The National tribune., 1897-04-01
WHO ARE THESE INTOLERABLE
SNOBSc

The astonishing report comes that the
superior officers of some portion Of
the Massachusetts, Militia have requested
two Lieutenants to resign for the reason
that thew are mechanics, and cannot
exercise the authority desired, because
their social position does not qualify
them to move in the society of their
brother officers"
We cannot believe such a thing to be
possible. We are all painfully aware
that in some inscrutable way incorrigi-
bic snobs and fools occasionally get COM
missions, but this seems to pass the limit.
1t behooves the Governor of Massachu-
sets to examine into this report without
delay, and if found only partially true
to get rid of those superior officers
with dull, sickening thud before they
can do any farther injury to the State
service.
Than Massachusetts no State can less
afford to have such snobby excrescences
in her service. Massachusetts, is pre-
eminently the State of the mechanic and
small-farmer. She was founded by these,
built up to greatness by them, and owes
every particle Of her amazing prosperity
TO them. The men who came over in
the Mayfower were everyone of this
class, and that is why they came over.
They wanted to get out of country
inhabited only by paupers and aristo-
Gratis, and form a community which
would be free from these vicious eX-
tremes. The men who followed them
were of the same stamp, and nowhere
has labor been held in greater honor
than in Massachusetts, The son of a
/ Massachusetts, small-farmer became the
second President of the United States,
and was one of the greatest men this
country ever produced a Massachusetts
shoemaker was for long time one of her
| Senators and the Nice-P President of the
| United States: Massachusetts, factory
boy became twice Governor of the State,
/ Speaker of the United States House OF
Representatives, Major-General of Vol,
unteers, etc., and the list could be ex-
tended indefinitely. The plain, middle.
class people have not only made Massa
| chusetts all that she is, but it is they
alone who can maintain her where she
is and carry her forward to still higher
achievements.
/ If the services of the mechanics who
I
held commissions in Massachusetts, regi
ments during the war were deducted
from her history, it would be far les
/ glorious than it is.
| Were those superior officers no
consummate idiots they would know
that " authority in an officer is more
personal quality than the power OF hi
commission even. As rule, even il
the army, men only obey another ma
because he is worthy to be obeyed. W
saw it frequently illustrated during tn
war that while Governors of State
might commission officers, only Go
Almighty could make them real con
mandcrs Some men were real leader
and rose to be Colonies and Genera
f even though they had followed th
! toughest OF trades, and could scarcel
Q write their own names, while othe
! could not be made even respectful
, Lieutenants by graduation from We
/ Point.
On the whole, good mechanic
n rather more likely to make goo
officer than most men. The training
has gotten in bis trade is helpful to hi
IS in mastering the trade of war, which
l. conducted on similar principles. He
e familiar with the methods of managil
le men in bodies for definite objects, he
$ habituated to control, understands t
l. necessity for it, probably has some e
h perience in controlling others. has Gle
lie ideas as TO justice and fair play in t
10 relations between those who order a
Ut those who obey. and generally has
C intimate acquaintance with many thin
that every good officer must know, a
which can be acquired in no better W
" than he has done In his intimate da