Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-20
POLITICS and The CANTEEN
Cause Of All the Trouble at Camp Thomas
is Located.
INEFFICIENT OFFICERS RESPONSIBLE
Major Giascott Holds that Political
Appointees ana strong Drink Make
n Had Combination for Raw Rc-
cruits to EncOuntcr In Camp.

CruNS 10 Encounter IN Sumps
OMAHA, Nov. Ito the Editor of The
Bee: During my temporary sojouin IN
Camp Thomas. at Chickamauga Park, Ga,
l was often impressed by the daily occur
ring events that selfish. unpatriotic politics
were exerting a baneful influence upon the
military service. health and moral life OF
the camp. Doubtless state politics were
largely responsible for the selection OF OFF,
GERS made for many of the commands
many indeed who would have failed to pass
an examination under a fair test OF the civil
service rules, or any rules OF good, COM
mon sense-and In consequence their in
competence, misft and blundering resulted
in much injury and damage to the serv.
ice. Many private soldiers also were en-
listed who really should not have been ac-
cepted under the rules. while better ma
terial was rejected, and this, too, was van
ity.
The average American citizen is suscep-
ttble OF as high training In military discl-
pline. culture and true soldierly bearing as
that of any nation on earth. and assuredly
is we'll worthy OF the best possible disci-
pline and instruction obtainable. But we
cannot gather figs from thstles," neither
should we expect to transform raw recruits
into model soldiers. or an invincible, fight
ing army without skilled instructors and
efficient, experienced leaders, exemplary
men Of good morals and habits, thoroughly
fit and competent for the varied offices to
which they should be assigned. An army
is q peculiar organization which requires
much skill, time and money to equip and
perfect for active duty in the field, and
its utility and efficiency depend much less
upon numbers than upon the high standard
OF moral and physical excellence and dis
cipline maintained that Is every ready for
duty and never fails in its performance.
War, like many OF the learned professions
Is an exact science and officers must be
educated and trained for duty accordingly.
High skill in Leaders Necessary.
AS capital invested in railroads factories
and commerce uses the best material and
employs only men Of the highest skill and
experience to manage Its affairs to the best
possible advantage and economy. SO tho
great American republic wants no dudes
nor bummers to degrade or dishonor It's
| flag but patriotic men OF heroic
| mould--men of skill and iron Will
| like Grant and Farragut, or sher'
| man and Dewey and kindred spirits to COM
| mand, to fight, to conquer, to elevate and
crown with glory the Starry Banner OF Lib
| erty and Human Rights. Under leaders ike
these insubordination, mutinous conduct or
| desertion were rare. 1t Is notorious fact
| that, In this snappy Spanish war, many OF
our regimental officers were deplorably fresh
| and ignorant OF military duty, and one
Of those daisies could do more damage in
our army in one day than many wise gen
eral officers could repair in sixteen. But
| why were such men appointed and commits
stoned? Was it to boom the hospitals and
| stock the grave yards with the bones Of
our boys? And not, why? Yes, there's
the rub.' and let the state governments
that were guilty Of and responsible for such
glaring folly answer II they can. as good
men of military skill and experience abound
In every state OF this union. p ra.a
| How could good health or comfort be
| expected or enjoyed In any camp where the
plainest sanitary laws OF hygiene were vio-
| lated daily? Located around and beside the
vile "canteen" and coon hollows, where an
abominable stencil arose from the filth, gar.
| bage and slope from the tents and cooks
quarters, which were thrown out promis-
cuously upon the ground, and added there
with were the nasty odors from shallow
sinks untidily kept, heaps Of offal from the
corrais. and pools of stagnant water from
the very frequent rains, creating serious
proved to bel a most fruitful source OF
fevers flies and malarial disease sufficient
! to destroy robust health and the best con-
stitutions Don't ask me why the queer
| Irishman kissed his cow" nor why many
political shoulderstraps strutted around in
malodorous dunghill scenes like these, too
| much absorbed In selfish seductive pleas
| ures, so called, to apprehend their respon-
siblites and duties. and II apprehending
to discharge them faithfully and con-
scientiously. neither dishonoring their vo-
cation nor robbing the government by neg
lect Of proper service. t,ai oi -.
| Found a Good Camp.
One Of the camps visited by me WAS To-
Gated upon dry sloping ground. sparse tim
ber. good exposure to sunlight The tents
were clean and the streets wide. well swept
and cleanly. Profanity and intemperance
were barred and strict discipline and sani-
tary rules were enforced. Cleanliness and
health were In evidence everywhere. The
garbage and filth were burned or removed
There was no deadly "canteen" there, bu'
instead a cleanly, we'll ordered Young Mems
Christian association tent, actively engaged
in eyangelistic work. and gratuitously sup
plying the soldiers with writing tables, sta
tionery. good reading matter. ETC.. and
crowds Of the 'boys In blue improved thell
opportunity gladly. The hospital seldom haf
case, and the guard house rarely an oc'
cupant. Comparatively an ideal regiment O
officers and men. intelligent. alert, wei
clad, we'll drilled, well fed and we'll skilled
healthy, contented, cheerful and hearty as {
party of picnickers. This was the One Hun
dred and Fifty eighth Indiana regiment, U
s. v. l., and later learned that the secont
! t,~fa
second to the One Hundred and Fifty
eighth Indiana. America will need no bull
warks or battlements while she has boy
in blue" like these Not quantity but qualit!
that tells. Napoleon in battle was accounted
equal to 10000 men, but where Grant o.
Sherman were victory never failed.
In my judgment unwisdom In pitching
tents and bad care of the camps have pro-
duced more needless disease and slew more
OF our boys than Spanish shells and bullets
in the ferds of strife. The "canteen" ha'