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Show Weakness of Executive After war was determined on, thcro were revealed senoils weaknesses In our lyitom. The Frcaldont Is only nominally coniniandcr-lu-clilof. So far is the army Is concornud, Congress commands. It dons not often permit cveu the professional Boldlors who arc eJucntcd at the mllltnry academy to rise to tlio rank of general olllcers. Wben tho war broke out Gen. Mcrntt was tho only geticrnl ollleor of the army who hail beon educated at West Tolntjand while thcro wuro general ofllccrs In tho army, notably Gon. Miles, ulio had earned thulr high com missions by soldierly achievements, it is the fact, known of all who arc acquainted ac-quainted with army alTulrs.tlmt Intlnie of pedce, at least, friends In Congress are more potent in securing a lirlgadlor or Major-Generalship than former services ser-vices in the Held or present sorylces at posts. As soon as war approached politicians Increased their actlvo Interference Inter-ference with tho army. An attempt In the Houso of Representatives to make the regular force equal to the emergency emer-gency was defeated by the iniluence of politicians In the militia, or dependent on tho malltla for votes. Tho navy lso suffered by neglect of Its personnel person-nel bill As soon as tho volunteer army was authorized politicians sought com-missions com-missions for tbetnsolves, their friends, and tho sons and uophows of them-selves them-selves and friends. In the States tho Colonels who had "pulls" obtained what they callod "recognition" for their commands. Unproparodness and Incompetency marked every step at the beginning of the war. Educ itcd soldiers, sol-diers, old and young, were overlooked, and tho rank and (llo wero turnod over to the care of Ignorance and IndlfTor-we. IndlfTor-we. Congressmen not only filled tho new places, but thoy wero diligent In seeking opportunities for monoy-mnk-lot' for other friends. Sad as the talo li It Is not now or strange. Congress has always commanded tho army. It hn not so completely commanded tho navy, becauso that eorvlco must bo under un-der the direction of professional men. It U true tho army should also bo tinder the control of Instructed soldiers, sol-diers, but this la not ,so clear to tho tnind of the politicians, who soem to I "link that thoy are capable of conduct-1K conduct-1K any military enterprise that (loos "ot demand a knowledge of navigation. naviga-tion. After tho protocol was signed any of tho militia and volunteer ro-Rlmcnta ro-Rlmcnta began to clamor to bo mussed mus-sed out. Then tho politicians Intervened Inter-vened again, and obtained liberty to go "omo fortho men for whom they had jjt obtained stations at the front. Sotao voluutoer regiments wero mustered mus-tered out bouauso their friends at homo who have votes did not Wont their "ya" to go to tho West Indies or the ihlllplaes, or ovsn to Hawaii. Ono regiment, at least so It is reported, re-"ed re-"ed to go, and it also was mustered JW. The demoralizing effect of poll-was poll-was witnessed in tho field, as We'l as at tho beginning and ond of the trlfa, Populnr houors wcuttotiudU- IclPHncd volunteers, and tho regulars had earned tho laurola of tho cam-woro cam-woro we" UK'1 forgotten. From ha Weakness of tho Executive owr In a Democracy," by Henry r001' Nelson, iu JIaipers Mnjrazlue r January. |
