The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-14
Dangerous Postponement.

Dangerous Postponement.
1t is unfortunate that the prolonged
wrangle of this congress over worth
less tariff bill should have rendered
exceedingly improbable the passage Of
much valuable legislation of miscel-
laneous character, some of which has
for years been crowded out by balder-
dash partisan politics. Among the
good bills which are expected to go
down in the crush incident to eager
adjournment is the Meyer bill to
strengthen the militia in the various
states; and now that Colonel Hitch
cock has so lucidly renewed attention
to this need, it may be we'll to review
briefly the provisions and the purpose
of this proposed enactment. Only
once, it appears, since 1906, when an
appropriation Of 100000 q year was
voted by congress to the various states
to aid in the equipment and mainten-
ance of their militia, has this militia
received financial consideration at the
hands of the federal government. In
1887 the annual appropriation W as
doubled, so that now 100000 is spent
each year by the government in aid of
the National guard of the various states.
Unfortunately this money is appor-
toned among the states upon wholly
obsolete basis. Under the law of 1892,
yet in force, the term militia" applies
to every able bodied male citizen be-
tween the ages of IS and As years.
Thus states which have virtually no or
ganized militia whatever, in the mod
ern sense, get as much money from
the general government as do several
states that expend thousands of dol
lars in drilling and equipping superb
bodies Of volunteer soldiery. The
Meyer bill simply aims to correct this
inequality: and it does this by provid-
ing that the 100000 annual federal
appropriation shall be apportioned
according to the number Of senators
and representatives to which each
state is entitled, but each state before
receiving its quota Of money must
have an active and enlisted force of
at least 100 men for each senator and
representative it isentitled to in con.
gress. This, it is thought, will put a
stop to states absorbing a share Gf this
money when they do not have an
organized militia force, and one of the
natural effects of Its enactment would
be to add to the allotments of states
like Pennsylvania, New York and
New Jersey by taking from those of
the many newer states which have, if
any militia at all, merely one in name,
Representative Meyer who, as chair
man of the house committee on militia,
gives his name to this measure, is not
sanguine of its early enactment, but
presents many striking arguments in
its behalf, which accurately supple
ment the strong arguments of Colonel
Hitchcock In last Saturdays TRIBUNE.
The strength Of the regular army on
the 90th Of September last was 25,77S
enlisted men and 2,144 officers. The
expense of this military establishment,
exclusive of Notifications, is about $780,
100000 year. The total enrolment
of the militia of the several states at
the same time was l12,507 officers and
enlisted men, toward which the gov
eminent appropriates 100000. There
is, thinks Mr., Meyer, no example on
earth of so small a regular army for q
country so vast as our own and having
so vast population and wealth, to be
defended with such an enormous
frontier line and seacoast and so many
points of attack by foreign foes. And
he could, with equal truth, have added
that there is no parallel example of q
country thus situated paying so little
heed and so little money to the militia
organizations that, from the nature of
things, constitute the real nucleus of
its defense. The Meyer bill is only a
step-and not long step toward the
general reorganization and expansion
of the militia suggested by Colonel
Hitchcock; and 1t seems from all the
information at hand that this Demo-
cratic tariff-mad congress will not even
let us take that step.
1t is fortunate, therefore, that no war
cloud threatens.
WE INFER from o number of stimuli
IN l.. n 4