The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-18

man. vs1t0Ges town OF ezty PosseSses IA Hes
sous. uko have returned from military
serves, persons uho sse superior men in
every respect. They have been taught to
ride! TO swim. 20 fence. 20 shoot. 20 ros;
they have been taught 20 obsy and TO COM
mani: to practice seif-command and self
restsaias, and they feel proud Of their COM
puisS,ry training because they know that
1t Is yior the fatheriand and that oil young
Cer,sssns, without distinction OF rank or
class. are obliged 70 render this term OF
military training 10 the state.
TSsrs 10 no doubt that the German
thsts-y that every citizen. without discrifn-
ins.son Of rank. wealth or class. must rem
der military service, II physically and
mert.sIly competent. 10 the only sound
systsm Of military defense. Such sys-
tem:creates necessarily . proud. patriotic.
high spirited soldiery. - distinguished
FROM hcss Of mereenarieA. During our
civis war up to Gettysburg our armies we're
fIieE with . magnificent rank and file
Of SAtriotic volunteers. the best blood.
bravn and brain Of the land. Lin
COt4 cL3sSu W sA3~ss
without draft, but when the draft came
il psrnissed the payment Of Communication
or tie furnishing Of . substitute. This OF
eou.se allowed men who were able to bsy
ont Of personal soidiership. The poor
mas Who Was drafted could not pay com.
mutation, neither could he furnish sub
sslt-te. % Of course such men, conscious
Of sais class discrimination. would not
naturally make patriotic soldiers. This
was ths gross weakness Of our military
system during the var.
TEs German system 10 the sound one:
Il rsakes its armies patriotic by making
evesy man. high or low, rich or Door. .
possible soldier. The South by its re-
mosssIess conscription, without commu-
tatisn or substitutes, was able to put .
larsssr number Of men into the field rela-
ttvssy than the North. which secured.
thrsi1gh its system Of Communication and
substitutes. . great many mercenaries, .
vas: deal Of money to hire mercenaries
wits. not high-spirited. patriotic soldiery.
We are fortunate In our situation. which
eut tOS ~ CoauC0 oS RiGoe WoSg O0s ~
We tver have great war again We shall
neej 10 rise to the level OF the German
milsiary system. which il absolutely
dem ocratic. The only question 10 whether
one: 10 physically 1T for soldier. II
not. then one may be tit for the ambulance
cor s.. for the hospital. for the depot serv-
icss one may be fit for some duty behind
thesiine Of battle, even il he cannot do the
sssts,sst military duty. The German mill
taPx system 10 the only system that can
possibly breed for any length Of time .
hie,.-spirited. patriotic soldiery.
1Me officers Of our regular army are, ~ .
ruiz. highly intelligent ana efficient
boos OF men. but the rank aud die are
chcysn from class % poor phyaicaily and
mosally that three applicants ont Of four
arssejecsed. every twentieth man deserts
--ssms years every tenth or eveE every
6ft,s man. The result 10 . wretched rank
snts file and there 10 no prospect Of its i'm
prossment because there 10 no induccment
fora really fine class Of young men TO en-
ter on. regular army In order to get .
sound military training. The Philsdsl-
phsa Press says on this point:
Tie schoolship Saratoga here aud the Ct
Mats's In Nsw Yosk take . BOY. provide for all
HE wants and turn him ont with IN education
anS trade in two years. Candidates should b
plesty. Yet IL y impossible TO Get enough boys
to kesp the ships full. because American boys
hate discipline and restraint They ought not
70. Ioubslses. but they do IL 10 the same spirit
whssh leads our 0fhcsfs, both army aud navy.
never 20 wear their uniforms II they can help It
ana devote all their energies TO getting some
thiyg 10 do besides soldering and ssiioring.
This Is q serious matter. When the mar.
tia; spirit Of nation begins to fall into
dersy you may be sure that there u de-
tersoration of national character. II is
possible that We shall never have . great
was again. foreign or domestic, but it is
nos probable. and for this reason it Is a
mkater for regret that we have not the
essrncs Of the German and French mill
tai1 system enacted among our laws to
tn 5 extent that in war time nobody shall
est;ape liability to military service who is
phi sically capable of rendering it. This
Is &as' only n,ilstary system that can pos
sih.y breed patriotic soldiery such
as Germany or France il sure to have in
evsnt Of war. When the people know that
oil: men. high or low. rich or poor, sdu-
ca.sd or illterate. must 60 to war and rem
de; personal service. if tit for 1t, then the
people are satisfied to stand by the state.
Usder no other system can We get patri-
Of 4. soiaierv