The herald., 1898-08-02

and devotion to the republic Of the body of
the army and navy.
| Another feature of this retention of polit-
ical residence in spite of absence was
| shown in the law taking the vote of the
army during the last year of the civil war.
| The army in the field then voted according
| TO the states from which they had come.
They did not vote as citizens of the state
where they were as soldiers. The scheme
| did not alter the results of the general cleo
ton and was found extremely unsatisfac-
| tory. 1t was also recognized to have ele-
ments of great danger. If an army voted
one way and the general citizens of the
| nation another, there would be created a
dangerous situation, inviting the Spanish
| OF South American pronunciamiento or the
election and installation of the chief exec
utive by the soldiers alone, as in the Ro-
man decadence
In California all the soldiers brought to
San Francisco from other states, as well
as our own from various counties, will be
entitled to vote in San Francisco in the
| state and in school, county and city cleo
lions as soon as they have been in their pre-
cinct long enough to acquire the statutory
residence. Should the Southern California
Seventh regiment remain at Camp Merritt
It will be entitled to vote on all ward,
| school and local San Francisco matters
while there and at all elections now pending
| under the present ruling of our state court
which traverses all decisions of other
states. Every well-wisher of the soldiers
and Of the state will hope that these SOL
diers will use the same dscre ton In alb
staining from political contests as the reg
ulars.
A military organization is from neces-
sity upon the lines of absolutism. Unques-
tioning obedience is "sine qua NOM of
efficiency. The very nature of an army
precludes the expectation of a free and
uninfluenced exercise of the franchise. Sol
diers should never take part in politics in
our republic. Political action by large
bodies of organized and armed men is dan
gerous and demorallzing to them as SOL
diers. Such action continued would surely
introduce the absolutism into the general
government that must exist in an army.
On the other hand the army would probably
be affected as were the Roman Praetorians.
Politics disorganized and finally destroyed
the soldiers as an efficient military body.
Not only was their force as soldiers de-
stroyed, but these political soldiers were
destroyed as men. They fell under the load
of temptation and became legalized high
waymen. rufiianly, cruel and corrupt AT
last they were more dangerous to Rome
than all her other enemies. Violence, muir
der and rape alternated with political over
throw of this or that leader with its con-
slant attendant of assassination.
The Roman soldiers during all the first
years of the republic were as patriotic, tenn
perate in the use of power and arms at
home as our own soldiers are. They Were
brave and noble freemen, devoted to the
principles Of liberty and justice 1t was
their political method that, out
grown by the powers 1t achieved
and never assimilated to the conditions
that had changed, became unsafe. When
the armed soldier was introduced as a
political factor into a republican govern
ment the republic ended. The Spanish
army has gone through the same decay
from political action.
Some may think that the introduction of
body of the army into the voting booth is
too remote to consider. In the civil war;
however, this was actually done, and there
was very plausible reason for doing it. A
bill to legalize and provide for the voting #
the armed men organized and in the field
to the number of some 100000 almost
passed congress the other day. However
plausible and however well presented a
bill may be to introduce the soldier into the
voting booth, we should never forget the
irreconcilable oppositionI of the organiza-
ton and necessary despotism of an army
with the free and unlimited discussion and
liberty of action necessary for a representa-
tive government. The two principles are
and always will be hostile and fatal to each
other. They are, indeed, hostile TO the
death.
1t is not only what the federal politician
will do with armed soldiers whom he can
vote that we must consider, but also wha.
our own state politicians will do. No ore
who has watched these men register and
vote the inmates of hospitals, soldiers
homes, poorhouses and even Jail would
doubt their voting soldiers and sailors If
they could
In fact, one of San Francisco's reckless
politicians, the extravagant county clerk
brought over from the Preside garrison
crowd of regular soldiers and voted them
at one of his recent primaries. These SOL
diers. however, have been declared to have
no political residence in California by req
SON of the Presidios being, like our Santa
Monica Soldiers home, federal reserVa-
tion. and not political part of the state o.
california, any more than Washington city
;s mart of Maryland. This is the prelim-
mary decision of the San Francisco regis
trar.
What the supreme court of California
will say about this no one can tell. The
plainest principles of law, equally with the
strongest dictates of honesty and horse
sense, are seen in such strange ways by
this versatile body of jurists that no one
can tell what the next decision will be from
this court Besides Curry's attempt 10
drag the regular soldiers into his boss pri-
maries, we have the statement that within
q few days several prominent politicians
have been in San Francisco to register all
the Republican members of the Seventh
California regiment in San Francisco.
This piece of politics renews the rumor
that the holding of this regiment In San
Francisco was for political purposes and
to carry certain elections there. The ru-
NOR had 1t that the men were TO be gener-
allv registered in San Francisco, and es-
pecially precincted in the military camp, as
in our local Soldiers home, with its five
precincts, and voted by the political OIL
GERS supporting the scheme.
That the officers or soldiers OF the Sew
enth will look with favor on the attempt
to use the regiment in politics. instead of In
Manila. is not to be believed. But the at