The age-herald., 1901-03-02
A Mans a Man For a That.

A Mans MdH TUT e thoss
 A trustworthy Birmingham man who has had the best of opportunities to ob- serve the social side of the American navy, taking part in a lobby discussion or Admiral Sampson's protest against the promotion of warrant officers to be of- ficers, declared:
 Having regard to the discipline and cohesiveness, and the general well-oeing of the navy, no man acquainted with that branch of the public service can doubt that broadly speaking Admiral Sampson is in the main wise in his protest. A num- Der of critics in the Senate and In the press are raving like madmen about technical question that relates solely to the internal regulations of the navy, thence making indirectly for the good Of the service. The rabid critics clearly know nothing about the subject, and equally clearly they would be scarcely suitable for the wardroom, from which Admiral Sampson would, for the sake of warrant officers and all others, bar ma jority of warrant officers
 Prom the social viewpoint and there fore from the viewpoint of comfort, the average warrant officers table manners and 'parlor department arc not the best and are generally displeasing to men and women or ordinary refinement Most war rant officers nowadays are accustomed to tuclking their napkins under their chins, spluttering their soup, and mak- ing improper use of their knives and forks. This is nothing against their char acter or heroism, their manhood or their devotion to duty, but 1t Is contrary to the rules of polite society and is dis agreeable to men and women who know and act differently.
 'The Naval Regulations would compel a warrant officer promoted to be an of- ficer to wear his coat and keep himself tidy, but there Is no provision in the Reg ulations for instructing such an officer that 1t Is not quite proper to splutter his soup, use his knife for a shovel and his fork for toothpick, or his napkin for babys bib, or rest his feet on the wardroom table.
 "A man is no less a man. no less brave and heroic, no less devoted to duty, no
 
 cause he is untaught in the ordinary cus- toms of what men call refinement; but such ignorance of custom would be dis agreeable in every enlightened or refined home in all America and the mere edict of President can no more make a man thus ignorant suitable person to asso- ciate with people of different sensibili- ties and different habits and customs from his own than a Presidential edict of the Gospel.
 And to place man wholly lacking in refined manners in constant associa- tion with the most polished gentlemen of the world, such as Annapolis men un- occasionally are, would be the refinement of cruelty to the man and to his unwill- ing associates,
 And every man who has observed naval life knows that the ordinary rough and-tumble seamen would deny respect to one of their number elevated to the rank of wardroom officer. So perfectly Is this principle recognized by all naval powers, and in all armies of the world as well, that when a man is promoted from the ranks care is taken that he is never placed in direct command of any men 1who knew him or know of him as he was before promotion.
 '''+ 's within my knowledge, by the way, that young army officer of the United States who had risen from the ranks of the regulars appeared at a club in Europe. kept by army and navy of- ficers, in rough blue flannel shirt with collar of the same material and no neck tie, and his soiled fatigue jacket thrown open to his hips You may imagine the sensation the honest man caused.
 ''It seems to me that most of this wild raving against Admiral Sampson Is un- called for. unjust, and senseless."