The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-03-25
Soldier ana Athlete.i

May 1, 1897, will be ready the new
manual Of physical training for the
United States army IT will be q reyo-
tuition in some respects Of former meth
.odsof military drill. Instead bf training
q recruit to stand like ramrod, stiffen
back his shoulders and in consequence
puff out his breast and abdomen, the
new manual Of ply culture for sol
diers will release and educate every
muscle in his body. It will make him
1.-the, Timber, graceful and powerful,
like the acrobat and the all round ath
lete. It will be system Of caisthenics
which will be a JOY and source Of health
to tho soldier rather than an eternal
and heavy, monotonous military drill.
Hermann, the magician, had the mus
cles Of the inside Of his hand so devel-
oped that he could hold a silver dollar
in the middle Of his palm in such way
that it would be hidden entirely from
sight. All the muscles Of the inside Of
his hands could be used by him as freely
and effectively as most persons use their
fingers. We mention this to show to
what perfection muscles can be brought.
The officers who prepared the new
drillbook will place it before the army
boys as a guide to muscle education and
development. This new idea Of the sol
dier's physical training was introduced
first at the recruiting barracks in CO.
lumbus, o., in 1898. The general ath-
letic or calisthenic exercises are now
part Of the daily drill in the various re-
cruiting stations and military posts Of
the country. The effect Of the new train
ing was shown recently in an exhibition
drill given at Madison Square Garden.
New York. The Thirteenth regiment,
United States infantry, made a remark
able display Of power and skill. Sixty
four men Of this regiment are able tc
scale wall IS feet high in three min
utes There actually seems no limit to
the power Of human muscles when prop
erly developed. This was always the
contention Of Hermann, already men
toned.
The widest results of the new system
Of army drill and training will probably
be reached among the boys of the ma
tional guard throughout the country.
The fine young farmers, mechanics and
clerks who compose the national guard
regiments will have opportunity to
make themselves fully as athletic and
graceful as the regular army soldiers.
Let it be Urged on them everywhere that
they avail themselves Of the opportunity.
From them the system will spread
throughout all classes and the American
race will become physically strong,
handsome and graceful. .#
It is to be hoped that the question of
the kind of money the people of the
United States are going to use will be
permanently settled by the next con
gress. Two opposing forces are marshall
ing for battle. One party is in favor Of
retiring all government paper money
and substituting therefor only national
bank notes. But the old state rights
feeling is still SO strong in some parts
Of the country that any bill which
should undertake to retire the govern
ment notes could only be passed with
an added clause permitting state banks
to be revived in all the university anc
unglorious rthlessness of the good Ole
state dollar, which, being printed il
Mississippi, was only a bit Of greasy
paper in Massachusetts,. Do the advo
Gates of the retirement Of the nationa.
notes want to bring back those times
again? Against the party desiring the
banks to issue our paper money stands
the party that desires the government tt
continue in circulation not only its pres
ent notes, but to hencefo issue al
the paper money used by the country, 81
that dollar will be the same the country
over. Between these two opposing forces
the currency battle will be fought out
1t may be remarked in a general way
that those who desire the national bank
as at present constituted to issue all tn
paper money are those who favor tn
exclusive gold standard.
The Chinese Equal Rights league 0
America, which has been incorporates
at Springfield, Ills, is worthy Of con
sideration. The object Of the league i
ultimately to obtain citizenship for tn