Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-08-06

(yelt #SARXD1Ff#Ll be tolerated, but
LIag9IFA YMA bowed down to
I'm ~ - as the man for
~gl<~ the hour. Since
there In 2 boss to
every 80 or 100 men it is plain that
the sway Of despotism is absolute.
Speaking of the kind of men to WELD
this power in time of war a veteran Of
fioer Of all round experience said: ''Ey-
cry man at the head of a military COM
mand from captain Of company up to
general in chief should be boss all the
time. Not that he need be bossing all
the time. But he should conceal an iron
hand under the glove of oomplaceney
and so stamp himself upon the minds
of his subordinates that he would sway
them silent or giving orders, even when
absent as well as present.
"a man who gets there by accident,
though, is not the boss for the occasion.
1t takes very much Of fellow to stand
as tyrant over hundred thinking free
men with bayonets in their hands and
avoid making the tyranny intolerable.
The bosses over hundred and thou
sand are the ones who WELD the CALLING
lash of discipline in an army. And they
must do it mercilessly in so far as the
mems feelings are concerned, yet retain
their respect and devotion. Without
these last the boss is IA failure when he
comes to put his men to the work for
which he was created boss-that is, to
fight. Again and again have seen some
soldier step up to captain inferior IN
size and thank him for disciplinary
punishment that brought out tho latent
manhood in him. 1t took some men
long time to come to that way of think
ing and the whole army, too for that
matter much to its detriment, for we
had the rawest amateur ideas at the
start and, in fact, with the exception
of the commands right in the heat of
campaigning all the time, amateurish
ways chung to us to the end.
ave never got away from the chance
of having accidents at the helm all
along the line. Routine promotion held
sway and accidents gravitated to the
top only to fall down on the attempt to
act the boss. In the field where the
fighting was this evil had its cure be-
cause leader who couldn't fight his
command-and he couldn't if he was a
failure as boss-was given dose of the
prevailing discipline and mercilessly
hustled out of the army. In this way
there were nearly 5000 failures in the
boss line disposed of in the Federal army
during the war. OF course these candi-
dates cost the government a lot of money
and long stood in the way of better men
and kept the whole line on low foot
ing while they lasted. Truth is the ma
jority of them never should have had
the chance to work evil in the forces
and blacken army records with the YER
diets on their dismissal. The way of Sc
lecting officers began in blunder, and
after our good natured, democratic fash
ion we kept it up too long.
1--WE should have owned up at the
start that the army isn't democratic
institution and never can be and be
worth rap as an army. Army bosses
should get there by the memorable Sc
quenoe of events, not by fayoritism or
good fellowship. They should earn their
places and do it in way to show their
fitness for them. This is no mere theory,
because we had examples enough to
show that it is practical and might pre-
vail
Napoleon made it practical. 1t was
no mere figure of speech to say that
every private in the grand army of
France carried a marshal's baton in his
knapsaok. Napoleon promoted soldiers
On the spot for bravery, GOODNESS and
good sense. He could do it because he
was absolute master, with no political
Cliques TO Conciliate. But every win
ming army wins by the might of impe-
rialism, the sway of force that knows
no law. Patriotic generals yield their
rights and privileges Of rank when
there is clash of authority that may
1arm the cause. Some one must be boss,
md they all know that one bad general
better than two good ones. When
deade sent Hancock, the youngest of
he corps commanders, to the front at
gettysburg, all the older heads yielded
oil sway to him.
$50 in point Of fact military rule is
ut and out despotism, the despotism
f necessity. And in a fighting army,
bove all other places, the test should
9 success. Every man Of whatever
INK should be given immediate recog-
ition for any conspicuous act of valor
rs all well enough to say that every
IAN should at all times do his duty
'ithout hope Of special reward. 1t is
eviction to duty that takes men into
ne army and holds them there but
le grandest thing among soldiers is es.
rit du corps, and this is fostered by
lcognition of bravery and talent 4
Jmpany or regiment is proud of its
gro and Of the honors that come to
i'm, and soldiers are never more proud
/ their service than when following a
IAN who has done something to war
ant his being in command who is