The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-19
AS TO "FAvoRITE SONS.


What Is There in "a FaVorite Son" 20
OIsquRlify Him for Good Service?
New York Tribune: The retirement
Of General Alger from the cabinet has
revived In certain quarters the criticism
directed year ago against the ap-
polntment of 'favorite sous" The
Tribune will probably ont be suspected
OF undue Partially for the late secre-
tary. 1t has never been able TO satisfy
itself. for instance. either that the sd-
mlnlstratIon OF the war department. un-
der him was brilliant or that someone
else could not or would not have done
better in his place. But this charge Of
having ordered or procured the app
pOlntment on the stan OF novices and
ignoramuses over the heads Of men who
knew their business" we must charac-
terize as wholly unfounded, II not alb
surd. II bespeahs an Ignorance Of the
facts so dense on the part OF these crit
les as TO make their enlightenment ap-
pear an almost impossible task.
When the war broke out we had an
army, as everybody knows, OF not more
than 1000 men. In this army the pro-
portion Of officers TO men was perhaps
greater than Il Is IN other armies. II
was not large enough, however, to sup
ply the sudden demand for experienced
officers when the army was within a
few weeks increased to more than ten
times Its peace footing. Where were
levles? The militia organizations fur
nished few well meaning. but for all
practical purposes inexperienced ott-
GERS. But even that source OF supply
was soon exhausted The officers OF
the regular establishment were thought
to be detailed to the greater advantage.
Here, II anything, It may be that the
current criticism would lie. No doubt
many frst lleutenants and captains In
the regular service might have been
given one. two or three steps In the
volunteer service, TO the great advnnt-
age OF the new troops, and perhaps
also, OF the officers themselves. But the
department said It took as many as II
dared without weakening the regular
SERVICE and we do not know anybody
with facts enough to warrant an uu-
thoritntIve contradiction. II the avail
able supply OF trained young regulars
was really exhausted, then the admins
lstratiOn was forced to do the next best
thing, and the President certainly DIS
played good sense and commendRble
courage by selecting from among host
Of eager and ambitious young men OF
ferlng to serve their country men whom
his and the late secretary's critics are
pleased to CALI "favorlte sons"
What is there, we should like to ASK,
In n "favorite SON" to disqualify him
from serving his country? Is 1t the pos
session OF wealth or the misfortune OF
having distinguished father? Are
training and tradition to be considered
bar to the honorable ambition OF
Young men who, In popular estimation,
stagger under princely incomes or take
an honest pride in their ancestry? The
appointment Of Colonel John Jacob as
tor and his modest and unassuming
manner OF discharging the duties as
signed to him, FAR from being enough
to demorallze any army that was ever
formed" did at least as much toward
showing the world that the chase OF tne
almighty dollar" Is not typically
American occupation as anything else
we can recall at the moment. And II
other "faYorlte sons" with possibly one
ar two exceptions, failed to do their full
duty to the best OF their ability, we are
certainly not aware of the fact. The
SON of Ulysses S. Grant, the son OF
John A, Logan, the two sons of Calvin
S. Brlce, the son Of the secretary him
self, bore themselves the better for be-
ing the sons OF their fathers. The same
senseless chatter that is directed
against them now was directed In their
| day against the young bucks VINO
danced on the eve OF the battle oil Wat
erloo and against the dandles OF the
guards who laid down their lives on
fhe plains Of Gravelotte. Many Of them
no doubt were "favorite sons" but they
knew how to die for their country. Shall
! 1t be said that American gentlemen
/ would do less?