Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-03-13
TRIBUTES TOPROCTOR
Reforms Effected by Late Sem
ator as War Secretary.
ABOLISHED SUTLER'S STORES
Welfare of the Enlisted Man Near to
His Heart--Food and Quarters Of
Soldiers unprecedented In Tender
Memory by Veterans.


Soldiers unprecedented In Tender
Memory by Veterans.
1t is no longer the custom in Wash
ington to drape the department build
ings with mourning when chief Off.
cial dies or when some former chief
official dies. The war department
showed no black after the death of
Senator Redfield Proctor, ex-secretary
of war, of Vermont was announced
but if there was no exterior symbol
of grief there was grief within the
building, for Mr.. Proctor did much
for the service.
In the civil war time Redfieid Proc
tor was soldier He served on the
staff of General William II. C'Baldy')
Smith, and later he was colonel of
the Fifteenth Vermont infantry. The
enlisted man and his welfare were
close to the Vermouter's heart, says a
Washington correspondent Of the New
York Post, and while he was secretary
Of war under Harrison he succeeded
in bringing about reforms in the serv-
ice which ought to have been brought
about long before
When Redfeld Proctor went into
Harrison's cabinet, there were what
were known as suffers stores at the
recruiting rendezvouses of the country.
An old army man who speaks from
personal knowledge Of the conditions
on Davids island, New York harbor,
came to Davids island was practically
compelled to buy certain parts Of his
equipment at the suffers. 1t made
no difference that some soldier, leav-
ing for his post, was willing to turn
over some of his supplies to the re-
cruit-the recruit had to buy or it was
intimated to him plainly that he must
buy cleaning material, button sticks
and half dozen other things Of the
man who sold them as side line to
the selling of beer.
The result was that the recruit many
time spent money for things he did
not need, and the sutler waxed
wealthy. The suffer sold beer, and
there was no restriction placed on the
amount that he was allowed to sell to
each man. On pay days the suffers
store at Davids island was a sight. In
that day there were few restrictions
placed on enlistments, and as long as
man was physically qualified for the
service he was taken in with few ques-
tons about his antecedents. Within
two hours after the men were paid off
at Davids island the barroom In the
suffers establishment was filed with
men drunk to the fighting point. Then
the sutler, wholly responsible for the
condition of things, howled for the
guard, and corporal and two or three
prlvates would rush to the place to
clean it out. As a result of the desire
of the sutler TO make money quick
forty-twO men We're placed in the
guardhouse on one day in the winter Of
1888.
Mr.. Proctor went into Harrison's cab
met as war secretary, and reforms be-
gan. The suffers store, with its unlim-
tied beer, went the way Of all things
bad. and the canteen, with its limited
beer and the provision that all profits
should go 10 the improvement Of the
mess, took its place. Restric-
tons were placed upon enlistment. Liv-
erpool wharf rats and the deserters
from foreign services were barred from
Food improved, and there
was the beginning of the vast improve
ment OF the quarters for the soldiers.
Secretary Proctor took personal in
terest in the conditions Of life Of the
men. When he went to q post
be was not content with a review OF
the troops. He went In the barracks,
be asked questions, he tasted the food,
and he acquired lot Of information
which he afterward put to use. The
men liked him, and they showed that
they liked him. Some Of the older off,
GERS doubtless thought that the soldier
with good food and comfortable quar-
ters would be turned speedily into a
but nothing Of the kind
happened. II was found that the addi-
ton Of a ration Of vegetables to the
soldiers dietary did not make him flee
from before the face of the enemy and