The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-13
Married Recruit
GOvtrnment Dces
not Desire hin.

not Desire Mn.
| ~~~~r~-~-S~~~S~~$~-~~S~-
| 1t seems that most Of the men who
come to Wichita hunting the recruiting
officer, come tothe Eagle ONCE to an
officer. come to the Eagle office 10 In
prospective recruits are young men. boys
/ from the farm. Occasionally this is not
| 50. The other day a man OF some forty
years appeared. He vas asked why he
! wanted to enlist. He mumbled some
| thing In reply. He was aked II ne was
| married, and he nodded, but evidently
! fearing other questions got out without
more ado.
Married men are only enlisted in the
regular army of the United States By
consent of the colonel commanding the
regiment in which they apply 70 serve
or by special permission OF the war de-
I partment This requirement Is consplcu-
I ously posted in the recruiting stations,
! and is generally known to applicants for
enlistment before they appear for exam
! nation.
Men desiring to enlist in the army OF
! the United States or the term OF three
! years are required to declare-they are
not sworn-that II have neither wife nor
child"
II 1t is dIcovered that a recruit has
falsely declared himself single. he is put
under arrest technically and the depart
ment is informed. Action from Wash
ington is prompt and always the same; 1t
is directed that the man be discharged
from the service without honor" This
Is not ''dishonorable discharge" but 1t
prevents a man from again enlisting In
any branch of the service at any time
and under any circumstances. The re-
cruiting officer Is held responsible for the
expense incurred by the government In
the mans case. II 1t should happen that
the recruit safely reaches San Francisco
on his way to Manila. he Is returned I'M
mediately to the recruiting station, and
all expenditure on his account Is charged
up against the officer who accepted him.
II is not often. however. that he Is de-
tected when so far on his way to his reg
iment.
"The other day found myself with an
enlisted married man on my hands" said
recruiting officer. "He was sent here
from the office In the territory-arrived in
the morning. and seemed to be a prom
Using recruit In the afternoon his wife
and mother-in-law turned up with an OBJ
lection or two, and called the fellow I'm.
His excuse was that he didn't know
MAI had to be single; and when 1 asked
HIN why he wanted to join the army. IL
sail he was sick and tired Of IDS mother
IN law, who berated him half the time,
A. wanted TO get any place away from
her-he didn't care much whe-4 I in
fot med the department. and thew ordered
his Cischarg. without honor.
Married applicants always say TO the
sergeant. that there is no one dependent
on them; 1t Is their unfailing argument
when confronted with the requirement
that shuts them out. Recently one such
was followed to a recruiting office by a
woman with a baby in her arms, who
pleaded that her husband should not be
enlisted, because he was her sole support
One of the clerks said he thought at the
time that the woman would have a hard
time of IL when the man got her home
and alone. The army seems to be the
refuge. not only OF men who have no
means OF winning their daily bread. tut
of those who have tired OF their wives
or children. Sometimes they admit this
freely: often they say they have put their
children in good care. and are drawn to
the service only because they are tired
of the monotony of life as they have
lived 1t.
One man told a recruiting officer HAT
he wanted to go 10 the Philippines for
the future he might find there for him
self and family after his term Of service
had expired. He had n wife and two
children. FIVE and seven years o,d, who
were to live with his mo-har until he
should send for them: and he was quite
ready TO run all the chances Of war.
meanwhile keeping a lookout for a prom
ising opening at the tine % has ats
charge. He asked for service in a volun-
teer regiment. in the hope that hs n uId
be discharged within a year. As n mat
ter OF course. he was not accepted: but
he was advised that the consent OF
colonel commanding any regiment would
make his acceptance sure
The war department rarely gives spec-
ial permission for the enlistment OF mar
ried men; but the colonies often do. It II
what is called Constitutional right
Of every man 70 get married: and enlisted
men follow their own inclination IN this
respect. They are discharged. however.
at the expiration OF their enlistment
time: and II they want 10 re-eniiEt they
must have the consent OF their OIL com
mander. a man who has jona 'srhful
service for fifteen years the colonel wants
to keep; so he gives his consenL The
- 4
there Is inserted a clause which .tlsases
the government from all rcsoon, .hi:!',-
for the wife and family. No claim taa
be made by him for Z nen don or the
strength of service: he reiIces Fimsef |
in fact 20 a single man IN the eyes q !
the government and On this c'n5ition |
only IS ne re-enlis;ed.
Wives and children a-e left IT homo /
when the regiment moy.5: but they can |
rejoIn & when 1, returns 70 It's Tost. and |
there provision Is made f1r "a IN - nvslv- |
ing TO expense. SowaIlys. by ora.r Of |
the department. they can buy fuel All
provisions at the comrnissa,Y s'o's- at !
cost price to the government. THAT - !
al the government con ~z4ss ~ the MAJ
RED enlisted men" sail az orr or 1T 4
won't accept them a. recruit p: and 9; o. !
courages single men frtni belag anslh NJ |
else Obviously. 81 Is god thing A. |
ticularly in this time % AZ. The NI.e I
of an enlisted man isn't any "a, A. ell
"a the regiment; on the contrary. she f. /
a restraint on her husbands daring A |
man viii think Of bis wife and child. you 1
know. when there Is danger near"
II DO not think said an Officer. 'tha, I