The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-07-22
THE LATEST PHASE OF NEW
YORK REFORM.

thereto be any doubt as to the decision !?
THE LATEST PHASE OF NEW
YORK REFORM.
Mayor Havemeyer's police commission
crs have made startling discovery, which
puts to the blush all the experience of the
founders of the Republic and of their de-
generate descendants. At the close of the
revolutionary war, our fathers set about
establishing a more perfect government
and, in so doing, they declared that "a well
regulated militia was necessary to the Sc
curlty of free state" They had lived
long enough, as British colonists, to under
stand the danger to he feared from stand |
ing armies, and their experience, through |
that momentous struggle, had taught them !
that no country could long exist without a
competent, properly drilled military force,
always at hand and ready for use at mo-
mcnt of emergency. The danger and use
lcssness of standing army is too well
known and understood by all, to require,
at this day, more than moments thought
or discussion. The mere question of ex-
pense would of ITSELF decide the matter
now without regard to other considerations,
even If there were no dangers connected
with its maintenance. When we speak of
standing army, however, we do not
mean that there should he no regular army.
There are certain duties, especially in
country like ours, which must be perform
ed by armed soldiers, acting under the gen.
eral government and paid by them, and
which can be properly done only by reg
ular standing army. Forts must be garri-
soned, the frontiers guarded, Indian depre-
dations repealed, etc, always requiring a
military force; and it is better, for the
government and the citizen, that this force
should be as permanent as possible. They
are, also, needed as nucleus, so to speak,
about which the militia may rally in times
of war or rebellion. When, therefore,
complaint was made against King George
for keeping standing armies" in our midst,
and we speak of the danger to be appre-
hended from such source, we refer only
to armies larger than immediate exigencies
require, or to those large enough to meet,
at all times, the requirements of the coun-
try in future wars of offense or defense.
If the statesmen of the revolution came,
by bitter experience, to fear the effects of
a standing army, the nation, at a recent
date, has found, by the same kind of ex-
perience, the benefits which might have
been derived from well regulated militia
The theoretical knowledge of the fathers
has become the actual experience of their
SONS. The south learned TO appreciate a
drilled militia earlier than we, at the north,
did, and therein was their greatest oppor-
tunity and our greatest danger, in the first
months of the rebellion. Early in the
coming mouth, the gallant bearing and
noble deeds of our brave Vermont volun.
teer militia, in the war for supprcssing the
rebellion, will be wildly recalled to mind
by the gathering of SO many of the surviv
ors in our midst. The experience of thu
rebellion thus recalled to memory, the ser
vices of the national guard" in the riots
which have, from time to time, digracet
New York city, and their other deeds OF
yalor observation-disclosures ut the right time
and place-ought to have settled the ques
ton of the indispensable necessity and USE
of the militia long ago, but the New Yorl
police commissioners have discovered thai
they are dangerous body of men. TIL.
militia of that city, they say, ''are a per
petual nuisance to the legal authorities ant
formidable source of danger to society"
and this, be it remembered, is said of thos,
men who have SO often risked life ant
limb to secure the safety of society TIT
reasoning of the commissioners seems tt
be double: that it takes too long to cal
the militia out, thereby giving the mol
time to dispense without any of their mum
, Der being killed; and that they shoot tot
many of the rioters. 1t would be a puz
cling matter, even to a philadelphia law
YER" to reconcile the two lines of argu
ment, but 1t seems to satisfy the mayor
and that is enough. The substitute has
, bloody look enough, as they propose t.
transform portion of the police into
kind of small standing army" SO tina
they can act, to use the language of tn
commissioners, ''without the knowledg
of the hostile parties" 1t surely would b
a great pity if an incipient riot should b
broken up, and the unfledged rioters al
: lowed to peaceably return home, withou
those in authority having a shot at them
| This is one of the boosted New York re
: forms. King George was, in their opinion
= right in keeping standing armies, while tn
United States made grave mistake il
!, placing her reliance on well regulate
= militia. When will Vermont move in tn
!, matter, place herself In the line of ''re
y FORM" and establish dimnutive regula
!, army in all her larger cities and villages
J. | fruu Gtvn ka naorI pf Halt