The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05
IS ROTTEN With POLITICS
Algerism Makes Our Army a
Laughing Stock.
A HOTBED FOR SCANDALS
West Point Men Have to Stand Aside
for Political Favorites-Lives Of
Brave Men Inperiled in the
Name OF Patronage.

New York, March 4.-The New York
Herald publishes the following critic
ism Of politics in the army from the
pen of Poultney Bgelow:
After the battle of jena the Germans
drew this much satisfaction out of their
military disgraces, that nearly every
general who commanded in the prus-
sian army was court martialed ana
recommended either to be shot or to
receive some equally discouraging to-
ken of the popular Indignation.
We have had no battle at Jena be-
cause Spain has not latterly developed
Napoleons; but we have succeeded in
making our army disgraceful If not
ridiculous in the eyes of the world, and
we must recognize the causes of this
before we can apply intelligently rem
edies which will prevent their reoccur-
renee.
The American soldier in the ranks. as
he appeared to be both at Tampa and
at Manila, has no superior in physical
build righteousness of resource and
GOODNESS in danger.
The man in the ranks. even among
the volunteers, has nothing for which
he need blush; but he is justly incensed
against large proportion of the men
who pretended to be his superior Off
GERS and who yet displayed no capacity
that could Justify the uniform they
wore.
Two months after the outbreak of the
war even the regular troops at Tampa
lacked uniforms, rifles, transports and
competent staff equipment. The regi-
nc h,,t "a filed and tho
eve of the invasion. at the outbreak of
the most unhealthy season in Cuba,
raw recruits We're still coming in with
out uniforms, equipment or any prev
ious drilling.
Meanwhile the bureaus in Washing
ton, notably those having to do with
the army, were crowded with political
| jobbers seeking soft positions for rela-
tives and partisans of the administra-
| ton. The man who applied for COM
mission was not asked whether he had
graduated from West Point or whether
| he had had any experience likely to be
of service in the army. All the admin
| istration cared to know was whether
he was we'll backed by politicians and
| might prove useful at the next presi
| Dental election.
In the first enthusiasm of the war
distinguished West Point graduate
| threw up his position as mining engi-
neer. worth 900 a year, and hurried
| to Washington to offer his services in
any capacity. He was not politician
but simply a good soldier. SO the war
department told him it had nothing to
offer, but that he must go and see his
senator or congressman, then he might
come back and ask favors. That young
man received such shock as will last
| him the rest of his life. He went back
to his mining engineering with new
ideas upon the value of West Point
| education
At the same time there came to
| Washington man from Michigan
whose previous occupation had been
pouring out soda water in a drug store.
| He belonged to the administration
party, however, and his brother had
some political influence in his native
town. One day he presented himself to
the head of the engineering depart
ment. asking for information as to what
was expected of him. This is part of
the conversation:
Chief-Why do you come to this de-
partment?
Young mani have been made COL
onel of engineers.
Chief suppose you have been an
engineer?
Young man-No, sir.
Chief-But you must have done some
| lHiIlS. maven I Sph bSSii q SUI 49, VI VI
even a machinist:
Young man-No. sir: except to run a
soda fountain in Squashtown.
Chief-Damn it, sir. What do you
mean by calling yourself a colonel of
engineers?
Young man--It was not my fault I
asked President Mckinley to give me
position in the quartermaster's de-
partment, or something of that kind
and he pulled out long list and looked
it over and said there We're no vacan-
cies there. Then he pulled out another
list of engineers and ran his finger
down that list, and the first vacancy
happened to be a colonel of engineers
so he gave me that, but I didn't want
it.
That young drug store man was nc
better and no worse than the average
volunteer officer appointed for purely
political reasons to positions in which
they We're able to imperil the lives OF
brave men, to say nothing of wasting
money.
If we are to have army reorganiza.
ton we must begin by clearing out tbs
ring of political iobbers who have dis
graced our army during this past war
We have six or seven heads of military
departments, each of which had at diff.
ferent times arrogated to himself the
attributes of commander in chief
Which one Is most responsible for the
mischief done is not very material. But
not one of them can come into court
with clean hands.
In the early days of the war, when
vetnured to call public attention tc
the unprepared condition of our troops
at Tampa, and predicted the scandals
which have since blossomed luxurious
ly, a distinguished writer of fiction in
terviewed all the military authorities
he could reach. and drew from then
something in the nature of that famous
falsehood promulgated by Marshal LIE
boeuf on the eve of the Franco-Germar
war. Everything in the army was pro
nounced perfect, down to the last but
ton of the soldiers saiter.
1t is beautiful thing to see tina
General Miles has succeeded in winning
a technical victory over his enemy, Ea
gan. But how is it that the comman
der-ni-chief permitted the secretary o
war to fill military positions withou
reference to military knowledge? l
he knew of this abuse and consented Il