The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-19
REPRESENTATIVE Boutelie's Case.

HCpIC9GHbahiNG DoasShA~ -
The house has passed the bill placing
Representative Boutelle, of Maine. on the
retired list Of the navy, with the rank
of captain. The propriety of placing any
civilian upon the retired list Of the navy
may well be questioned. There can be
no doubt that the precedent is bad one.
Yet IL such an action were proper in any
case It certainly would be in that OF Rep
resentative Boutele for he is the typical
representative of the naval volunteer or
those volunteers in the line all, with very
few exceptions, were mustered out OF the
service at the close OF the civil war. while
many distinguished volunteers in the army
were retained in the service and have
since reached high rank.
Mr. Boutelle. who In the merchant SER
vice had attained to the command OF
ship before the outbreak Of the civil war.
volunteered into the navy, in 1862, ana
received the appointment of acting mas.
ter He served during the blockade Of
Charleston and Wilmington and was pro-
NOTED to lieutenant for gallantry in the
engagement with the Confederate IRON
clad Albemarle. He participated in the
capture OF Mobile. in command Of the
United States steamship Nyanza, and
again distinguished himself. He was mus
tered out of the service, with nearly all
of the other volunteer OFFICERS in 1866. Had
the volunteers In the navy received the
recognition SO freely extended to those in
the army. and had Mr.. Boutelle remained
reached the rank of admiral; under the
existing law he would certainly have
been entitled to retire with the rank OF
rear admiral.
1t may be noted. further, OF naval vol
unteer OFFICERS. that all Of them were
compelled to enter the service In the very
lowest grades Of commissioned officers
and each one had to earn successive steps
in regular order Of promotion. or by the
eAnluitiou VI cACcpt&uBdi BdlidutTys lMo"N,
like Mr. Boutelle, were experienced sea-
men. yet there were no volunteer commits
sions OF captain, commodore and rear ad-
miral distributed to men from civil life
during the war. while in the volunteer
army the corresponding commissions Of
colonel. brigadier and major general were
given to men taken from civil life. whose
whole knowledge Of their profession was
acquired after their appointments.
Mr.. Boutelle's service to the navy did
not cease with his return to civil life. On
the contrary. the country has proited
more by his devotion to the cause OF the
navy than II he had remained In the SER
vice. During the greater portion OF his
long congressional career he has served
on the committee on naval affairs, and
has been it's leading spirit. even during
the period when. his party being the mr.
nority In congress. a political opponent
professional knowledge has been Of in
estimsble value in directing legislation I'm
the interests of the navy. particularly IN
providing for the building OF new war.
ships. and the putting of the naval force
on footing commensurate with the Inn
portanee of the country as one OF the
great powers of the world.
The propriety Of recognizing the dlstin-
guished services OF a few volunteer OIL
GERS of the army. who served for a few
months during the war with Spain. has
not been questioned; and no adverse COM
ments were heard when one Of these ofri-
GERS, who originally left the service to
bear arms against the Union. was re-
called TO take high rank at the outbreak
Of the war with Spain. was retained in
and was permitted 10 retire with his rank.
to hold H. with fair share of the pay.
for the balance Of his natural life.
These are some OF the considerations
that undoubtedly Influenced the house in
It's action on the bill providing for Repre-
sentative Bouteile. Were that the end o.
IL, censure would not be severe. The trou-
bic is that cases make presidents, and
this precedent would be an exceedingly
bad one.
Mr. Cleveland says that the Democratic
party badly needs rehabilitation on purely
Democratic lines, There is no doubt that
thu Marty nAaAa anrraetnIrr and that v,A-,y