The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-19
1.he Fnurih,s New Armory.

The FOurth's New Armory.
Tomorrow. Jersey City will rejoice
in the official inauguration of the work
of building her new armory. 1t. will
be a notable event, and it is fitting
that it should be COMMUNICATED with
military and civic pomp.
The functions OF the National Guard
are far more useful and far reaching
than most people ever think. In this
country it is not only n of the most
important p ,litical factors-on a broad
moral force. The citizen soldiery not
only trains its actual enrolment in the
military spirit which is so essential to
the perpetuation of our liberties but
further spreads the love of arms. the
respect for the soldier and the theory
of martial honor among thousands
who only see its pageantry as specta-
tors, or who are unconsciously infiu-
enced by the talk and the contact of
the men who make up its member
ship.
The armory is the club and the uni
versity of hundreds of young men,
who would otherwise have no place to
acquire the art of intercourse with
their fellows except the barroom.
Like the club, the armory has its code
of and morals, a sound,
healthy code of self discipline. of self
respect. of self protection, and of a
corresponding regard for the feelings,
the rights, the authority, the dignity
of others. In the armory the great
lessons of obedience to those exercis-
ing lawful power. of universal cour-
tesy, of self reliance. and of self con-
troll, are constantly taught to the
| youth of the community, and for that
alone the money the State invests is
repaid with rich interest in the man
hood of her sons.
Nor are the gentler social occasions
which grow out of armory associa-
tons to be disregarded, when the
fairer sex grace the home of arms
with their presence, and the gay and
airy dance takes the place of the
tread of serried columns. In every
country the military organization
plays a leading part in the pleasures
of social intercourse, One of the
proper functions of the soldier and
| tho ronf1anann 10 IN dnuaIon fho
amenities of life in the days of peace
and pleasure. In this part of his
duties, the American National
Guardsmen has ne yer been remiss.
The influence of the National Guard
organizations is recognized as a lead
ing element in the social life of every
| city, and he would be a rash man who
would not say that it had been of in
finite benefit. 1t is part of the great
scheme of modern life that people
should come together for intercourse,
for recreation, for display. if you will.
Our manners are formed this way.
our people see each other and gain
broader sympathies and truer appre-
Citations, business is stimulated, and it
is needless to say the building up of
new homes is a joyous industry fos-
tered by such opportunities. For the
purpose of such social gatherings the
National Guard is an admirable
nucleus of organization, and the ar
mory is never put to a more military
or a more patriotic purpose than
when it shelters a gay crowd of young
men and women, come together to
dance some hours away in innocent
mirth and gracious animation.
We congratulate the Fourth Regi-
ment on securing its new home. We
hope it may grow and prosper there
in. We wish it many generations of
good soldiers, and able officers, such
as it now embodies, and we hope that
in the days to come The NEWS will
have the pleasure of chronicling many
a sturdy drill and many a joyous
dance under the walls that are SO soon
to spring up from the stone that will
be tremendously laid tomorrow.
A CERTAIN coal dealer in this city
announced, yesterday, that he was
about to sell coal to the poor at the
same rates that Mr.. Nathan Straus
sells it at in New York. There is
something about this that needs ex-
PLANTATION. Is this a business enter
prise or is it pure philanthropy? If
the latter, We must say it is extraor-
binary, for Mr.. Straus sells coal at
absolute cost price, and the spectacle