The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-10-06
BOARDING A CAPTURED PRIZE.

money were by that time dead, and
much of it was never claimed at all.
There was at one time over $500, 900
unclaimed prize money in the treasury
at Washington, and possibly there is
still, unless it has been confscated by
the government owing to the passing of
the time limit.
Rear Admiral Sampson, commanding
the feet i'll Cuban waters, will Of course
receive the lions share Of the prize
money and bounty. He will get about
500, 600, Rear Admiral Dewey $4,000
and Rear Admiral Schley about IS, O0O
Notwithstanding the latter's important
service in destroying Cervera's s feet his
share will be less than that Of some Of
the captains in the navy who were cap
turing prizes while Schley was confined
to Hampton Roads at the beginning Of
the war.
While the law remains as it is, it is
idle TO argue about the justice or inius-
tice of the distribution Of prize money
and bounty to the navy. Though that,
and even the principle Of the thing, could
be criticised, more obvious objection
to the whole system is that it discrimi-
mates against the army in favor Of the
navy. There is no good reason why the
officers and men of the United States
navy, who have been under pay for
years in time Of peace, should receive
prize money in time of war for Captur-
ing or sinking the warships Of other
countries. 1t was obviously their duty
TO do so just as much as it was tho duty
Of the army to face the dangers Of the
Cuban climate and Mauser bullets at
Santiago. No one supposes for a mo.
ment that the navy would have been a
defaulter to duty, even without the ad-
ditional spur to action Of anticipated
prize money. 1t seems too much like
placing a premium upon loyalty and
introducing merCenary motives where
nobler and disinterested ones should
prevail.
But, leaving this and other ethical as
poets of the subject out Of the question,
ii is manifestly unjust to the army,
which, whether it rendered equally
great or less valuable service in the
war, ran equal risks and suffered i'm
measurably more. The loss of life in
the navy, either from the casualties Of
war or from disease, was comparatively
slight, while that of the army from
those causes was very large for the
number of men engaged. The value OF
the property taken possession of by the
army was enormously greater than that
captured or destroyed by the navy, but
the soldiers and officers get nothing but
honor and their pay, whereas the naval
officers and men get all this and large
sums of prize and bounty money as
well.
Numbers Of men prominent in official
life here are opposed to the prize money
system, and even some naval officers Of
high rank, among whom may be inClud-
cd Admiral Erben, would favor It's be-
ing abolished. Among army officers it
may be taken for granted that but few
would favor anything which so unfairly
places their branch of the service at a
disadvantage. Already the handwriting
may be seen upon the wall presaging
the end of this discriminating fayoritism
in behalf Of the navy. 1t is not unlikely
| that congress may shortly legislate the
prize money and bounty section out Of
the revised statutes, and that long be-
fore our country engages in another war
both army and navy will be placed upon
an equality, SO far as this is concerned.
In other years matters were more
equalized, and officers and men of the
army were permitted to divide what
they captured on land from the enemy.
When nearly all of the civilized nations
concluded to do away with the custom
of confiscating the property Of noncom-
batants found on land, there was moth
ing to be divided among the land forces,