Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-20

| 1 wrote yesterday, to save further ex-
| penditure out Of their own pockets, these
people who pledged themselves for 500, 900
invade the splendid public school ediices,
take them without shadow of law, trans
form them into barracks. and deprive the
tens of thousands of children of the District
Of a months instruction.
While everyone in the District, even the
many ex-Confederates, want to see the
veterans we'll entertained and . grand time
given them, pretty nearly everybody out
side of the committee is denouncing the
performance of the managers as outrage
| ously disgraceful. Some of the wealthlest
men who promised literally for the S1O0, 900
fund, which won the day at Detroit, have
not paid a cent, and to offset their default
the committee begs petty subscriptions
from the public, and captures the public
school buildings for barracka
Onr of the Grand Army Features.
For the delectation of the soldiers of the
Grand Army, a complete copy Of the
X, arsage, which fought the Alabama, is to
be erected on the monument grounds, and
lumber and other material for the purpose
is now being delivered. The Navy De-
partmsnt has furnished the plans upon
which to build her, and will give nautical
and necessary pointers to the constructors.
The navy yard storerooms will furnish
rigging and anchors, steering wheel,
binacles, a capstan, and everything that will
be required in the makeup Of ship.
Reunions will be held upon the two decks
of the ship, and the ex-sailors can touch
and see the very stern post OF the original
Kearsarge, with an unexploded she'll buried
in the wood. They can muse upon what
would have probably been their fate If this
ugly looking mass OF iron had exploded un-
der the stern of the old craft on that day of
the battle, instead of izzling harmlessly
out Other "reminiscences of the famous
marine duel will be on exhibition, al
together forming an interesting museum.
Schemes for National Militia.
The frequent calls for the militia force of
the States of late have again revived a dars
ling project of the regular army officers to
organize and equip national militia. which
will be subject to the call of the Federal
Government at any time, and which, of
course, they would expect to be virtually
transforme into regulars after seeing a
little active service.
Lieutenant Evans, a prominent officer of
the regulars, is an enthusiast in this matter.
1.-THE Constitution says Lieutenant
Evans, 'tully recognizes the vital import
ance of the subject of National militia,
and invests Congress with ample powers to
enact the necessary laws. In 1892 Congress
passed a military act which is to-day the
militia law of the United States. Under its
provisions must be drilled and trained, if
they are to be trained according to law, the
100000 of able-bodied citizens between
the ages of Is and 45 who are to form the
reserve to our little regular army.
Through the neglect of Congress the
whole nation is left without practical
militia law, hence the individual States are
lett to their own devices in providing re-
enforcement to their various municipal
police forces. This police reserve is a
measure of necessity merely as an addi-
tionaI insurance on life and property where
a dense population exists in proximity to
vast accumulations of wealth.
A Growing Desire for Instruction.
''Of late years there has been growing
and manifest desire on the part of the Gov.
ernment to disseminate military instruction
among the people This important ques-
tion resolves itself into two parts: First,
how shall the requisite number of men be
disciplined and drilled; second, how shall
the Government be guaranteed that in time
of need it can command the services of the
identical men upon whom it has spent its
time and money. The Government would
not be justified in arming and drilling men
that when it called for soldiers the State
Governors could give it their raw recruits
or none at all at their pleasure, which would
be the state of affairs should it spend money
on the so-called National Guards as they
now stand.
SIN short, the Government, in proposing
to arm and train A and B to be soldiers,
should have the power of insuring itself
that when it asks for soldiers in an emer-
gency it should get A and B, whom it has
trained, and not c and D, who are ignorant
of a soldiers business. To attain this end
there is no more simple and practical
precedent of subsidy, that of always hav-
ing it clearly understood and fully ad-
mitted by all concerned that the Govern
ment reserves the right to command, at any
time, the services of the identical men
whom it has trained.
The Various Prices for Soldiers.
man, and fix the price to be paid for him.
On looking the world over you will find
that there is no commodity in its markets
whose price varies so much as that of the |
soldier. A soldier costs Germany per year |
S202, France S20S, England $405 and the |
United States 1890. These figures repre-
sent the cost of regular soldiers, whose en- |
tire time is devoted to the armies In our
own country, New York, which has the
largest and perhaps the best State Guard,
pays annually per man about S35
"All things considered, the United States
Government could well afford to pay an
nually, per man, $50 for standard United |
States milit;amen. In this way Congress
could fix the number of men for whose mill
tary instructions it saw fit to provide, bv |
inserting corresponding sum in the yearly
appropriation bill. 1t could train 10000 |
men for 81 600, 900, 40, 900 for g, ,OOO 600. and
10 on, according to the varying need of the
country.