The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-04

worth while for the Congress to con-
slider whether the pay of enlisted men
upon second and subsequent enlist
ments should not be increased to cor
respond with the increased value of the
veteran soldier.
Much good has already come from
the act reorganizing the army passed
early in the present year. The three
prime reforms. all of them of literally
inestimable value, are, first, the sub
stutiOn Of four year details from the
line for permanent appointments in the
so-called staff divisions: second. the
establishment of corps of artillery
with "A chief at the head: third, the
establishment of a maximum and min
imuut limit for the army. 1t would
be difficult to overestimate the i'm
provement in the efficiency Of our army
which these three reforms are max
ing and have in part already effected.
The reorganization provided for by
the act has been substantially accom-
plished. The improved conditions in
the Philippines 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 supplementary legis-
lation. Thorough military education
must be provided, and in addition TO
the regulars the advantages of this
education should be given to the off,
GERS Of the National Guard and others
in civil life who desire intelligently 10
fit themselves for possible military
duty. The officers should be given the
chance to perfect themselves by study
in the higher branches of this art At
West Point the education should be 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 esta blsh the right
Of entry to a corps d'elite. The typi-
cal American officer of the best kind
need not be a good mathematician; but
he must be able to master himself, t.
control others -to-she4H- heIdAess
and fertility of resource in every
emergency.
New Malta Law Needed.
Action should be taken in reference
to the militia and to raising of volun-
teer forces. Our militia law is obso-
lete and worthless. The organization
and armament Of the National Guard
of the several states, which are treat
ed as militia in the appropriations by
the Congress. should be made
Identical with those provided for
ODlRdtlOnS
and duties of the guard in time of war
should be carefully defined, and n
system established by law under which
the method of procedure of raising vol
unteer forces should be prescribed in
| advance. It is utterly impossible in
| the excitement and haste of impending
| war to do this satisfactorily if the
arrangements have not been made long
! beforehand. Provision should be made
ntlfiZinu in
teer organizations called out the
! training of those citizens who have al
| ready had experience 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 2. mere
| instrument of destruction has been
shown during the last three wears. In
the Philippines, Cuba, and Porto Rico
! II mas proved itself a great cons tructive
| loIce most potent implement for the
| upbuilding ofIa peaceful civilization.
| FIeas"nt Words for Veterans
| NO other citizens deserve so we'll of
tne republic as the veterans. the sur
| NlV0rs of those who saved the Union
! They did the one deed which if left I'M
I done would have meant that all else in
their steadfast prowess in the greatest
crisis of our history, all our annals
would be meaningless. and our graf ex-
! pertinent in popular freedom and
self-government gloomy failure
Moreover, they not only left us a uni
ted nation, but they left us also as
| heritage the memory of the mighty
deeds by which the nation was kept
united. We are now indeed one nation
| one in fact as well as i'm name: we are
| united in our devotion 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 i'm the last three years
| have done so we'll in the East and the
| West Indies and on the mainland of
Asia have shown that this remem-
| brance is not lost In any serious
crisis the United States must rely for
the great mass of its fighting men upon
the volunteer soldiery who do not
| make a permanent profession of the
military career; and whenever such a
| crisis arises the deathless memories of
the Civil War will give to Americans
the lift of lofty purpose which comes to
those whose fathers have stood va
| lantly in the forefront of the battle.
civil Service Endorsed.
The merit system of making appoint
ments is in its essence as democratic
| and American as the common school
system itself. II simply means that
in clerical and other positions where
the duties are entirely nom political. all
applicants should have a fair field and
no favor each standing on his merits
as he is able to show them by practi-
| cal test. Written competitive eXamina-
| tions offer the only available means in
many cases for applying this system In
! other cases, as where laborers are en-
| ploYed system Of registration
! undoubtedly can be widely extended
There are, of course places where the
| written competitive examination can
not be applied, and others where 1t Of
| fers by no means an ideal solution. but
where under existing political condi-
| tions il is, though an imperfect means.
! yet the best present means of getting
satisfactory results
! Wherever the conditions have per-
! mitted the application of the merit sys-
! TEN in its fullest and widest sense. the
! gain to the government has been inn
mense. The navy yards and postal ser
| vice illustrate, probably better than
| any other branches of the government,
| the great gain in economy, efficiency
| and honesty due 10 the enforcement OF
| this principle
recommend the passage of law
which will extend the classified SER
at least enable the President thus to
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