Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1899-02-20
The oregon Yolunteers.

III CANhaAA NeA@AAA~~Afs
Washington Special: Although II IL
very improbable that any members Of
the Second Oregon volunteers will be
discharged while that regiment Is at
Manila, yet the question has been
raised, and has caused some little az
ltatloD at the war department, az n
whether volunteers discharged AZ Ma
Mia are entitled 10 travel pay from
that place 10 their homes. This mat
ter was brought % the attention OF
the adiutantgeneral through such 40
application FROM one member Of
the Second Oregon, who bad.
because OF most urgent circumstances
secured his discharge, aud after pay
ing bis own travelling expenses sought
n be reimbursed by the government,
The records Of the department we're
carefully searched 10 see II such q
practice had ever been allowed, IL not
being customary, and the records
failed 10 show any instance where such
a thing had been done ia the case Of
volunteers. An instance 10 which
the government paid the travelling
expenses OF a discharged soldier
returning from Manila vas where
the man was a re-enlisted soldier
ia the regular army, but even Of
this only one instance IL recorded. One
reason the department refuses 70 pay
tbe travelling expenses Of dis
charged volunteers is that IL desires
~ discourage, as FAR a. possible, the
wholesale discharge Of men while inI
the Philipplae islands. Those who
nOw secure discharges must give the
most urgent reasons, and II the case
Is meritOrlous aud the man serious, hc
would doubtless gladly pay his own
expenses ln order that he might reach
home 40 theearllcst possible moment
The department is unquestlnnably |
right IN retaining the yUiuu
teers, as the practice of
discharge, when once was started, d,
hard 10 check IL should be remem
befed that when the peace treaty has
been ratified by Spain, IL haylng been |
80 acted upon by this country, the war
will BE- at an end, aud the volunteer
will then necessarily b. mustered out /
Before muster-o out, however, they viii /
be brought hone and given a 90 day
fsrlOugh. which means two months
salary without service. Such an al
IOwance Is not made u individual
who are discharged before
their time IL up, and while 10 does not
amount 10 great deal In financial
way u yet allows the men e.
lake a needed rest before assum-
ng the duties which were lei
IN when they enlisted. Such fur.
ough Is allowed only % regiments
hat have seen service outside Of the
jnited States, aud viii therefore b.
extended 10 the members OF the Sec
ND Oregon. That plan when carried
ut Ia the Eastern states with re-
rect 10 volunteers who saw seryice
q Cuba and Porto Rico met with the
featest approval Then, too, IL Is
ways To the credit Of a state To have
Is troops come home In body
nd. make the best possible
lowings, instead Of returning Que
: Two a time. lt Is disheartening
those who remain To see some uf
ielr felloV-soldlers start home. while
iey must remain, and there are
her and abundant reasons why
lese iudiscrlminate discharges I,
lould not b. allowed. IL cannot he
ng, now, before the boys come home !,
ID, coming together, will unnoubt-
Ily fare better than coming as ln-
viduals aud at their own expense. :