Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-05

! The reorganization provided for by the
/ act has been substantially ACCOMPLISHED.
! The improved conditions in the Philip
! pines have enabled the war department
| materially to reduce the military charge
| upon our revenue and to arrange the
| number OF soldiers so as to bring this
| number much nearer to the minimum
| than TO the maximum limit established by
| law. There is, however. need of supple
nentary legislation. Thorough military
| education must be provided and In addi-
| ton to the regulars the ADVANTAGES of
this education should be given to the Of
| ficers of the national guard and others in
| civil life who desire intelligently to dt
| Themselves for possible military duty
| The officers should be given the chance
! TO perfect themselves by study in the
| higher branches of this crt. AT West
| Point the education should be of the kind
| most apt to turn out men who are good in
| actual field service. Toomuch stress should
| not be laid on mathematics, nor should pro-
| fciency therein be held to establish the
| right of entry to corps d'elite The typ
| ical American officer OF the best kind need
| not be good mathematician. but he must
| be able to master himself to control 9TH
| ers and to show boldness and fertility OF
| resource In every emergency.
| Action should be taken in reference to
| the militia and to the raising of volunteer
| forces. Our militia law is obsolete and
worthless. The orga nizati and arma-
ment of the national guard Of the several
| states. which are treated as militia in the
| appropriations by the congress, should be
made identical with those provided for
Z! the regular forces. The obligations and
duties of the guard in time of war should
| be carefully defined and a system estab-
| lished by law under which the method of
| procedure of raising volunteer forces
| should be prescribed in advance. 1t is
| ~ far ty,,fN COLL i
haste of impending war to do this salts
| factorily if the arrangements have not
been made long beforehand Provision
should be made for utilizing in the first
volunteer organizations called out the
| training Of those citizens who have al
ready had experience under arms, and es-
| pecially for the selection in advance of
the officers Of any force which may be
raised; for careful selection Of the kind
necessary is impossible after tie outbreak
| of war.
That the army is not al all a mere in
strument of destruction has been shown
| during the last three years In the Phil
| ippines, Cuba and Porto Rico it has prov
ed itself a great constructive force.
most potent implement for the upbuilding
| Of peaceful civilization.
The Veterans.
| No other citizens deserve so we'll of the
! republic as the veterans, the survivors
| of those who saved the Union. They did
| the one deed which IL left undone would
have meant that all else in our history
| went for nothing. But for their steadfast
prowess in the greatest crisis of our his
tory oil cur annals would be meaningless
and our great experiment in popular free
dom and self government Il gloomy fail
ure Moreover, they not only left us a
united nation, but they left us also as a
heritage the memory Of the mighty deeds
| v n IN tNatt r,,
are now indeed enc nation, one in fact as
well as In name: we are united in our de-
| votion to the flag which is the symbol of
national greatness and unity and the
| very completeness of our union enables
| us all, In every part of the country to
| glory in the valor shown alike by the
| sons of the north and the sons of the
| south in the times that tried mems souls
The men who in the last three years
nave done so well in the East and in the
| West Indies and on the mainland of Asia
| have shown that this remembrance is not
| lost. In any serious crisis the United
States must rely for the great mass of it's
| lighting mon upon the volunteer soldiery
who do not make permanent profession
| OF the military career, and whenever such
a crisis arises the deathless memories of
the civil war will give to Americans the
lit OF lofty purpose which comes to those
| whose fathers have stood valiantly in the
| forefront of the battle.
The Merit System.
| The merit system of making appoint-
ments is in its essence as democratic and
| american as the common school system
| Itself. 1t simply means that in clerical
and other positions where the duties are
entirely nonpolitical all applicants should
| have fair field and no favor. each stand
| ing on his merits as he is able to show
| them by practical test Written COMPETE
| tive examinations offer the only availa-
Die means in many cases for applying this
| system. In ether cases, as where laborers
are employed, n system Of registration
undoubtedly can be widely extended
| There are, OF course. places where the
written competitive examination cannot
be applied and others where it offers by
no means an ideal solution. but where
under existing political conditions it is
though an imperfect means, yet the best
present means of getting satisfactory re-
| suits.
Wherever the conditions have permitted
the application of the merit system in it's
! fullest and widest sense the gain to the
government has been immense. The navy
yards and postal service illustrate proba-
bly, better than any other branches of the
government the great gain in economy,
efficiency and honesty due to the enforce
ment of this principle.
! l recommend the passage of a law
which will extend the classified service to
the District of Columbia or will at least
enable the president thus to extend it. In
my judgment all laws providing for the
| temporary employment of clerks should
hereafter contain provision that they be
selected under the civil service law
| 1t Is important to have this system OBJ
tain at home but it is even more impor-
tant to have it applied risidly in our insu-
lar possessions. Not an office should be
| filed In the Philippines or Porto Rico
with any regard to the mans partisan af-
| filiations or services, with any regard to
| the political, social or personal influence
| which he may have at his command. In
| short. heed should be paid to absolutely
nothing save the mans own character
and capacity and the needs of the service.
| The administration OF these islands
| should be as wholly free from the suspi-
cion of partisan politics as the admins
| tration of the army and navy All that
| we ask from the public servant in the
Philippines or Porto Rico is that he reflect
! honor on his country by the way in which
| he makes that country's rule benefit to
| the peoples who have come under it. This
is all that we should ask, and we cannot
afford to be content with less.
The merit system is simply one method
OF securing honest and efficient admins
tration of the government. and in the
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