New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-07
A WORD AS TO "FAVORITE SONS"

The retirement of General Alger from the
Cabinet has revived in certain quarters the
criticism directed a year ago against the APP
pointments Of "favorite sons" The Tribune
will probably not be suspected OF undue par
TALLY for the late Secretary. 1t has never been
able TO satisfy itself, for instance either that
the administration OF the War Department I'M
der him was brilliant or that some enc else
co,,Id not mr. would not have done better In his
place. But this charge Of having ordered or
nrocured the "appolntments on the staff Of nov
.Jces and ignoramuses over the heads OF men
"who knew their business We must character
lie as wholly unfounded, II not absurd. 1t be-
sneaks an ignorance of the facts so dense on
the part Of these critics as to make their en-
,lphtenment appear al almost impossible task.
When the war broke out we had an Army,
as everybody knows. of not more than 2o,ooo
men. I'm this Army the proportion OF officers to
men was perhaps greater than II Is IN o'her
armies 1t was not large enough, however. to
supply the sudden demand for experienced ON
GERS when the Army was within few weeks
increased to more than ten times It's peace
footing Where were the officers to come from
10 command these levies? The militia organlZa-
tions furnished few well meaning but Tor all
practical purposes inexperienced oincers. But
even TINT source of supply was soon exhausted.
The officers Of the Regular establishment were
thought to be detailed to the greatest advan-
tage. Here. II anywhere, IT may be that the
current criticism would lie No doubt many first
leutenants and captains In the Regular service
might have been given one, two or three steps
In the volunteer service, to the great advantage
of the new troops, and perhaps, also, or the
a
officers themselves. But the Department SAID
II took as many as 1t dared without weakening
the Regular service. and we do not know any
body with Facts enough 10 warrant an authorl-
tative contradiction. If the available supply
of trained young Regulars was really exhaust
ed. then the Administration was forced to do
the next best thing and the President certain
ly displayed good sense and commendable cour-
age by selecting from among host OF eager
and ambitious young men offering TO serve
their country men whom his and the late Sec
retary's critics are pleased to call "favorlte
sons
What Is there we should like to ask, in a
"favorte SON. T. disqualify him from serving
his country? Is it the possession 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 i'll
their ancestry: The appointment of Colonel
John Jacob Aston and his modest and unas-
summing manner of discharging the duties as
signed TO him. far from being enough TO de-
moralizc any army that was ever formed. d!d
M least as much toward showing the world
that the chase OF the ''almghty dollar" IS not II
typically American occupation as anything else
we can recall OF the moment And If other
"favoritc sons" with possibly one or two eX-
ccptions. failed 10 do their full duty to the best
of their ability We are certainly not aware or
the fact The son OF Ulysses :. Grant the
son of John A. Logan, the two sons Of Calvin
s. Brlce the son of the Secretary himself, bore
themselves the better for being the sons OF
their fathers. The same SenselesS chatter that
is directed against them now was directed in
their day against The Young bucks who danced
on the eve of the battle OF Waterloo and against
the dandios of the Guards WHO laid down their
lives Oh the plains Of Gravelotte. Many OF
them. no doubt. were "fav0rte sons but they
knew how to die for their country. Shall it be
said that American gentlemen would do less: