcs the quickest road that |
know Of by which you can travel toa
point where you will discover that you
have lost your manhood, and haye
sunk to- depth where you can scarce
ly recognize your IormeS srlI.-ln the
Golden Rulc.
Ts- --.-----
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