The National tribune., 1906-09-20

fnenuatlOnS. he urged the retention
the grade of General an
the bestowal of this grade upon a
corps commanders. He urged that tn
Major-General commanding the Div
sion of the Philippine Islands shoul
have the rank and pay Of Lieutenant
General while so serving. Maj.-Ger
Leonard Wood is now in command d
that division. This plan necessaril
would involve the creation of the RAM
of General He says the Army as nov
organized is as strong an organization
as it is possible to provide for n small
army, and he gives credit for this Il
the work of Secretary Root when Secre
tary of War.
Gen. Corbin was particularly siren
uouS in favor of retaining the :anteen
He said:
"It would seem unnecessary to arg,l.
to fair-minded person the superiority
of system which provides a mild alco,
holic beverage at reasonable cost, il
moderate quantities. under strict mill
tary control. to one which results in
Turing the soldier away from his bar
racks to neighboring dives. where his
body and soul are poisoned and ruined
by vile liquors. with the accompanying
vices. and where his money is taken
from him by gamblers and thieves.
"Unauthorized absences and frequent
desertions. directly traceable to visits to
these dens of fniquity, form large
percentage of the cases of trial by the
several military courts the number of
which are blot upon the otherwij,.
fair record of our Army.
This is no fancy picture: its accu
racy is proven by the oft-repeated cvi-
dence of post commanders and other
officers responsible for the maintenance
of good order in their commands. Off
GERS whose only interest in the re-eSta b.
lishment of the sale of beer is that for
the welfare and dicipline of their en-
listed men"
The General does not favor re-enlist-
ments. He said:
''Re-enlistments in the Army should
not be encouraged in time of peace. Re
enlistments should be confined to non-
commissioned officers. except in SDecial
cases. This will add to our military
strength by training a number of men
by three years enlistment and then
have them return TO civil life. ready ut
service in war
A woman with long and notable
history passed away Sept. 13 in the
death at her home in Silver Spring. Md.
of Mrs. Elizabeth Blair Lee. widow Of
Rear-Admiral S. P. Lee. She was the
last of the family of Francis p. Blair.
Sr, the personal and political friend of
Andrew Jackson. Mrs. Lee was 4 sis
ter cf the late Montgomery Blair. for
merly Judge in st. Louis, Mo. and
afterward POstmaster-Generalin in Presi- |
dent Lincoln's Cabinet. Another broth |
er was James l.. Blair, a Lieutenant in
the United States Navy. who resigned
his position. went to California and
placed the first steamboats, on the Sac |
River. and laid the foundations |
of q good fortune. but died at the age |
of 81 years from the result of exposure |
occasioned by the Wilks Antarctic ex-
Dedition. Her youngest brother was the |
late Francis p. Blair, Jr.. the Free Soil |
leader of Missouri. who was also a |
member of Congress. General COM |
the Seventeenth Corps of
Sherman's army. and afterward Demo-
cratic nominee for Vice President on
the Seymour ticket.
Mrs. Lee was born at Frankfort. KY,
June 20. 1918. and came to Washington
as a child with her father. Francis p.
Blair. Sr.. editor of Andrew Jackson.
political organ. the Globe. She had |
much Of her fathers and mothers tall
ent and sympathy, and soon became Il
great favorite of "Old Hickory" She
was delicate child. and Gen. Jackson
had her live at the White House one
Winter and until the cellar OF the new
ly-acuuired Blair house could be drain
ed. This intimacy with the old General
gave her the greatest respect for his
character and. above ALL for his tender
ness and Difference toward women. She
copied many papers for him, and al-
ways said that the smelling was re-
markably bad. but the force and clear
ness We're all that could have been ex-
pected from 4 man of his vigorous mind
and decisive nature.
II was a habit of Gen. Jackson to
smoke corncob pipe. and he had :.
new one every da=. To fill the old Cen
erals corncob pipe and si; near during
an evening discussion between him and
her father was one of the privileges of
this bright and sympathetic child. and
she was emphatic in saying that she
never heard IN oath or profane ,r--cd
from Gen. Jackson's lips and never
heard him use the expression SO .om-
monty attributed to him. by the Etcr-
nal"
Mrs. Lee married Lieut Samuel Phil
ips Lee. L. S. N. in 1S44. and her in
luence helped keep him true to the
Union. He rose to be a Rear-AdmiraI.
fleets during the war. and
was retired in 1873. /.
Mrs. Lee witnessed some dramatic
scenes in connection with the contro-
sersies which led up to the civil war.
he most dramatic of which as il i'm
pressed her. took place i'm their library
II Silver Spring between her father and ,
John c. Preckinridge. Henry Clay was
her mothers guardian and family law
ier in Kentucky. Her father. az a Young I,
nan, had been intimate with him also. ;
md opposed him strongly. with Cen ,
Jackson. but at the last carried -ues- ,
ages of forgiveness between ClaY and
Jackson. Clay was the great supporter
IF the Missouri ComDromise limiting ;
slavery to Il geographic line Prack- !
nridge was a cousin of Mr. PIair. and
ucceeded Clay as Senator from Ken
ucky. The pending question was the !
epeal of the Missouri Compromise. The ,
I'D man was appealing To his younger ,
linSman as claNs successor not to vote ;
or the repeal and reoDrn the SLAYER .
question. which meant civil war. Never. ,
he said, did she Sc one man 81 plead
With another as her father I'D with .
3reckinridse- IL was as though he saw ,
he baftleiiclds. and he exclaimed. ,
John, if YOU do it. you will live to see ,
ss :-~.-,"! s'eluged in blood from ole ;
nd to the onIsr"
BreckiHridge WAS in Early's command
n the raid on WashinE Eton. and quar-
cred for the night in Mrs. Lees hous4..
Mrs. Lee and the Dayises ,yar.. ,
friendly before the war having cottages !
lear each other at Oakland. Nd. Mrs. .
Zee could never understand th. Doliti- .
q. attitude of the Davises. She thougbt
hey Were ambitious of limited mon
lrchy in the South. !
ny