The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-01-19

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nse 70 eend fr tho doctor. 20 they had
the coroner can and in his aceustontt "A
place sono other saec is thundcrine
dirtful threais ana profound advice to ail
Who come within earshot
Th@e is some promise that ,hc Fifty-
ninth congress IS going TO sit down hard
on the indiscriminate practice OF perm y.
ting officials of the government to 70
cept decorations from foreign govern
ments. a prac.ice which has taken on
considerable proportions IN late years
fhc halt was called by plain American
congressman FROM southwest Texas.
John N. Garner OF tfvaIde. Congress-
mnn Garner gets the shivcrs every time
he sees an alleged American family with
2 coat Of arms or other funny doinrs in
the way Of initiating tho monarchial
customs across the Atlantic He Is a
member Of subcommittee Of the COM
mittee on foreign affairs. 10 which have
been referred the various bills author
izins American army officern and others
10 accept foreign decorations. His stand
has attracted not little aNention. and
among his supporters IN the matter Is
Former Secretary Of State Foster. who
called on Mr.. Garner ana talked over the
subject with him at length.
There IS the case OF General Chaffee.,'
said Mr.. cirncr, when asked about tho
matter. He went 10 France to oh
serve the military maneuvers. and
straightway the French government
wants to hang on him the decoration ~
the Legion Of Honor Then there are
other bills asking congress to permit
certain officials to accept other baubles
al tle hands OF royalty. Now. II strikes
me that France can not add an iota 10
the high honor that the United states
has already conferred upon conera,
Chanee when II gave him the title Of
lieutenant general OF the army. This
sort Of business is un- American and in.
the good old democratic spiris OF those
times the founders ana the builders of
this republic sought to prevent this verv
thing. II seems 10 me that we are GET
ting far enough away from denocrstic
principles without unduly pushing .be
tendency along"
Army circles are disturbed over the
democratic ptand taken because Il has
net with a hearty response in congress.
The army has been found to be the
easiest stepping stone to these foreign
honors, and a reverslon to old PRINCIPLES
In this matter would deprive future gem
erals Of chance at this added social
prestige
But there is more real trouble ahead
for the army--at least, for one oranch
OF II. 1t Is the note OF dissat sfaction
against placing the matter Of all 60, -rn-
fent engineering work IN the hands OF
the army en@neers. what this means
viii be better appreciated it is borne
IN MIND that there has been recommend
ed for appropriations over $500, ,000, 900
fwor OF ribor eanrlu onrluondthdrlrfwyi
worth OF river ana harbor work, All Of
which comes under the control OF the
corps Of engineers Of the army There
has been growing dissatisfaction over
the lack of results that the vast annual
expenditures for river and harbor work
las secured. The National Waterways
convention, which was composed OF
delegates from ntatcs and districts that
want something, naturally could not af-
ford to do anything so impolitic as to
crIticise the system under which the DEL
egates expect 20 get recommendation
for work ia the near future. but the
National Boards of Trade conventie-s
which followed right on the heels n the
National aterways convention, sas in a
position 70 take more Independent ac-
;ion, and ia the specohss that were made
before this bodyst1fe present method Of
having the rivel snd harbor work Of the
country done by army Officers was freely
criticised and strong pleas were made
TO have The government 80 back TO the
system IN vogue before the civil war,
when the government got the benefit Of
the best engineering skill Of the coun-
try and IA army engineers d,d not dog
maucally control the entire technical
policy. as weli as the actual construc-
ton. This change 10 the army regime
was made after the civil war n order to
fnl something 20 do for the horde or
civil engineers in the army when that
conflict closed, and since then West
Point has been turning out a large crop
Of cadets annually who select that
branch OF the service in preference to
the line.