The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-12-14

X. G. Journal: On to Washington
is the cry OF the army chaplains and
those who would be. The president
is soon to havet the appointing of TWEEN
ty-hve of them. unless congress re.
mains as goddess as it was when it
authorized the last volunteer force.
Then it ruled out the chaplains, and
$4,000 soldiers went on the firing line
never preacher among them. OF the
So, 900 regulars out there, not sixth
of them have sky pilots to point out
the way to them, for the reason that
the piping times of peace had incapaci-
tated most of the acknowledgement
and as a result when training orders
came the chaplains either resigned or
got leave of absence. But now there
is a new army to be created, meaning
at least twenty-five more chaplains.
The war department knows by this
time there will be chaplains enough,
even if there should be some little de-
lay in getting the 80, 900 men recruited
for the new regiments.
Not only are the preachers after the
jobs, but some of the churches mean
to take a hand in it. A chaplain's
pay of $3.50 is not to be sueezed at,
particularly as the dignity of the Of
flee is the rank of captain with forage
for two horses and the right to main
tain striker. There will be no less
than 500 applications forthese twenty
five prospective jobs, figuring on all
the $50 chaplains who went out with
the volunteer regiments of 1898, and
one-halfthe others who contested tEem
for the place, Last Ispring congress
was upbraided for nothaying commits
stoned chaplains for the new volunteer
regiments and sought to rectify the
oversight, but the applications were
SO numerous, the men so good and the
church fights so threatening that, in
self-defense, the house had to drop the
matter. Thuslthe regiments went to
the front without spiritual consolation,
the excuse being that they would soon
be home again. But now congress is
about to raise twenty-five permanent
regiments, for, although the bill init
mates these shall be merely temporary
and in order to meet current require
ments, inarmy circles they say that an
army raised is raised for all time.
This being So congress will not dare
to say that it contemplates sending
soldiers to foreign lands to remain the
full term of their enlistment, three
years, without sky pilots.
"There will be not less than 5000
applications for chaplain's ORDERS"
recently declared Missouri congress-
man. II have seven from my dis
trict." As there are fifteen congress-
man in Missouri and only half
chaplain to the whole lot on basis of
twenty-five for the entire country this
looks as though the estimate of 5000
might not be exaggerated.
1t is expected the hardest pull will
be by the churches The Methodists
expect to have a preponderance of the
appointments because of the numeri-
cal strength of their commandments.
The Episcopaleans have always Jared
well in these appointments, but the
PresbyterianS have not paid much at
tention to the Offices, The Catholics,
in 1898, instead OF pullingfo appoint
ment, merely asked the wardepartment
to let them furnish chaplains for regi-
ments where the men might ask them,
and about a hundred priests went out
withthe volunteers without government
pay or rank, protected by the same
credentials that newspaper correspond