Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-12-05

lighting man and the most difficult TO per-
feet Is the riheman who is also a skilful
and daring rider
| A general stan should be created. AS
| Tor the present stan and supply depart
ments they should be filled by det;t..s from
the Inc, the men SO detailed returning after
awhiIe To their line duties. Ii is very un.
deSirahie TO have the senior grades of the
army composed of men who have come To
| MT the positions by the mere fact OF
SENIORITY n system should he adopted by.
Whlch there shall be an elimination grade
by grade of those who seem unfit To render
the best service In the next grsIre Justice
TO the veterans of the civil war who are
still i'm the army would seem To require thai
IN the matter of rTtirements they be given
by law the same privileges accorded To their
comrades in the navy. The process of
elimination of the least lit should he con
Quoted IN manner that would render il
practically impossible to apply politlcal or
social pressure on behalf of any canditatc
SO that each man may be judged purely ON
his own merits, Pressure for the promotion
OF civil officials for political reasons Is bad
enough, but IL Is tcnIold worse where ap-
piled ON behalf of officers of the army or
navy. Every promotion and every detail
under the war department must he made
solely WITH regard to the good OF the SER
vice and to the capacity and merit of tbs
man himself. No pressure political, social
or personal, of any kind. will he permitted
to exercise the least effect In any question
| of promotion or detail: and ii there is
reason to believe that such pressure Is ex-
ercised at the instgatlon of the officer con
cerned, IL will be held 10 initiate against
him, In our army we cannot afford TO have
rewards or duties distributed save that on
| the simple ground that those who by their
own merits are entitled to the rewards get
| them, and that those who are peculiarly tit
| to do the duties are chosen TO perform
| them.
The congress should provide means where
| by II will be possible to have field eNer.
cises by at least a division OF regulars, and
1 IL NJ -
guardsmen, once a year These exercises
might take the form of field manoeuvres;
| or, if on the gulf coast or the Pacific or
Atlantic seaboard, or in the region of the
great lakes the army corps when assem-
hled could be marched from some inland
point to some point on the water.
there embarked, disembarkod after 4
couple of days journey at some other
| point, and again marched inland. Only
| by actual handling and providing
| for men in masses while they are
| marching, camping, embarking, and dsem-
| barking, will II be possible TO train the
| higher officers to perform their duties wen
| and smoothly,
| Much good has already come from the act
| reorganinzing the army, passed early In the
| present year, The three prime reforms, all
| of them of inestimahle value. are, first, the
! substitution of four-year details from the
| line for permanent appointments In the SO
| called stan divisions: second, the establish
| ment of corps of artillery with n chief at
1
| maximum and minimum limit for the army
| 1t would be difficult to ovCrestmate the
| improvement In the efficiency of our army
| which these three reforms are making, and
| have in part already effected. The reor-
! ganiZation provided for by the act has been
! substantially accomplished. Thorough mil
| itary education must be provided. and In
| addition to the regulars the advantages of
| this education should be given to the OIL
| GERS of the national guard and Others in
| civil life who desire intclligently to tit
| themselves for possible military duty. The
officers should be given the chance TO per
! feet themselves 10y study In the higher
| branches of this art. At West Point the
| education should he of the kind most apt to
| turn out men who are good In actual field
| service; too much stress should not be laid
| on mathematics, nor should proficiency
| therein be held to establish the right of
entry to corps d'elite The typical
| American officer of the best kind need not
| be Il good mathematician; but he must be
| able to master himself to control others
| and 10 show boldness and fertility Of re-
| source IN every emergenc,. The organza-
| tlun and armament Of the national guard of
the several states, which are treated as
militia In the appropriations by congress,
| should he made identical with those pro-
! Vtded for the regular forces.
MERIT SYSTEM
| The merit system of making appoint
| ments is in its essence as democratic aud
American as the common school system IT.
| sell. " Simply means liaI III clefIcNl ana
| other p"sitions where the duties are en-
| tirely non -politcal, all applicants should
| have fair field and no favor, each stand
ing on his merits as he Is able 10 show
them by practical test Written compctl
tive examinations offer the only available
means in many cases for applying this sys-
tenn In other cases. as where laborers are
employed. n system of registration un-
dOubtedly can he widely extended. There
are of course, places where the written
competitive examination cannot be applied
and others where II offers by no means an
Ideal solution, but where under existing po-
litical conditions II Is, though an imperfect
means. yet the best present means of get
ting satisfactory results. Wherever the
conditions have permitted the application
of the merit system In Its fullest and
widest sense, the gain 10 the government
has been immense. The navy yards and
postal service Illustrate, probably better
than any other branches Of the govern
ment. the great gain in economy. efficiency
1 and honesty due to the enforcement Of this
/ principle. The passage of II law which viii
extend the classified service to the District
OF Columbia Is recommended. Not nm of.
tice should he filled in the Philippines or
Porto Rico with any regard TO the mans
partisan affiliations or services, with any re-
gard to the political. social. or personal in
flucncc which he may have ut his com
mand; In short, heed should be paid TO alb
solutely nothing save the mans own char
/ acter and capacity and the needs 81 the
service.
CONSULAR REFORMS.
The guardianship and fostering Of our
rapidly expanding foreign commerce, the
protection Of American citizens resortlng to
| foreign countries In lawful pursuit of their
| affairs. and the maintenance Of the dignity
| Of the nation abroad. combine To make II
| essential that our cOnsuls should he men
| Of character. knowledge and enterprise. II
| is true that the service Is now, In the main
| efficient. hut standard of excellence can
not be permanently maintained until the
| principles set forth In the bills heretofore
| submitted TO the congress on this subject
| are enacted into law.
In the presidents Judgment the time has
arrived when we should definitely make mp
our minds 10 recognize the Indian 0s an
individual and not as q member of a tribe
We should now break up the tribal fcuds.
doing for them what allotment does Tor the
tribal lands; that Is. they should be III.
vided into individual holdings. stop
should be put upon the indiscriminate per
mission 10 Indians 10 lease their allOt.
ments The effort should he steadily 20
make the Indian work like any other man
on his own ground The piarragc laws Of
the Indians should be made the same rs
those OF the whites. In the schools the
education should be elementary and largely
Industrial. There IL no use In attempting
TO induce agriculture in country suited
only for cattle raising whore fhp Indian