The evening times., 1898-06-11
MILITARY nEPoT1sM.
John J. Ingalls Condemns II In VI

John J. Ingalls, Coadenns II In Un-
measured Ternas.
Atchison. May 3l.-John J. Ingalls,, In a
letter to the Globe. says: up to April
"a. 1898. 1t was one Of the favortte argu-
ments for democracy that genius d not
hereditary; that statesmen do not trans
NIT their qualities to posterity. 1t has
passed into a proverb that great men sell
dom have great sons. The apparent ex-
ceptions neither prove nor disprove the
rule. The highest types are not persist
ent- Men. families, nations culminate
and then decay.
80 our boast has been that we have
abolished the artificial distinction Of birth
and rank and made merit rather than ped
igree the criterion OF preferment
AN honorable ancestry Is never more
than a good symptom. Renowned pater-
1t only establishes favorable presump-
tion.
In selections for places of honor. trust,
profit and responsibility. the search hith-
erto has been not for consanguinity, but
for capacity. We have revolutionized the
civil service by providing that no ambi-
tous citizen shall open a dead letter or
paste stamps on beer keg without hav-
ing first obtained a certificate of charac-
ter and qualifications that would equip
the principal of rural seminary. We
have neither asked II the candidate was
born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
nor IL he wore an evening coat after 6
O'Clock, ate with his fork, dined in
courses. or had rich and celebrated for
bears. -
1--WE must have been wrong, for in the
last month we have seen the health, WELL
being. comfort and fighting capacity of
10000 men: their food. clothing. shoes.
tents. medicine. arms, ammunition,
equipage and pay. involving the expendi-
ture of hundreds Of millions OF dollars
and the protection of the Government
tors. intrusted to youthful and inexper1-
enced civilians for no apparent reason
except the shameless importantly Of in
huential knsfOlk and greedy politicians
with pull. -
Grants son and his grandson. Logan's
son, Blaine's son, Harrison's son, Alger's
son, Gray's son. McMillan's son. Murphy s
son.. Mitchell's. son.. Brice's two sons,
Hull's son, Lees son. 6trong's son, Sew
ellis son. Astor's son. ,Allison's nephew.
and scores of less conspicuous heroes IL
Iustrate the development of political atav-
ism or intermittent heredity. which Is
one Of the most extraordinary features
Of the past thirty years.
1T Is said that when the picturesque
aSSemblage. not surpassed since Fal-
staff's conscripts marched through Cow
entry. came up for confirmation the 9TH
er day in the Senate. Pettigrew, who ap
parently got no pork. ventured to ask II
the military committee were satisfied
that the captains and ajors and colonels
were qualified for their important duties
and responsibilities. The bluff old vet
eran. Hawley. testify put the question by.
and said he knew that everyone was rec
commended by some senator or member
Of Congress Whereupon Hale. with pol
ished sneer. interpolated that they would
gain experience in the field. remark
whose apparent cynicism is diminished
by the fact that Hale's son had already
been provided for in the diplomatic serv-
Ice. as secretary of legation at Rome.
These examples will stimulate the pa
triotic farmers of the West, who are
urged to enlist privates for SIG a
month, to migrate to the seaboard as rap
idly as possible become the sons of great
men ard members of Mammon clubs as
the pathway to distinction. They will in
spire the veterans of the service whose
lives have been spent in loyal discharge
of duty amid the hardships and privatlons
of the frontier, with renewed devotions
to the flag. as they see the just rewards
of fidelity bestowed upon the incompe-
tent and undeserving.
Il Timothy, viii: But If any provide
not for his own, especially for those of
his own house, he hath denied the faith
and is worse than infidel Infidelity has
not been prevalent since April "a 1898
JOHN J. INGALLS,