New-York tribune., 1900-01-20

Of these twenty~seven appointments only five
remain in the active service One, General Hen
y, died in Office; the remaining twenty-one are
were upon the retired list. There has been
an increase of thirteen line brigadier generals
on the retired list within the year ending Janu-
ary 4, 1879 But meanwhile the cause OF cnleI
concern is that there has been no corresponding
decrease in the number rank Of officers on
the active list SO that the addition Of thirteen
brigadiers 10 the retired list increased the bur
6en upon the Treasury exactly S53,62o per an
mum Several Of these officers, II is fair to say.
hut four-ffths Of them would have retired with
the rank Of colonel or under but for the kind
ness of the President in promoting them and
then permitting them 70 retire Ihere are now
1ifty-eight brigadier generals the retired list.
PADDING" THE RETIRED LIST
This padding OF the retired list is serious
matter for the service. and viii probably result
in changing the law TO restrict retirements.
There is another feature about the matter.
number Of these acknowledgements. retired at
their own request after thirty more years.
service or for disabilities, would not have been
retired for age for severaB years. II is safe TO
say that not many OF this class would have vol
unfairly retired as colonels and heutenant-colo-
nels three-fOurths pay. But the promotion
70 brigadier-general raised their retired pay TO
nearly full pay at the lesser rank in active ser
vice. and IN some cases made il greater That
Is Why they were so ready 70 retire upon promo
ton to the higher grade. The temptation was
100 great TO be resisted. Ovenshine and Patter-
son had over seven years or active service De
fore them ere they reached the retiring age;
Kellogg had six: Burke, five; Worth, four; L
Il. Carpenter three; Pennington, two, and so
This liberal policy was inaugurated on a
grand scale by the late Secretary Of War, Gen
eral Aiger He was the servant not the mas
ter, of the Army. Superhciaily, the form in
which il was presented Of at last rewarding
the veterans Of the Civil War had most TAX
ing aspect; no one who valued his political
status dared 1nrerpose an ob1ection Il ne
thought Of il. But in view OF the foregoing list
a moments thought reveals the danger Of thus
departing from the spirit of the law.
COMPLICATIONS THAT RESULTED.
! The aging officers, confronted with enforced
retirement finding themselves within reach" Of
a brigadierss stars by favor, encoura ged the new
policy as a matter Of course Besides those di-
Lectly interested, the whole official personnel Of
the Army put their shoulders 10 the wheel with
earnest fervor. because the new invention for
making brigadiers expedited promotion from
the lower grades Never did a proposition meet
with such universal appreciation The appoint
ing power in these artificial vacancies, ere
ated under color Of law, opportunity for reward
ing its friends. not only IN making the inter
mediate resultant promotions but by new ap-
pointments TO the lower grades.
Under such a conjuncture OF conspirlng ararI1-
alive Influences with nobody TO say nay, the
President fun Of appreciation for the gallant
Earvfcp ~ rhe Army auiably exercised
7o1,b+f771 Tre-oeatfve sure sooner or later, to
be abused few officers OF the right sort
were doubtless deservedly rewarded Most or
them had been adequately rewarded by pre-
vious advancement While they had served the
country for many years, II must not be IorgoOlen
that they had also been handsomely p2l0 pg the
country and that they served IL from choice
as well as interest. These are the cold 1acts-
F7ut uretty soon the 'leggers" got onto the
game" and il was soon up. The deserts OF vet
Grams OF the Civil War, or any other war LOT
hat matter from that moment cut no further
figure in the ensuing scramble for the retired
7fsr- lei him win who and devil take the
hindmost" became the rule disappointment
and heartburnings have followed
The Presidents eyes were at last opened anu
the door 70 these ''hothouse" promotions was
closed when he appointed Young, MacArtnur
and Ludlow with long years ef active service
Vet before them This again has been bitter
disappoiutment- Up 70 the last moment II hao
49, ev1ec+ed that these rewards would be
continued by retiring few more colonels' neu-
tenant-eelonels and majors as brlgadler-gen-
erals