The herald., 1898-02-08

| l will venture to call attention to the in
disposition of too many employers whose
| interests are such as would probably cause
them to be among the first to seek the pro-
lection of the National guard in case of
serious disturbance, to permit employees
who belong to it to be absent from their
| business upon the few occasions when dur
ing business hours they are asked to per-
form some military duty. AT times of
encampments, which, at most, do not oc-
cur oftener than once in two years, and
! which are the best practical schools of in
struction which the National guardsmen
can enjoy, the. same difficulty is, to some
extent, experienced.
But there are other important grounds
than the character of the service which
they are required to perform upon which
the National guard is entitled to the kind
consideration of ambitious young men, and
of those who have the welfare of young
men under their influence or in their
keeping and among these is the charac-
ter of this military service as a physical
| and moral training school. No better sys-
tenn of gymnastics can probably be found
| than that embraced in what is called the
setting up" exercises, and in the manual
of arms, bayonets and saber exercises and
foot movements of the United States Army
Drill Regulations which are used by the
National guard The carriage the diligent
pursuit of this military service cultivates is
manly and. graceful, and its cultivation
healthful
1t also inculcates patriotism, respect for
authority, promptness and precision.
One of the volunteers of 1860, Gen. C.
C. Allen, was next introduced, and he
described, graphically, the way soldiers
were evolved from dry goods clerks, car
penters, blacksmiths and citizens. in
other walks of life in the early sixties.
Most of them had never seen uniform,
nor ever shot a rifle, yet out of that raw
material was constructed the grandest
army the world has ever known. Then
followed some interesting "reminiscences.
and in closing Gen. Allen spoke Of the
motive back of the National Guard or
ganization, which was not for pleasure
but for the enforcement of the law He
declared that the young men were i'm
bued with higher aspiration than the
putting on of uniform, with the love
of the flag.
"A veteran of the Eagle CORPS 3"
Mayor Snyder, was next presented and
in a short address he congratulated the
officers and members of the National
Guard in behalf of the citizens upon their
armory and expressed his belief that the
First brigade, which has accomplished
so much in a few years, will be ready to
do great things If their country ever
calls upon them.
Gen. John r. Mathews also expressed
his pleasure at the growth of the Ma
tional Guard from two companies to it's
present dimensions. He emphasized the
point made by Col. Berry as to the nee
essity of cooperation of the merchants
with the officers of the National Guard.
that the members may be able to Join
parades, etc. The general suggested in
closing that some other day than the
Sabbath be appropriated for target prac-
tice
The Hon. Robert N. Bulla was the las
speaker of the evening, and he main
tanned that in the present transition
period, when people feel active and out
spoken disrespect for institutions and
laws the National Guard must be main
tanned to protect the people.
At the conclusion of the program the
officers and men conducted the large au-
dience on tour of inspection about the
commodious and wefl-arranged building.
This evening, tOm9sgssSw ssrSw and Thursday