Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-05

A considerable proportion of the Senate's
time Yesterday was misused by Senator
Allen of Nebraska in an endedVor 10 ne
feat the regular and altogether insuihcl@ht
augmentation for the support of the Dis
trict National Guard. II is singular that
In spite of all the very plain statements as
to the relationship which exists between
the District of Columbia and the general
government that have been published re-
Gently there are still members or the ma
tjonaI legislature who persist in discussing
local appropriation bills as though Trey
were measures to which the general gov
eminent makes improper contribution;
members who will have II that what may
ba 2 righteous expenditure out of fhe
funds raised by the taxat ton OF intilvidlai
residents. Is all wrong when ont-haii CT
the appropriation is contributed ny the
United States. These men fail altogether
10 appreciate the fact that the CnlteI
States has direct property interests mere
that exceed in value those of private citi-
gems and that there is bat simple Justice
in the contributions of the country to the
maintenance and improvement of the ma
tiona1 capital But entirely apart from the
question of governmental relations with
this city i the question raised by Senator
Allen as 10 the necessity Of a militia force
of citizen soldiery might be a good thing
IN some places. but i'm the city of Washing
ton there was no necessity, he thought
for any more of military force than is af-
forded by troops of the regular army sta
toned in this vicinity.
"T do not know" said the senator
whether the military force is Kept here
for the purpose of intimidation. to join the
Metropolitan police force in the control of
matters here. but certainly ii there ever
comes 4 time when anything Of that kind
Is necessary there is ample military force
belonging 10 the regular army OF the
United States which can 10 moiiliZed
here" Under ordinary circumstances. yes.
bat whom conditions are as they we're last
July. the United States army is .mu-h too
small 70 suread itself out over the vast
territory where military force is abso-
Iutely needed. Senator Allen. who SOME
how or other seems to ina sire that his
views on this topic are quite popular
throughout the country. insisted that the
people a. the United States 10 not want
any military display. They want military
force enough 70 protect them against in
vasion and domestic violence. ~and nothing
more and nothing less" Does he realize
how many soldiers are actually needed to
give the assurance he admits to he neces-
sary? Then he went on to say: can we
not trust the people north and south. east
and west. to rally to the defense of the
capital Of our nation in time of danger
without sustaining a distinct. tinscl. tin
soldiery here for mere oruamentation?'
II must be that the Senator from Nebraska
Is entirely in the dark as 20 the work
which is being done by the District Ma
tiCnal Guard, and for that matter by the
National Guard of most OF the states. OF
what avail would even q very large dis
organized body of patriotic but unframed
citizens be against a compact. well-dis-
ciplined and Cleverlv-handled foe? The
object of the National Guard of today
hearing no resemblance to the old-time
militia which Senator Allen evidently has
I'm minds the military education of
young men, so that. when the time of peril
comes. the nation will have at hand an
army upon which reasonable degree of
dependence can be placed. If Senator
Allen will honestly investigate he VIII
speedily reach the conclusion that the Dis
triCt National Guard is entirely without rs.
foolish "tinser' sentiment which he vert'.
properly sneers at; it is an organization
that has done, is doing, and will do much
gCOd