The times., 1898-12-17
REGULARS ar VOLUNTEERS 1

/ ~ the i-dAtoi VI fbc tlffltS.
There is no question but that the en-
listed men of the regular army are good
soldiers. ProbNb9 for all round fight
ing they are as good as the best in the
world. Are thsy,equally good citizens?
| Is 1t not so patent as to require no
| proof that the best soldier is the one
who unhesitatiHsly, obeys orders. Theirs
not to reason %hyt' The firm discipline
which is required TO convert an ordinary
| thinking man into an unthinking ma
chine, like tooth in a wheel. or PIN
| ion in a train of gears. is not the kind of
discipline which develops independence of
! character.
The officers Of the regular. army are
! taught to believe that they are of a diff
ferent clay from that of the men in the
ranks. AS a rule they are kind and con-
siderate to their men, as they are to their
horses. and for the same reason. 1t
would be unbecoming IAN officer and a
gentleman" to abuse man or a horse.
But as for consideration of man as a
brother man. the son of the same omnip-
otent father. the average regular army
officer has never given II a thought.
A military organization is by tradition
and Inheritance an aristocratic organiza-
ton. The contempt of the army officer
for the civilian Is somewhat modified in
the United States by the thought that the
civilian may have IA, pull" but there is
n good deal of IL apparent IN official in
tercourse at the capital and elsewhere
The army officer is by force of circum-
stances placed in a position which he
considers above the level of most of his
countrymen. While there are many OFF,
GERS who are sincere republicans at
heart, the great majority incline to ad-
mire aristocratic institutions, especially
as they hold themselves to be of the aris-
tocrary.
The enlisted man. on the other hand,
knows that the average citizen is his su-
perior In some respects at least. such as
the right 10 a home, and to some sort of
social and political relations with his fell
lows; and generally there is suspicion
If not a dislike, between the average
regular soldier and the civilian. Their
interests are not in common. Their ideas
are different. See the soldiers on leave
in our cities, or at places of amuse-
ment. How often do they consort with
citizens? Hardly ever. They flock to-
gether."
Thus, by artificial elevation of the official
army class and degradation of the rank
and file, both are to some extent untitled
for the normal duties and responsibilities
of citizenship in republic 'of the people
for the people, and IL has not been
without reason that the standing armies
are recognized as the greatest menace to
free institutions"
The American people have ever sought
to minimize that which they hold to be
necessary evil, a standing army. A
year ago $500 was the limit OF conces-
sion liberty made to necessity. Now we
are asked to qnadruple 1t. The conces-
sion seems too great:
Volunteer soldiers have ever maintained
their home symIAtiTes Volunteer SOL
diers have families and home ties. Their
officers sometimes get the big head"
but that disease runs its course in
short time. They do not hold life posi-
tions. st ~
If IL is necessary to add military force
to the 3oO0O or 80. 900 men which our pres
ent law provides for as a peace estab-
lishment, II would seem to be wise to call
for short term volunteers each to serve
for year. II IL cost few million dol
lars more TO equip $4,000 or so 600 new men
every year for the --next three or four
years, at the end OF that time we will
at least have more men with a tolerable
military training, and not out of touch
with their fellow citizens.
1t is hardly fair 10 keep the present
volunteers in service very long after the
settlement of peace, because they were
virtually promised they were to serve
only during the war But there would be
little difficulty in securing one year vol
unteers, for all the needs of garrison
duty in our new dependencies. And If
the general government were to allow a
small bonus, say equal to one dollar per
month per man TO the States which fur
nish the volunteers that serve, to be de-
voted to the development of the State
militia, it would, in my opinion, be a
good investment. W. A. BARTLETT.