New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-24
Pasadena. Cal. May Is. 1895.
THE DUTY OF GUARDSMAN.
HOW FAR HIS OBLIGATION TO HS FAMILY
c,,O,rr n pprvAU-TIE SOLDIERS VIEWS
AND THE GOVERNMENTS.

SHOULD PREvAII-T1iE SOLDIERS VIEWS
AND THE GOVERNMENTS
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: In response to second letter signed X b.
reitorating the assertion that the duty or 'he
Guardsman Is wholly TO the Nation and not at ali 10
his dependents ! should like to Indicate certain
points in which my own criticism OF that position
has been m,sinterpreted. The passage to which ex-
ception is chiefly taken by x. B. Is the following;
''The Guardsman is no more pledged than any other
citizen TO for time three times as long, lot
pay hardly one-third as great and insuncieht ior
the support OF one person. outside OF the cou-
trv and merely In support of "a National policy with
which he may be only partly In accord"
The first objection, that the Guardsman enters the
service for three years On New YORK state Tor hVe)
and volunteers for only two. does not apply, since
reference was made only TO the time OF active
United States service. which FOR the inHtia ~
limited by law to nine months.
The second that the motives for enlisting should
not include expectation OF financial reward hardy
requires the reply that for resident OF New-forK
City, at least, the question Of pay far from ques-
ton OF gain. Is merely OF bearable or unoear-
able loss the case discussed being. OF course only
that where a dependent family must be abandoned
On United States pay-sl5 60 a month"; single per-
son could hardly exist in the city, except among
those tenements where one room Is expected 10
accommodate some ten persons. man without
other resources than his earnings is false TO his
most sacred obligations in throwing wife ana young
children accustomed to the modest comfort OF from
81 900 to 5000 year. into the sorddness and actua
danger Of city life 80 cents day for two years
and how without money or perhaps with lease
on their hands. could they establish themselves In
the country where poverty is less helpless and more
respectable? On a Churchman'S pay OF u 70 day
a mother and children might very we'll live for nine
months with extreme economy, of course. but at
least with decency.
AS for the question whether the Guardsman with
dependents should enlist as such at all-surely TO
fight for National defence OF social order including
as il does the protection OF his own family Is
duty for which every ought TO prepare himself
as best he may. Furthermore. when the Nation
accepts only unburdened men for Its permanent
Army saves. in pensions. but by the smallness
OF the pay required by such persons and by the
absence Of dependents likely 20 be thrown upon
public support. The emergencies. however. for
which the militia may be legally called out are OF
so serious a nature to override all reckoning OF
the cost.
The correspondents third statement, that the
militia legally be called out Of the state Is
needless since the phrase objected to was OUTSIDE
Of the country" whittier admittedly II Is no part OF
a Churchman's duty TO proceed. unless perhaps TO
prevent invasion by counter-invasion. As to serv-
question was asked or needed and no refusal has
been could have been uttered. 49,,
been remarked that the men who first obeycd orders
to to camp and then obeyed orders 10 rs,Trn n
they did not lntenu 10 tnHst HdNy
with those who did not 60 10 camp at all-that Ia,
have been arbitrarily punished for not freely ana
voluntarily enlsting. " tt,
The "conditions' and demands" which K. B. calls
Impossible" and unnecessary" were all substan-
tally though tardily fulfilled within day or two
after tho vote was taken. but In the case OF the
regiments ordered TO remain In New YORK 100 late
they would almost seem 70 have been deliberately
misIed or for their recent efforts 10 be called
out body 20 avail . Il,
In the statement that It should not mako the
slightest difference whether or not the soldier
Views coincded with those OF tho Government the
term soldier is used In its full sense where Il APP
plies only in part. An actual soldier Is such en-
tirely at all times and for any purpose. GOOD or
bad: a passive weapon In his country's hand; 10
paraphrase Ruskn. he has entered noble state.
but q state OF slavery. Guardsman 10 SOLDIER
for certain specified purposes and for limited
periods in the intervals OF which ne ia private
citizen with quite other duties. He has not lost the
supposed to have had part. Whatever his op'n-
ions loyalty calls him to sustain and not to
hinder the Government. but whether he heed sac
riace in It's cause all he holds dear-be Il regiment
or family-Inust when there is no question Of Ma
tlonal life or death depend upon the appeal which
The riot duty on which X. p. thinks that Do
stow praise was. OF course merely the work which
the militia Is pledged TO do. IN respect TO which.
that IS its members are literally soldiers. Refer
ence was made TO II merely as TO evidence that
three years ago tho very men now accused OF lack
OF courage were amply possessed Of that power OF
natently facing violence. with mono Of the heat o.
has iust been commented as the most soldierly
qualify shown by tho Italian regulars In tho streets
~ Milan A WOMAN.
New-York. May II. 1898