The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-05
A BAD CASE OF MILITARISM.

The American people are not used
to the insolence of militarism, and
they never will become used to it; for
tunately there is very little of it in this
country, and it is seldom, indeed, that
an officer in the army does anything to
subject himself to criticism.
A rather bad case of militarism oc-
CURED in Baltimore the other day, ac-
cording to the Sun of that city, a case
that seems to be very aggravated, and
which it would not be amiss to have
Investigated by the war department,
if the account in the Sun is reliable.
and which is as follows:
The Ninth cavalry returned recently
from Puerto Rico, and started yeSter-
day morning from Jersey City for Ari-
iona, where the regiment Will be sta
toned. The command travelled in three
sections. The first section carried the
horses and imoedimenta of the troop
ers, while the two remaining sections.
of Is cars each, carried the TROOPERS
and officers. The first two sections
passed through Camden station with
out hitch, and the third and last sec
ton, with Colonel McGregor on board,
arrived at IL 80 a. m.
The officers took dinner in the sta
ton restaurant, while the troopers had
TO content themselves with regulation
army rations in their cars. The train
was stopped in the Belt lire station at
the entrance to the tunnel Station
Master Adams had arranged to have
the train placed beneath the shed above
the Belt Line station, but when he
made his intention known, Colonel Nc
Gregor became indignant, and declared
hot he in ct, he cd nm
til he gave permission. He said he
was running the train, and to see that
his instructions were obeyed he direct
ed one of his captains to place a guard
of four troopers on the locomotive, with
instructions to see that the train was
rot moved. 1t was explained to Colonel
McGregor that it would interfere with
the operations of the road to have the
train remain where it was, but he re-
manned obdurate and insisted that the
II ain remain where it was. He also
refused for time to permit the loco
motive to be detached, in order that a
fresh locomotive might be attached to
haul the train away from the station.
General Superintendent j. e. SDurrier
also ATTEMPTED to reason with Colonel
McGregor, but what he said made no
impression on that officer. The conse-
quence was that all trains, both east
bound and weSt-bound, had to use the
east-bound track. making the road
practically a single-track line through
the tunnel.
After giving his orders Colonel Nc
Gregor repaired leiSurely to the station
cafe, where he, in a most leisurely
manner. satisfied his appetite with a
hearty meal. He then strolled little
more leisurely to his car. and after he
had comfortably seated himself. signi-
fed. his gracious consent to the ex-
change of locomotives. and at 12:45 o.
M, one hour and fifteen minutes AFTER
the train reached the depot, gave orders
for it TO proceed on its journey to the
southwest.
Trains bearing troops should be
given every preference, but to do this
it is not necessary that traffic be block
ed and rules of safety set aside. Col
onel McGregors action appears to have
been outragcously arbitrary and wholly
without warrant. Such actions as his
only tend to turn the people against
the army. 1t is the only case of the
kind that has occurred during the war,