The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-06


unteers, s67 officers and 1881 Den
were serving in the Philippines, and
1850 Of the regulars, who were entitled
TO be mustered out after the ratlAuo-
tion Of the treaty Of peace. They Vol-
unfairly remained Ut the front until
their places could be filled by new
troops. They were returned home in
the order in which they vert to Ma
nlIaS and are now all Of them out Of
the service and in the ranks Of citizen
ship. recommend that the Congress
provide a special medal OF honor for the
volunteers, regulars, sailors, and ma
rfnes on duty in the Philippines, who
voluntarily remained in the service at
ter their terms OF enlistment had ex-
PRED.
BY the act of March 2, 1899. Congress
gave authority to increase the regular
army to u maximum not exceeding 66,-
600 enlisted men. and to enlist force Of
$1,000 volunteers, to be recruited from
the country at large. BY virtue OF this
authority the regular army has been In
creased to the number of 81 1893 enllgted
men and 2,2IS officers and new volun-
teer regiments have been organized ag-
gregating $1,000 enlisted men and 1884
officers. Two OF these volunteer rsgi-
ments are made UP Of colOred men, with
colored line officers The new troops to
take the places Of those returning from
the Philippines have been transported
TO Manila to the number Of 6S1 officers
and 26,322 enlisted men OF the regular
army and 5s4 officers and 1888 enlist
ed men Of the new volunteer force while
59 officers and l,119 men Of the volun-
teer force are on the ocean en- route to
Manila.
The force now In Manila consists Of
COS officers and 3V,578 regulars. and 594
officers and 1888 Of the volunteers,
making an aggregate OF 1,499 officers
and 1896 men. When the troops now
under orders sh&s: reach Manila, the
force in the Archipelago will comprise
2,051 officers and s., IS3 men. The mus
ter out of the great volunteer army Cr-
ganised for the Spanish war and the
creation Of new army, the transpOrta-
ton from Manila to San Francisco Of
those entitled to discharge. and the
transportation Of the new troops to take
their places have been work OF great
magnitude well and ably done, for
which too much credit cannot be given
the war department.
During the past year we have reduced
our force tr Cuba and Porto Rico. In
Cuba, we now have 334 officers and TO-
1856 enlisted men; in Porto Rico. ~ ctfi-
GERS and 1855 enlisted men and bat
TALON OF 400 men composed OF native
Porto RlcanB: while stationed through
out the United States are $40 officers
and l7.317 men and in Hawaii IL officers
and ass enlisted men.
The operations Of the army are fully
presented in the report OF the secretary
OF war. cannot withhold from officers
and men the highest commentator for
49, tn nj
ttons, their willing sacrifices for their
country, nnd the integrity and ability
with which they have performed I'M
usual and difficult duties ip our Island
possessions.
In the organization Of the volunteer
regiments authorized by the act OF
March 2, 1880, 1t was found that no
provision had been made for chaplains.
This omission was doubtless from in.
adVertence. I recommend the early au-
thorization for the appointment Of one
chaplain for each Of said regiments.
These regiments ure now in the Philip
pines, and It Is important that tmme-
date action be had.
Foreign and Domestic Postal Service.
In restoring peaceful conditions, or
derby rule, and civic progress in Cuba,
Porto Rico, and, so far as practicable,
In the Philippines the rehabilitation OF
the postal service has been an essential
and important part OF the work. 1t be-
came necessary to provide mail faclll-
ties both for our forces Of occupation
and for the native population. To meet
this requirement has involved sub
stantial reconstruction. The existing
systems were so fragmentary, defective
and inadequate that a new and COM
prehensiVe organization had to be ere
ated. American trained officials have
been assigned to the directing and ex-
ecutiYe positions, while natives have
been chiefly employed in making up the
body OF the force. In working out this
plan the merit rule has been vigorously
and faithfully applied.
The appointment Of director general
of posts OF Cuba, was given to an eX-
pert who had been chief pogtotice In
spector, and assistant postmaster gem
eraI and who united large experience
with administrative capacity. For the
postmaRtership at Havana, the range
Of skilled and available men was scan
ned, and the choice fell upon one who
had been twenty years In the service
US deputy postmaster and postmaster
Of a large city. This principle governed
and determined the selection OF the
american uAANAthAb hEAh AlON S"sS
Cuba, but to Porto Rico and the Phil
Ippines, and they were instructed to
apply II 50 far as practicable in the
employment Of the natives as minor
postmasters and clerks. The postal
system in Cuba, though remaining I'M
der the general guidance Of the post
master general, was made essentially
independent. It was felt that 1t should
not be a burden upon the postal service
Of the United States and provision was
made that any deficit in the postal rev.
enue should be a charge upon the gem
eral revenues Of the island.
Though Porto Rico and the Philip
pines held a different relation to the
United States, yet. for convenience OF
administration, the same principle OF
an autonomous system has been eX-
tended to them. The development Of
the service in all OF the Islands has
been rapid and successful. II has
moved forward on American lines, with
free delivery, money order and registry
systems. and has given the people mail
facilities far greater and more reliable
than any they have ever before enjoy
ed. It Is thus. not only a vital agency
Of Industrial, social, and business pro-
gress. but an important influence In dlf-
fusInR just understanding or the true
spirit and character OF American adj
mlnlstrHtion.
Growth of Postal Revenues.
The domestic postal service continues
to grow with extraordinary rapldlty.
The expenditures and the revenues will
each exceed 800. 100000 during the cur
rent year Fortunately. since the re-
vival Of prosperous times the revenues
have grown much faster than the ex-
pendItures. and there is every indica-
ton that short period will witness