St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-14
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NV MOtSSy SSlttJAISkAS . XII "a "A = .
General Schotield. in his annual
report to the secretary of war. trong-
ly urges a large Increase in
the standing army Of the nation.
In doing this the general is prob.
ably yielding to that not unnatural
disposition Of men charged with the
administration of some one Of the vari.
Gus departments of governmental
system, to lose sight of its proportional
relation to the whole system aud to
magnify its particular and peculiar
value and Importance and the benefits
which VIII inure from its enlargement.
We see this disposition in every branch
OF our service, FROM tbs mead OF the
great departments in Washington down
to the boards of our municipalities. All
or their recommendations are in the
direction Of increased facilities II Ell
larged operations. Each head discovers
new fields into which the energies of
his department might be put. and from
them all there comes annually Il chorus
OF demands for Increased appropriations
II extended facilities.
Aside from the = uumenti0ned but
probable reason for The Recommended
ton Of Gen. Schofield, the public will
look with some curiosity at the reason
he assigns why. in a tiine of profound
peace, with no possibility of war with
any nation, exempt from all those COM
pllcations out of which wars grow, and
occupying a position in which war
could only result from our own unjust
and ~indefenSlble action, he urges the
increase of the army. The possibility
OF a war with ONE foreign nation can
be set aside as of no weight. and the
only other reason assigned by him is
the labor troubles of the present year.
He refers to the fact that during this
year d large part of the army has been
employed Ill suppressing domestic VIC
lence. which took the form in many
cases of ''forclble resistance to the exe-
cution of the laws of the United States.
h seizure or destruction of property
under the care OF United States officers.
and in defiance of national authority"
For this purpose he says the militia of
the states and the police power of the
municipalities are not adequate to ell.
force the execution of the federal laws.
An army that was adequate twenty-five
years ago, when there was no danger of
disorder known to exist, is inads-
quate now. when the population has
more than doubled. ut was a wise
forethought," he says. ''in apparent
anticipation of such conditions as those
which have confronted the government
within the last year, that dictated sew
cral years ago the policy that estab-
lished under authority of congress large
military posts near the great business
n railway centerS of the country"
These he recommends should be com-
pleted and others established.
A change that is striking and mo.
mentous has AIKEN place within the last
few years in the relations of our stand
ing army to the people of the country.
1t is but a few years ago that that army
was scattered in posts along our 'front.'
iers, and solely occupied either in tine
pursuit of hostile Indians or in guard
ing the frontiers against their incur-'
siOnS. Here and there OIL the Atlantic
coast were a few Notifications built to
protect our harbors, and manned by a
company or two of regulars. But in
the broad expanse between tine frontiers
and the seacOaSt the sight of a soldier
of The regular army was one of rare
occurrence. Now. as an adjunct of
many of the large cities in the country,
II finds a military encampmeut.
manned with the different arms of the
service, put there, not to protect the
country against a foreign invader, but
from our own citizens.
The wise ~forethought" of the party
which has dominated this country for
many years felt intuitively that the in
evitable result of its policy of favorit-
ism would produce a discomfort which
might break out into open violence, and
that the police and local militia, victims
Of the same policy which caused the
outbreaks. and possibly sympathizing
with it so it would be unable to sup
press disorder, provided these eneamp.
ments, where the military arm of the
government might be ready to repress
speedily and successfully the disorders
which the legislative arm of the gov
eminent had created.
Whatever of disorder or its causes that
exists now which did not exist twenty-five
years ago is not the result of the growth
of population, as Gen. SchOfield seems to
think. but is the result of the develop
ment of conditions under the operation
of bad legislation; and the remedy lies,
not in attempting to redress those re-
suits by force, but in repeating the laws
that created them. If the plain causes
OF disorder are to continue, Their the
recommendations of Gen. Schofieid must
be needed, and not only must the regu-
lar army Of the nation be very largely
increased, but the militia and all the
police forces of the states and munich
palitieS must be also enlarged. The
force of disorder must be met by the
constantly increasing force of order.
and we will travel that path until social
disorders and suppression of disorders
become the chronic condition of the
country.
Either this, or we must take the back
ward track to those conditions which
prevailed when the present social dis
orders we're the ''unseen danger'' to
which Gen. Schofjeld alludes. Take off
this meddleSome and interfe ring hand
of the government. which is reaching
everywhere more and more into the
affairs OF men and disturbing the natural
relations whose accompaniment is peace
and contentment. Stop pandering to greed
under the speciUus pretense of protect
ing and guarding the interests of men.
Break down the walls which privilege
In, l,,,;it ,I~-.k k--e O.
again. and leave them to their own re-
sources, making them self-reliant and
s~elf-heipful, and the disorders which
the general Of the army asks for an in
crease of the military force to repress