The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-30
Thr Inconsistency Of Charles Fran.
els Adams.

Thr Inconsistency Of Charles Fran
els Adams.
We do not understand what the war
tecoris II Representative ISAAC r.
SHERWOOD ~ Ohio and General CHARLES
FRAVCIs ADAMS Of Massachusetts, have
to do with the merits Of the bill teiore
Congress creating volunteer officers
retired list. which General ADAMS OPP
poses and General SHERWOOD advocates.
IN specch in the House on MAY "a Gen
eral SHERWOOD. a gallant veteran Of
the civil war who j. proud Of his Contri-
bition to II n an elaborate autobiog-
nphy in the Congressional Directory
proves had this 20 say about the record
of General ADAMS:
General Ap,Ns entered the ,crvlre a. Urt
Lieutenant Of the Frst Massachusetts, CavAlry
On December 10. issi Ne sevyci a. IlrptehAnt
md Captain unul Juy IS4 Dor considerable
ame he uas On detarhsd service with Two con.
aanles do,ns escort and provost duty At General
MHabHs headauarierS In the spring Of iasl.
whsn bloody trouble was threatening the Army
Of the POIOmAr. Captain ADlMS secured a leave
u sbsencs and vent uS-Furore When With his
regiment Captain ADAMS shared In ~ several
skirmishes with the enemy's cavalry ana vas no
DOUBT = brave soldier. his ssyercst hChanG
experience was ~ Aide. Va wherr Ne lost anOut
half Of his squadron, captured but win no fatal
De-. On Jgly Is, Isat. Captain ADAMS Was CON
uissiousd Lieutenant Colonel Of rhs newly 70
rruiicd Fnh Massachusetts, Negro cavalry. Of
uhich regiment Ne hecame Colonci on February
y, lssS some d1ty days before LEE's surrender
ne military history Of Tits regiment records one
sklrmish no battles. no fa'aHucs no wounded
70 accidenu
Although Representative SHERWOOD
observes that General ADAMS was no
doubt a brave soldier, there are insin-
uations in this production that are un-
worthy Of the veteran who wrote such
afull and handsome account 81 his own
services for the Congressional Directory.
The evident implication is that General
ADAMS has nothing 10 be proud oG in his
military record and was not a first class
sighting man, a. General SHERWOOD
vas Yet We are Credulous enough 10
believe CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS when
he saws in chapter Of this controversy
about the Warner-TOwhsend bill:
Iwas engaged between thirty and forty ums..
snd vas 80 fortunate - 10 come out Of The con.
Oct unscathsd
General SHERWOOD was not 80 fOrtlI-
nate He tells us in the sketch written
by himself that AT the battle Of Camp
bells station he Lost the hearing II his
ught ear from the conclusion II
she'll. knowing that CHARLES FRAN
chs ADAMS does not parade his war
record. We have no doubt that his refer
ence 70 being thirty or forty times in
hattie was literally dragged out 81 him.
With regard 10 the charge Of incon-
sistency brought against him by General
SHERWOOD, u Is true that in 1915 Mr.
ADAMS joined in a petition 70 Congress
b. pass bill to place on the army Hst
with retired pay volunteer officers u the
rank Of brevet Brigadier- General, pro-
vided they were more than ~ years old.
hlt he made Il plain that he would not
become a beneficiary NJ such legislation
himself; he had sustained no injury In
the war. he says. the Government owed
him nothing and he was sufficiently pro-
vided for The pending bill makes all
volunteer officers 81 70 who served two
years eligible for a pension lone-third
retired pay and to enlisted men who
served ninety DAYS and need the coca
sional aid % another person IL gives $3.50
ayear. Grand army posts are clamorinR
for rider that will let in all ninety day
men. IL 10 % throwing down the bars
for a raid on the Treasury that Mr..
SSAMs objects In the name Of COM
mon decency and the everlasting fitness
81 things. he says, don't march the
whole army in by regimentAl front.
He proposes in behalf Of needy and
meritOrious veterans that board Of re-
tired army officers be appointed 10 pass
upon special applications for pensions.
half retired pay 10 be given in all cases.
This would be . practical and humane
solution Of the iTreprcssible pension
question
With regard 70 the charge made
against CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, he
has shown his usual courage in changing
front on the volunteer retired pay pro-
posal Evidently he would not have ap-
proved Of the original suggestion II he
bad realized that Il vas 10 be used a. an
entering wedge for a general pension
grab, but he "a not a politician.
r,,rG.,,ts r-R..e. - -,n-,