St. Paul daily globe., 1895-02-10
GEN. WESLEY MERRITT.
Commanding Department of Da-
kOta

kohl.
I do not agree that there is any
reason for thinking that a large
number of our fellow citizens regard
the military eSta blishments of the
country as protection to a small
minority rather than a safeguard
to the liberties of the nation; nor do
[ think they have reason to do so,
from the manner in which the ma
tional guard and the army have
been used during the recent strikes.
Both organizations in question have
only obeyed the orders of superior
authority placed over them by the.
laws of the country. If the army and
national guard are engaged in op-
pressing the people, it follows that
they should be abolished-wiped out.
But why these more than the presi-
dent of the United States and the
governors of states, and all courts
of justice and the Jail, which are
the instruments used, in one sense,
for curtailing the liberties of the peo-
pie? This is anarchiSm. l can't,
therefore, believe that the masses ia
vor such a catastrophe.
All government is founded in force,
and upon force, directly or Indirect
ly, nearly or remotely, it must ulti-
mateIy rely for its respect and au-
thority. The government of the
United States is no exception to this
rule, despite the widespread ignor-
ance of this fact which has gained
upon the community, owing to thirty
years of peaceful progress and unre-
sisting obedience to national law.
To be effective the law must have
force behind it, or the government
which is responsible for it may be
made ridiculous. So long as the
governments DEGREES are accepted,
as they have been so many years, no
show of force is needed; if these de-
| crees are disputed, ultimate recourse
to force is inevitable if the dignity
of the law is to be upheld.
The laws of the government are
made by the people, and it is in con-
stitutional defense of these laws
employed How can this be con-
strued as favoring a minority? The
military exercises no judgment upon
the justice of the law; that is a mat
ter for which the people, through
their franchise and their legislators,
are responsible. But the laws being
on the statute books, it is the duty
of the executive branch of the gov
ernment to enforce them, and the
executive may call upon the military
to accomplish this end. The mill
tary is thus the protector of every
law abiding citizen, and contains
no element to excite the dishonest
apprehension.
l have the greatest confidence in
a military training being an excel
| lent thing for lads in school. 1t is
better, when properly applied, than
any system of athletics known, for it
| develops the entire frame. Football
is good in its way, SO are rowing,
fencing, boxing and other athletic
sports, but a we'll applied military
training is better than any of these
and better than all Combined
An enlistment in the army is not
bad substitute for a university train
ing, and it would be a good thing
| for the men of the country if all the
boys in America were required to
serve one enlistment, at least, in
the army or national guard. Ger
many today is in advance Of what it
was a few years ago, resulting from
the military training of its men. Of
course we cannot expect to initiate
Germany. Nor is it desirable that
we should. But there is no ques-
ton in my mind that a military
| training is an excellent thing.