The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-24
A PROBLEM OF THE TIME
THE MEN OF THE NATIONAL GUARD
AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
Capt. E. w. Brady Outlines IA Plan of
Reorganization which Seems to
Present Some Good Points.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

the process, without Delng impressed WIN
the force of General Scott's words: "A re-
public is never prepared for war" This was
his deliberate conclusion, according to his
autobiography, after illustrious service in
the three great wars of 1912. 1876 and 1851
The trouble seems to be with our first line
of reserves. The regular army so far as it
goes, is. doubtless, the best in quality in the
world. but when we come to the state mi
ltia, or National Guard, as they are popu-
larly termed, we find very heterogeneous
body, which, for any immediate, aggressive
warfare. is unframed and. for practical pur-
poses, unorganized The difficulty is inner
emily due to the lack of direct relation of
this first line of defense to the national gov
eminent. 1t is state affair. and must be re-
organized for federal purposes, and herein
comes the lost motion of our present system.
The militia is obviously necessary as a state
organization, subject to the call of the Gov
ernor upon occasions when it would be I'M
wise and ineXpedient to ask the federal gov
eminent for assistance, just it would be
folly for city to have to call upon the
state government for a squad of police to
raid a local gambling den. There is dis
tinct function for the militia as local or
ganization, and yet it should be in such
condition as to be readily and easily trans
ferred to the national service when occasion
requires. 1t is this transference which is to-
day the weak point of our military system.
So long as the militia is mustered into the
service of the State alone it remains a state
body and as such, cannot be ordered be-
yond the limits of the State, nor can any
officer commissioned by the Governor exer-
else his authority or command beyond
those limits. The trouble under the present
call has come from the fact that the only
way the United States could accept these
militiamen was as individual citizens of the
United States. 1t was only after they had
been mustered into the service of the Ma
ton that the government could either as
sumo control over or responsibility for them.
The New York Seventh insisted upon en-
listing as an organization and not as lndl-
Viduals, while other regiments in New YORK
and other States circumVented TINS diH-
Guilty by the adroit action of the state au-
ordered the National Guard into camp ana
the guardsmen were then permitted. while
enlisting as individuals, to enlist in the regi-
ment selected by the Governor in whole or
in part the quota of the State under the
call. By such an arrangement the skin
Massachusetts, the Fifth Maryland and the
Tenth Pennsylvania retained their lden-
10y THING THAT is NEEDED.
No one doubts the wisdom of having the
militia state force, as provided by the
Constitution, but the great military prob
lem of the day is to devise a system by
which, while retaining it's responsibility to
the State. the militia may be so organized
as to have a direct relation to the national
government. A dual responsibility is need
ed. The utter confusion of the present sys
tenn is illustrated by the methods employed
in numbering and designating volunteer
regiments in the several States. Indiana
numbered it's Mexican war regiments from
one to five inclusive, and its civil war regi-
mentS of infantry from six to 156. Under
the present call the first Indiana volunteer
infantry is designated 157. This system,
adopted by some other States, gives each
regiment an individuality for all time. The
Massachusetts system of passing the name
down, on the other hand, gives an historic
continuity not without a certain charm. But
for this plan Baltimore would not have
turned out last Saturday to do honor to the
Massachusetts Sixth heirs of the old reg
lment which passed through that city thir-
ty-seven years ago. Much can be said in
favor of either plan or of any plan, but
nothing can be said for the Colnmingling
of all plans. The result of this ineXtrcabe
confusion is going to be that the future his
torian and record searcher will need to take
a table of logarithms to find his bearings.
But this is only typical of the heterogenity
of all the militia arrangements. And yet
they are the first lines of reserves, and
might be made so close second to the
standing army itself in point of preparation
and efficiency as to constitute d mighty bull
Wark of national defense.
Capt. Z. w. Brady, of Muncie now a
newspaper man of this city, who saw serv-
ice during the civil war and at it's close
was admitted as cadet at West Point,
from which he graduated in 1869, and, after
two years service in the regular army, re-
signed to engage in newspaper work, has
given much study to the relation of the mi
litia to the national government and has
worked out a plan which he believes, if
adopted, would disproVe the maxim of Scott
that it is impossible for d republic to be
prepared CantdiO RradV'S scheme
in brief, is to have the individual who en-
lists in the state militia become at the same
time United states soldier, and, by
somewhat elaborate system of training out
lined below, to learn the art of war. The
general government would pay most of the
expenses OF this service, and so make it un-
profitable for any State to retain the old
system, as they would still have a right to
do. A dual obligation is the key to his plan.
There seems to be nothing in the Con-
sttution," said Captain Brady to prevent
the militia of the States from imposing upon
such as would give the general government
power to call them out directly in the case
of foreign war or domestic Instruction.
The only difficulties which it is necessary
to surmount are practical ones
CAPTAIN BRADYS PLAN.
1.-THE Constitution gives Congress the
power to provide for calling forth the mill
tia to execute the laws of the Union, sup
press instructions. repel invasion, and also
provides for organizing, arming and dis
ciplining the militia and for governing such
of them as may be employed in the service
of the United States, reserving to the States
respectively the appointment of the officers
and the authority of training the militia
according to the discipline prescribed by
Congress- The President, the Constitution
says. shall be COMMUNICATIVE of the
army and navy of the United States, and of
the militia of the several States when called
into the actual service of the United States.
The second amendment to the Constitution
declares that well regulated militia being
necessary for the security of free State.
arms shall not be infringed,' and the fifth
amendment contains a negative provision in
regard to the punishment of militiamen by
ccurt-martial This is all there Is in the
Constitution bearing upon the subject. our
present militia law was enacted in 1892 and
is so Anticipated as to be ridiculous Here
is a section of the law as it stands to-day:
g Every citizen shall, after notice of his
enrolment, be constantly provided with a
good musket or fire-lock. of bore suffi-
cient for balls of the eighteenth part of a
pound. a sufficient bayonet and belt, two
spare fints and a knapsack, pouch with a.
box therein to contain not less than twenty
four cartridges suited to the bore of his
musket fire-lock. each cartridge to con-
tain proper quantity of powder and bail:
and powder-horn Each commissioned
officer shall be armed with a sword or
hanger and Spontoon.
But to return to the plan for reorgan-
izing the militia under the dual respon-
sibiiity system so that 1t might be OF i'm
need | would have the government provide
uniforms arms and equipment. This would
secure uniformity. and we should not see
the troops coming in as they are to-day.