Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-15

cevcd in colleges is coming to be recognized
everywhere: for it is not only "A boon to the
student who receives il but ii is also Il beuc-
fit TO the State, the aggregate significance
and influence of which it is difficult to eSti-
mate, and there is always n possibility that
some emergency may render such training
of the greatest Importance to Our country.
The University of Vermont is one of the
one hundred educational institutions of the
country receiving the detail of an army
officer as military professor, and its curlic~
ulum includes n course of military science
and tactics for all male students. There are
! IS students on the drill rolls, organized into
five companies, with military band of four
teen pieces. In connection with the drills
course of lectures has been commenced
outlining the field of usefulness. which drill
opens to Il student and giving the elementary
principles which govern the art of war such
as officers of volunteer army should he
conversant with upon first being called into
the field
Those who had the pleasure of listening
to the address delivered by Capt. II. f..
Tutherly professor of military tactics in
! the T. V. NJ. before the Grand
Army of Vermont during its recent encamp-
ment in this city We're impressed by the
progress which had been made in military
science during the past fifteen years as out
lined therein 1t was shown that the range of
the infantry rifle had increased from POO
| to 2OOO yards. that the smooth bore artill-
cry of 1850 had been replaced by rifle guns
that will shoot II miles, and that 1.-THE
modern general must train his army for u
warfare to be waged with high explosives
machine guns. balloons, bicycles, electricity
and smokclcss powder" 1t was alsoshown
that students are taught from the same
text hooks in the University of Vermont as
are used at West Point and that the work
of the military professor here is largely
to show students, who are taking the regu
lar courses, how to apply their general
! knowledge to the science of war.
The tendency of this instruction is toward
arbitration as a settlement of difficulties
but that to arbtrate successfully nations.
! like individuals must have power back of
their preteutions, and that peace can only
he secured to the nation or individual pre-
pared to fight for it.
1t is not alone i'll war preparations that
military instruction in colleges is to benefit
the country; it will also give us race of
stalwart citizens. The drill regulations com
prise the best system of physical culture
that can be devised and the idea of self-con-
troll subordination to lawful authority,
punctuality, courtesy, honor and courage
which drill inculcates makes the better citi-
zen as well as soldier.
The University of Vermont has for nearly
30 years received the benefits of the land
grant college act of 1862 of which oul
Senator Morrill, is recognized As the father,
and which requires that all institutions re-
ceivng its benefits shall sustain instruction
in military tactics. In years past this col
lege system has had "A struggle throughout
the country. Faculties, as we'll as patrons
have not always seen its usefulness but it i,
now becoming popular. as was evidenced 10y
the unanimty with which both Houses OF
Congress, Il few weeks since, passed an act
increasing the number of officers detailed OF
this duty from u to 100 Ten Thousand
students are now undergoing military in
struction at these institutions of learning
and should the country have another war
it is believed that the graduates Of thes,
colleges will be heard from and their recor,
become proud monument to the father o
the land grant college act
In 1891, when there was an unusual mum
Der of vacant lieutenancies in the army
Senator Proctor, then secretary of war
gave great impetus to the military colleg,
system and encouraged military professor
by selecting from the graduates of thes
colleges greater number of seconC
lieutenants after the West Poin
graduates and successful candidate
from the army were assigned Thi
, seems but a just recognition of these mstitu
tons having military departments unde
government supervision. The materia
{ within military colleges is the very best t.
, receive military instruction, the student
I are usually between sixteen and twent
| years Of age and by the time they becom
seniors many of them are as old as some o
f our generals were during the war of the re
bellion. Custer, Upton. Miles and man
other officers received their stars befor
they were twenty-five
The benefits Of the military college sys
of the States may, perhaps, as yet, be SAL
' to be somewhat prospective, but they ar
most surely coming Nearly 30 years hav
passed since our last war and as very fe,
of the officers of that war could again 9
f to the front, on account of age or infrm
h ties, they are dropping out of the militi
X service. They have thus far been the yer
o best instructors that the militia coul
; have, for there is no such
- war school in existence now as I'll
II actual warfare that the participants
T. the rebellion passed through. But as the
o 90 ont Of the militia service their plac,
. must be filled by theoretically educated me
g of this generation, West Point scared
- supplies enough for the regular army an
& where can we better look than in this mil
tary college system for educated officers fC
( our militia?
# There are Il, 900 officers and men in IL
e organized militia in the States which it
-.