Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-03

grades Of the army composed OF men
who have come to fill the positions by
the mere fact Of seniority. system
should be adopted by which there shall
! be an elimination grade by grade OF
those who seem unfit to render the pes.
service in the next grade. Justice to the
veterans of the civil war who are Still
in the army would seem to require that
In the matter of retirements they De
given by law the same privileges ac-
corded to their comrades in the navy.
The process of elimination of the least
fit should be conducted in manner that
would render it practically Impossible 70
apply political or social pressure on pc
half of any candidate, SO that each man
may be judged purely on his own merits
Pressure for the promotion of civil OIL
Gals for political reasons is pad enough
but it is tenfold worse where applied on
behalf of officers of the army or navy.
Every promotion and every detail under
the war department must be made SOLE
ly with regard to the good OF the serV-
ice and to the capacity and merit OF the
man himself. No pressure, political, so
cial or personal. of any kind will be per-
mitted to exercise the least effect IN any
question Of promotion or detail; and II
there Is reason to believe that such pres
sure is exercised at the instigation OF the
officer concerned it will be held to mill
tate against him. In our army we can
not afford to have rewards or duties dis
tributed save on the simple ground that
those who by their own merits are en-
titled to the rewards get them, and that
those who are peculiarly fit to DO the
duties are chosen to perform them.
Our army is so small and SO much
scattered that 1t is very difficult to give
the higher officers Gas we'll as the lower
officers and the enlisted men) chance
to practice maneuvers in mass and on a
comparatively large scale. In time Of
need no amount of individual excellence
would avail against the paralysis which
would follow inability to work as CO.
kerent whole, under skillful and daring
leadership. The congress should provide
means whereby it will be possible to
have field exercises by at least a divis-
ion of regulars, and IL possible also a
division Of national guardsmen, once a
year. These exercises might take the
gulf coast or the Pacific or Atlantic sea-
board, or in the region OF the great
lakes, the army corps when assembled
could be marched from some inland
point to some point on the water, there
embarked, disembarked after q couple
of days journey at some other point,
and again marched inland. Only by act
ual handling and providing for men in
masses while they are marching, camp
ing. embarking and disembarking will 1t
be possible to train the higher officers to
perform their duties we'll and smoothly.
Action should be taken in reference to
the militia ard to the raising of volun-
teer forces. Our militia law is obsolete
and worthless The organization and
armament of the national guard cf the
several states, which are treated as mi
litia in the appropriations by the con-
gress. should be made identical with
those provided for the regular forces.
The obligations and duties Of the guard
in time of war should be carefully de-
fined, and a system established by law
under which the method OF procedure OF
raising volunteer forces should be pre-
scribed In advance. It is utterly i'm
possible in the excitement and haste OF
impending war to do this satisfactorily
II 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 already had ex-
perience under arms, and especially 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 the outbreak OF war.
That the army is not at 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
proved itself great constructive force,
most potent implement for the up
building of peaceful civilization.
The Merit System.
The merit system of making appoint
ments is in it's 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 ron-political, all APP
pllcants should have a fair field and no
favor, each standing on his merits as he
is able to show them by practical test
Written competitive examinations offer
the only available means in many cases
for applying this system. In other cases.
as where laborers are employed, sys-
tenn 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 1t Is, tho an imper
feet means yet the best present means
of getting satisfactory results
Wherever the conditions have permit
ted the application Of the merit system