The record-union., 1894-04-25
Should Be Prepared,

EDS. RECoRD-UNIoN: Your correspon-
dent, j. w. B., of Mondays issue evil
IDENTIFY referring to my item in your Sat-
urday's issue, calls the Calling gun ''an
instrument of hell" and claims that we
should use reason against error of every
kind.o If he had arrived to the age Of
maturity during the troublesome times OF
1856 to 1866 he must be aware that Kansas
was save to freedom by the possession of
Sharp's breech-loading rifles in the hands
of the free State men, and that only the
efficient preparation of the Massachusetts
militia by Governor Andrew, at the in
stigation of Ben Butler, enabled her
Sixth Regiment to pass through Balti-
more to the protection of Washington,
while one of Pennsylvania unarmed
regiments was turned back. Anyone
conversant with the history of that time
can tell him that the lack OF preparation
on the part of the Northern States-and
the lack of arms, big and little-com-
PEELED the Government to attempt sub
DUNG the rebellious States with his
formidable weapon, reason"
The contention for using reason only,
without being prepared to enforce what
ever may be the law of the time, savors
too much OF the Justice Dogberry injunc-
ton that you must be peaceable
watch.o We call upon handful of men,
whether police or militia, to stand firm
against all odds in the protection of our
property and lives and enforcement of the
law, and it behOoves US to so arm them
that the infliction they are capable of
giving shall not only be sufficient to pro-
tect them, but shall be so powerful, so
fearful and so instant that their very
presence shall prevent riotous demonstra-
tions.
As regards my other suggestion, which,
though made in rather testing spirit, 1
ind grounds for its adoption mot under
Government control, but through Gov
ernmenJ Endorsement in way of bonds)
in your Mondays editorial in the follow
ing words:
There is unquestionably limit within
which the government OF the people may
act that will have the effect desired in
part. such as . the forwarding of
such public works as the needs of Gov
eminent demand, and for which there is
means of payment"
1t must be conceded that the needs of
our Government demand the early COM
pletion of the Nicaragua Canal, and that
canal shall be under the control of the
United States SO long as we have not an
efficient naval force on the Pacific Coast
for prompt and effective action.
AS an Old naval veteran of the late war,
L claim that 1t Is gross injustice to our
seamen, and officers and men, that they
shall be compelled to place themselves,
as we of the Ticonderoga (of eight guns)
did in 1866. between seventy -four-gu
ship and a fifty-gun frigate, ready for
action for thirty-six hours in demand of
the rights of our Consul, Colonel Maggi,
at Sudi, Crete; or that during the trouble
at Samoa our little wooden ship armed
with old smooth-bores should be COM
PEELED to offer itself as target against the
German breech-ioading rifles. The pos
session of the canal would practically
double the effective force OF our little
navy; and / might add that the possession
of Calling gun by militia company
would not only add to its effective force a
hundred-fold, but give that company a
confidence their unaided rifles could not
give. j. A. STUART.
Auburn, CAL, April %, 1894.