The Saint Paul globe., 1897-02-07

-suppressing riots growing out Of la
Dor difficulties. Since the Pullman
strike this has been regarded as the
almy's chief mission. A great many
congressman object to the use OF the
army, and from them there is naturally
objection to provisions of the bill TO
increase the army force from it's pres
ent modest number-25, 710-to the pro-
posed limit Of 30 900.
Finally there is the inevitable objec.
tion to the maintenance Of great stand
ing armies. We have but handful of
soldiers compared with the other great
nations of the world, but there are men
in congress who would like to see even
these dismissed.
REGIMENT FORMATIONS.
In proposing to reorganiZe the army
the war department cares less about
increasing the number of officers and
enlisted men than about a change in
the formation of regiments. Gen. Sher-
man suggested it back in the seventies.
and renewed the suggestion when he
retired in 1888.
Sherman's proposition was to add
two companies to each regiment of in
fantry SO as to make the number
twelve, and break each regiment into
three battalions of four companies
in the world has adopted the three
battalion formation, but, though the
secretary of war has urged it again
and again on congress, and one COM
mittee after another has reported in
favor of it, no action has been taken.
Army officers of experience say that
four companies are as many as one
officer can lead and control in action.
When small arms were ineffective at
more than 600 or 500 yards, men
marched in double column with elbows
touching, and it was possible for a
colonel to keep his entire regiment
under his eye. Now that small arms
have been made effective at 1000
yards, the men march In single rank
and with a space between. The battle
line then Is three times longer than ii
was, and the colonel cannot control
an entire regiment acting as a unit
This is plain enough, and there are
enough old soldiers in the house and
senate to make the reorganization sure
Of a great deal of sympathy, If that
alone was needed. But when it comes
to a question Of appropriations, con-
gress Is likely to be critical. That is
one reason the reorganization scheme
may fall again as 1t has failed so many
times before.
ARMY MEN IN CONGRESS.
war in the house and senate is a good
thing for the army at times, but 1t has
its drawbacks. The veterans, like doc
tors. sometimes disagree, and when
they get into debate over an army
bill they almost always fight their bat
ties over again and prolong debate for
days, to the great peril Of the bill.
l don't know that 1t would be quite
safe for me to say that some members
OF congress have no claim on the favor
OF their fellow citizens except the fact
that they ''f1t In the war" A man vino
Is not old enough to claim a war rec
ord has to step very lightly in the
vicinity of the old soldier l learned
that lesson some years ago in a con-
versation with the late Gov. Hovey,
OF Indiana. Merely to make conversa-
ton with him, l ventured to remark
that 1t was unfortunate for the Grand
Army of the Republic that it had been
used by certain persons for their own
agrandizement, to the discredit Of the
organization. l was echoing what some
Grand Army men had said to me, but
the governor evidently thought that I
was criticising the Grand Army, and
on my own account. Sir" he said.
growing purple with excitement. "this
country can never do enough for the
old soldier who
You know what else the governor
said. He said a great deal of it in
speeches during the many years of his
excellent public service. I really did
not deserve the wrath with which he
cast the old soldier at my head be-
cause had not meant to reflect on the
Old soldier in any way. But it is with
an apology to all the other veterans
in congress that I say that one or two
Of the old soldiers there are better
fitted to be soldiers than lawmakers
In tho n Of ho -
hoped that the army reorganization can
be discussed without a review Of the
battle Of Bull Run or the siege Of Vicks-
burg.
AS the ranks of the Grand Army be-
gin to thin the veteran in congress is
disappearing. In the 100 or more new
members elected to the Fifty-fifth con-
gress from Northern states not more
than four or five served in the Union
army, and the proportion of Confeder-
ate veterans from the Southern states
is not much larger. One Of the vet
Grams an ong the new members was here
q few days ago looking over the con-
gressional field-James A. Norton, Of
Tiffin, O. He was less than seventeen
years old when the war began but he
was not long enlisting, and he served
until October, 1855. He was wounded
severely in the battle Of Chickamauga
He has commission as first lieutenant
and adjutant Of the One Hundred and
Twenty-third U. s. c. l., signed by
President Lincoln. Mr.. Norton has
been a doctor, a lawyer and a railroad
man, and he was commissioner of rail-
roads and telegraphs of Ohio under
| Gov. Campbell and Gov. Mckinley.
Freeman Knowles, Of Deadwood, S.
D., is another of the few veterans
among the new members. He enlisted
in the Sixteenth Maine regiment be-
| fore he was sixteen years old. He was
| captured at Ream's Station in August,
1864 and was a prisoner at Libby, Belle
island and Salisbury, N. G. Since the
war Mr.. Knowles has been a lawyer
in Iowa and a newspaper publisher in
Nebraska and Dakota. He runs the
Deadwood Independent labor paper,
| now, and he was elected to congress
by the miners and other laborers of
his district. George Grantham Balm.