The record-union., 1896-03-30
Weather Forecast.
Northern California-Fair; westerly winds.
MILITARY EXERCISES IN SCHOOLS.

MILITARY EXERCISES IN SCHOOLS.
Some time ago we received from the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
a large lot of documents urging us to
join with it in protest against the bill
before Congress to promote military
training among school children and uni
form drill in all the schools. We stated
at the time that. while respecting the
Union and it's good work. we could not
agree with it in it's opposition to the
measure.
We do not entertain the fear felt by
these good women that such drill and
instruction is in the direction of dan
gerous militarism. On the contrary,
the "setting-up exercises" the manual
Of arms, the marching and the move
ment of bodies will conserve physical
development, graceful carriage and the
sense of order, beside Impressing upon
youth the value of discipline "Har-
per's Weekly" commenting on the pro-
posed bill, says:
The bill does not impose military drill
as to the adoption of drill as part OF the
school course is left to the local school
AUTHORITIES. The opposite, proposition
would be unconstitutional. This one
recognizes the fact that in many of our
schools the pupils are. now drilled and It's
author suggests, wisely we think, that
wherever military exercises are taught
they shall be those in which the soldiers
of the regular army are instructed. Ger
tainly this is well, for some day, when
these boys are men, they may be called
upon to defend their country, and then it
will be important that the drill they
have fSy lea learned at school shall ,oIo be
over, we have no sympathy with the
opposition sometimes expressed to mill
tary training. We do not believe that be-
cause man or a nation is prepared for
self-defenSe he or it thereby becomes a
bully. Thirty-five years ago there was no
citizen of the North who would not have
have been glad if more of our young
men had been taught at school the simple
art of drill. Thousands of lives and mill
ions of treasure would have been saved
and the war would have been shorter
Aside from the practical aspect of the
matter too, we believe in manly physical
exercise for the youth of the country
The other day a distinguished Clergyman
spoke of military drill, football and other
physical sports as brutalizing. There is
nc truth IN thls Manly sports are human
iz1ng. They develop courage, truthfulness,
self-reliance, sef-restraint, respect sfor
worthy antagonists, fair play-character
in short. On the other hand, the soft
muscles Of the pale neurotic youth too
often foster the meanest traits of the
human mind. They induce to stiffness,
evasion, subterfuge and mendacity In
nine cases out of ten it is the boy with
the healthy body, a body that has been
exercised in contentious with his fellow
boys, who is not cruel, nor q backbiter
nor telltale, whose impulses are gener,
Gus, and who is best fitted to cope suuarelv
and honestly with the world TO the
making OF a good man military drill con-
tributes along with other athletic pur-
suits And among the traits especially
9eVeloped by 1t are the fine virtues of
discipline, self-repression and courtesy.
All which is sensible, logical and true.
What is 1t the good women urge?
Ffrst-'That military exercise will
tend to make our youngsters warlike.
end break down in their minds the
teachings Of the friends of peace" But
is not this error? Will not military
training make youth more respectful
OF the law, and tend to foster love of
country, of unity, to inspire respect for
governmental organization?
Military training educates
the child physically when other exer-
cises would do the same thing better"
Perhaps that is so, but it proves moth
ing against the proposition to encour
age the training of orderly movement.
which is beneficial wherever human
beings are grouped, as are school chill
dren.
Third-''It will teach the child that
20 be an American citizen means to be
soldier" The simple truth is that
he is not an appreciative American cit
izen who does not realize his liability
and duty to be soldier, and that a cit
izen soldiery is infinitely preferable to
a standing army; that the strength of a
republic is in its capacity to rally it's
people to the defense or free institu-
tions without compulsion, and in the
conviction in the hearts of the people
that what is worth enjoying is worth
defending
Fourth-"The trend OF higher civili-
zation is in the direction of humani-
tartan means for settling differences be-
tween nations And to that we make
no sort of objection, provided always
that 1t does not involve a policy that
brings us into contempt with other ma
tions and cripples our capacity to- de-
fend our rights when other nations re-
fuse 70 adopt peaceful means Of soln-