Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-04-27
WlRINGS::-
HE TALKS SENSE.


WASHINGTON, D. c., April "a When
Secretary Elkins appeared before the sub
com mittee of the committee on appropr&
tlons OF the senate, in charge Of the mill
tary appropriation bill, day or two ago
he suggested an idea for popularizing the
army and encouraging the militia in 8
manner as novel as it was interesting.
Mr.. Elkins thinks the time has come
when each of the larger states of the
Union should have stationed within it q
large garrison of federal troops, composed
either of an entire regiment of cavalry,
artillery or Infantry or a mixture of all
three corps. This would not only guaran-
tee peace and good order in any of those
. emergencies which, however, improbable,
are at all times possible, but it would also
afford to the civil governments of each
state much larger opportunity to i'm
prove the efficiency of the militia organi-
zations. The secretary takes very &C.
tive interest in the affairs OF the militia of
the states, and one OF thegirss acts-of his
administration in TIE war department was
to reorganize and enlarge the bureau
which has charge of all matters pertain
ing to the state troops. lie believes that
a large garrison of troops within each
state, aside from the moral effect of its
presence, would 90 far, by way of ex-
ample, to teach the militia the duties of
practical soldiery.
The secretary believes that this idea, |
which he has entertained for a long time,
has only to be made known to the state |
authorities when it will be generally in |
dorsed. If each state or some city in a
state would offer to the general govern
ment piece OF ground of not less than
1000 acres, at such point in the state as
may be decided upon as most suitable
location for large garrison, he thinks
congress wonld encourage the building OF
permanent post at such places. Already |
three such offers have been made, and the
bill for large post at Helena, Mont, is
now pending before congress. Little
Rock offered the United States 900 acres
for post at that place has just passed
congress. The citizens of New Mexico
have also offered 1000 acres of land st
Santa te for an enlarged garrison at that
place, and the proposition has received ,
the approval of the department and will
be recommended to congress. The secre- G
tary suggests that if large and densely I
populated states, for example, New York, +
Oulo, MIsSoul, luulaLa, liilDOlS ana
others, would take the matter well IN I
hand and make similar offers OF land to n
The general government for garrison pur-
poses, it would be well received by con +
5tess. y
Secretary Elkins believes that the army q
,an be more economically maintained at >
arge posts, centrally located, and sees no =
'eason why small posts, remote from 7
and which have long ago out 7
ived their usefulness, should be longer r
Indeed, the secretary goes n
urther and expresses the opinion that an !,
army almost double the size of the one II
We have at present could be supported Il
with little, il any, increase in the aggre I
,ate amount of expenditures now re- .
luired for smaller force. He, of course, n
las in mind the saving in transportation II
,f supplies to numerous small posts, as a
veil as in the cost of keeping SO many q
minor garrison establishments; and be- ~
ieves that, with the troops assembled at I
III the important centers, the necessity i
md expense would not longer exist for -
hanging them from place to place at long y
distances in times OF emergency. With n
ifty regiments OF infantry and twenty Il
egiments of cavalry each state of the
lnion could have within its borders at
east one complete regiment, leaving n
mple sufficiency for garrisoning the In v
liam borders. "