Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-24
WANTS or ora soLDIEna

| The Dispatch would have our govern
| ment spend It's money literally &c mako
| our soldiers comfortable in their camps.
on board transports. and in the HOSPITALS.
| bu, we cannot but think many IT the
complaints we hear from friends OF
/ theirs are puerile.
| Men cannot go to war IN palace cars
nor can they have dainties on their Ia
bles nor comfortable mattresses Upon
which 10 sleep. Nor viii IT ever be found
that the quartermasters. conniissaries.
and doctors have all their supplies In the
right place at the right time.
II never was so In any war OF which we
ever heard, and we doubt II 1t will
be so in any war to the end OF time. war
ut best means hurry, confusion. and
hardship. Men are made to suffer by
forced marches, to bear hot suns and
drenchlng rains. and TO risk their lives
in battle, In order that good may come
out of the campaign in which they are
engaged In short. there is little fun to
be found in war and those who are un-
willing to incur its hardships would bet
tel stay at home.
The present war came upon this coun-
try like a thundarbolt from a clear sky
and found US unprepared. yet our men
have not often been subjected to great
privatons. Aside from the unavoidable
and entirely to -be-expected severity OF
the Cuban climate, they have Jared well.
Indeed, we think no other soldiers In war
were ever better cared for than ours are
at this time.
There has been complaint OF the food
furnished, yet we doubt If any other
country In time OF war has ever supplied
It's men with such a variety and album
dance Of wholesome rations. OF course,
there have been exceptions to what we
are claiming to be the rule, but the state
ment. in the main, is correct. The much
abused bareback is pie" to the bareback
of the civil war. Where trouble has &C.
CURED 1t has usually been the fault of ig-
norant or careless commissaries or mex
perjenced cooks. Regimental command
ers ought to see that charges are pre-
ferred against such commissaries. AS for
the cooks. each company is now to have
for that duty man who is an expert in
the business.
Let us give our government credit for
what 1t has done, though, IL we choose,
we may insist upon its doing more.
Everything cannot be done in a day, es-
pecially as we have to contend with red
tapeism and old fogyism. But let us be
frank enough to say that not in this coun-
try alone do these twin dead weights
hold sway.
Our soldiers have a great friend in the
press. Our press is free. 1t is not muz-
zled here as in Spain. The delinquencies
of army officials are sure to be gibbeted
to the public gaze. Shortcomings cannot
long continue after they are exposed. The
Republican party, entrenched in power as
it is, is not strong enough to Withstand
well-grounded accusations of neglect OF
the soldiers. The press will hold all In
authority to their duties.
There are some things that our SOL
diers really need which the government
does not furnish, and the chief Of these
is tobacco. 1t may be that our officers
and men hadn't ought" to use tobacco,
but the fact is they do use it. Moreover,
most of them have been using II since
they were mere slips of youths. For them
not to have tobacco now Is for them to
suffer hardship. Tobacco (and we say,
modestly, Virginia tobacco) cheers them
wonderfully And this view Of ours we
find sustained by most of the army cor
respondents.
Some of the ladies. dear. sweet souls. do
not like the idea of sending their friends
tobacco ESPECIALLY chewing tobacco), and
instead send them all manner of useless
things. We advise them to indulge the
tobacco habit in their friends for the
present and try TO reform them when the
war is over.
Keep the men supplied with tobacco. a
little pocket money, and plenty of post
age stamps. and they will manage to get
along very well, indeed. They are all
likely to see active service soon. and then
we shall hear fewer complaints about ra-
tons and clothes-but then they will need
tobacco more than ever.