The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-01

1t is satisfactory to know that officers of
the navy who have accomplished some
thing and won some distinction in the
service are, without any exceptions that
have been brought to our notice, thor
oughly opposed to the aristocratic prin-
ciple declared in the Sampson endorse
ment on the application for promotion of
Gunner Morgan. This is only what should
be expected from honest and wholesome
Americans-a class from which the Ma
tanzas mule and tell-tale Merrimac man
is distant enough TO be hull down behind
the horizon" Nevertheless, every fresh
exhibition of true-blue native democratic
feeling is welcome in these days of imi-
tation aristocracy and assumption of
ideas and things which. as yet. have no
recognized place in our social system.
whatever may be the fact after our more
formal recognition of the Empire.
Probably it has not occurred to many
naval officers who have thought at all
about the matter that the way to main
tain a predomnance of Annapolis men in
the service for all time is occasionally to
let in little non-Academy blood through
the promotion of enlisted men. There is
another excellent reason for that policy,
which is that even 4 very small hope OF
promotion to commissioned rank would
tend to bring a superior class of men and
boys to the recruiting stations. But. that
consideration aside. it is perhaps well to
understand that Annapolis may not al
ways be the only school in America capa-
BILE of giving the education necessary to
fit a lad for the naval profession. Indeed.
it is quite possible that, one of these days.
a new Rockefeller with unlimited means
and taste for richly endowing some ed
vocational institution may arise and take
II into his head to spend an inconsider-
able fiftes or twenty millions in estab
fishing great marine college, equipped
TO manufacture officers and gentlemen
equally competent TO command and nayi-
gate yachts. merchant steamers. or cruis-
ers. With the growth of our merchant
marine. which is inevitable in view OF our
superior facilities for building ships. once {
more there will be demand for intelli-
gent and highly educated men OF thorough
technical training to take charge of them;
while the yacht service will provide berths (
for many others of the same sort OF abil- /
ity. Citizens Yet living can remember
when the captains Of our famous clipper 1
ships, sailing from New York. Boston. and |
Philadelphia, were educated and polished
men who occupied an enviable position in |
the best society of their time. and from
whom many of the present exclusively
first families in the cities named derive |
their origin and the money on which they |
live comfortably, and often so hila- |
riously.
II is quite conceivable that a. some fu-
ture date not mentioned the magnate
might arise who should say: "Quid Hades,
Let us have naval school which will
make Annapolis look like thrice ten co.
pecks," Would not that eviseerate the
Ioam-bred aristocrats of the Sampson
type? Were such a foundation created
and lavishly endowed. as the oil man has
endowed the Baptist college In Chicago.
does anybody suppose that in course of
time, its alumni would not break into the
navy in mobs? Nothing is more certain
than that they would. So safety lies in |
fear From a professional viewpoint the
best thing to do at present is to keep
moderate-sized aperture open between the
hawsehole and the steerage. so that the
worthy and the accomplished among en-
listed men. who as Sampson puts it, diff
fer from the majority Of warrant officers,
in having a gentlemanly bearing" may
creep through and revel in all the delights
which only those enjoy who are endowed
by nature and culture with the right to |
wear special full dress.