The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-01
HE A MORE SOLDIERS.
General SchOfeId Wishes to Enlist
3 Honest W~Orkingmen.
ST. Louis Post-DiSpatch.

st. Louis PoSt-DiSpatch.
Recent events have convinced the people
of the United States that they need more
soldiers" The man who said this was Mai.
Gen. Schofield, commanding the United
States army.
'"Mnitary men," he continued. 'shave been
aware for a long time that the force at
their command was not large enough 10
deal effectively with riotous disorder that
miefht extend over a wide area. Colserva-
tive men, however, needed the object les
son of the late strike to persuade them chat
the soldiers were right. Conditions have
greatly changed since the army was put
on a peace footing and reduced for pur-
poses of economy to twenty-five Thousand
men, its present efficient force. By the bye,
do you know that to mar properly our
Qualifications along the coast would take
eighty-five thousand men? OF course, we
could call on the militia to help US out in
time of foreign war. But a large percentage
of men must of necessity be expert sol
diers to manage the complicated and deli
cate engines of war now in use.
"A graver problem now presents itself
that is, how to deal with the depraved,
vicious element of our new people. or late
years the duties and responsibilities of the
federal government have been increased;
interstate-commerce acus have imposed
new obligations. The great railway high
ways to the Pacific were specifically made
military roads and must be kept open as
such, as well as for the purpose of carry
ing the mails.
For the proper performance OF its func-
lions and the enforcement of it's rights
what power save that of the army has the
executive at its command. You will answer
that while municipal authorities have their
police and State authorities the militia,
the civil authorities of the United States
have their United States deputy marshals.
whom they may employ as occasion de-
mandS for the enforcement of orders by
federal courts and TO protect federal prop
erty. But such men, hired for occasions
only, are of little or no value when oppo-
sition is met and they are defied. They
are updisciplined and not TO be depended
on. / agree with Washington that the
only effective force is a disciplined force.
a few regiments of well-trained soldiers
are better than IN army of undisciplined
men, no matter how well armed they may
be. 1 am not seeking to discredit the
State militia of to-day. East of the Mis-
sissippi there are to-day found very cred
liable State troops. But west of the Mis-
sissippi there is scarcely any militia worry
of the name. The country is thinly set
tied, and in case of lawless outbreaks at
isolated points the Governors of States
know with what difficulty they can bring
to the scene of action any considerable
number of armed men.
East and West. North and South, in all,
/ should say there might be counted on
some one hundred thousand citizen soldiers
that would do credit TO themselves in times
of emergency, but here is a point that
must not be overlooked. AT a time when
riot and disorder should extend all over the
country, as for a time seemed to be threat
ened during the late strike. these troops
would be needed at home, they could not
be sent either TO isolated strategic points
or to menaced centers of industry. The
only effective force for preserving the
peace of the Union, in time of disorder in
all the States, is the army.
To do this, with a population of 100000
to 100000, covering as large a territory
as the United States, it must appear that
5000 men are too few. Like the fathers
Of the Republic, l do not believe in a large
standing army. In ordinary times OF peace
L concede that p. 900 men are enough with
ordinary needs. What l advocate is giving
power TO the President, in his discretion,
to enlist men up to the maximum of $1,000.
men. This does not conflict with what 1
have said of the necessity for a trained,
disciplined army. Disorders, such as those
we have just gone through, may always be
anticipated. a year ago or more everyone
saw the gathering cloud. The Ignorant and
vicious were snarling. industries were flag
ging and factories closing. Was not that
warning enough? How easy ii would have
been then to increase the army IL the Pres
ident had the power TO increase il. This
same honest workman out Of employment
would have enlisted gladly. They would
have made perfect soldiers and helped to
relieve their distress by reducing the num-
Der of idle ones. BY the time the rioting
began these men would have become splen-
did soldiers. Such men could have been
sent TO guard the factories in which they
had worked and in which they would work
again when times were better. For
wnen quiet was restored and industry re-
vived they would have been honorably dis
charged and restored to their occupation"