The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-10
MlLITIAMEN NOW ORGANIZED.
BUTTERFIELD WADE PRESIDENT
or THE CONVENTION.

Committees on RESOLUTIONS and 9th
err Matters ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
McCracken's Able Address on MIL
itary instruction In Public
sehooIs-Opportunit for the COun-
try to secure Good Wnterial-sys-
tenn should he Extended.
Tampa, Fla. Feb. 9.-The national mill
tary convention was organized at II o'clock
this morning by the election Of the follow
ing officers:
President-Gen. Daniel ButterheId of
New York.
Vice Presidents-Gen. F. II. Case. Mchi-
gan; Col. j. Anthony Dyer Rhode Island,
and Gen. John c. Underwood Of Kentucky.
Secretary-Capt. James c. Wilson, For
ida.
The following committee on resolutions
was appointed: Gen. Charles T. Anderson,
Virginia; Col. Winfield Scott Prosky. Flor
ida; Gen. Appleton, West Virginia; Lieut..
w. H. Sutherland, United States navy;
Gen r. w. Floyd, South Carolina; Maj
Joe Harper, Florida; Col w. S. shep-
pard, Georgia. Col. Chamberlain. Massa-
chusetts, and Capt. Andrews, New York.
Gen. Anderson of Virginia was made
chairman of the committee. Maj. Samp-
son. in command Of the Toronto Cadets,
was made an honorary member of the
congress. A number of resolutions per-
tanning to action by Congress to provide
for clothing and developing state militia
and naval reserves were referred to the
committee on resolutions without debate.
They viii be Incorporated in one general
resolution, to be presented TO the conven-
ton al a future session.
Dr. McCracken, chancellor Of New York
University was introduced by Gov. Biloxi
ham, and delivered an address on military
instruction in public schools.
Military in the Schools.
Answering the question what does
America say as TO instructng the boys of
America in military tacucs?" Chancellor
MacCracken said he came to the discus
sion free from pre-judgment. The one
object of the convention would be- he said,
to reach such results as should be best for
the boys of America and therefore best
for the homes of America and, through
America, best for the world.
The schools of America are magnificent
in extent. They are a possible parade
ground for an army of 100000 of boys.
soner on the school population, makes
the boys between and IS years of age,
lOG4l, 1872 This gives us over 10000 boys
every year passing the 1S-year limit and
becoming men. Soon we shall have ,000-
600 youths added every year to the man
hood roll of the United States of America.
If military drill were confined to those
only IA to IS years of age, we should have
an army of 100000 and over. The main
Ion far Oh nnn
boys from IA to IS years of age have the
opportunity of learning a little something
of the rules and exercises that make men
soldiers2
In addition to these there are the older
and larger boys nearly a quarter of a
million in number; a larger number than
the total force called out by the President
for service the last year Marshaling
the two together, remembering that in
the ordinary regiment, there is one COM
missioned officer for every twenty men,
and we should ret have from all the high
school boys of the country, enough young
fellows to organize one-half the boys that
ought TO be in the common schools. Take
the boys that actually are in the common
schools which the chancellor placed at
about 1000. 600. and If one-half of them take
military drill, being 3,560,000, there are
enough high school boys to allow one COM
lflSSlbutG OllltGI lOG every twenty. IN
other words 230, 600 boy officers for 8, 800. 600
boy soldiers. Shall we dril them all?
Shah we driH any of them? Shall we
drill only the high school boys? These,
he said, are the questions of the hour.
Statistics Are Lacking.
Passing down and out from the high
schools 10 the grammar schools Mr.
MacCracken said that statistics are al
most utterly wanting Three cities only
in the United States. he said, make mill
tary instruction obligatory in the gram
mar schools. Newport. KY, Colorado City,
Col, and Butte City, Mont. two of which
are small cities in the Rocky Mountain
region, and the third is practically a
suburb of Cincinnati. Obligatory military
instruction in grammar schools may be
said hardly to exist Four or five cities
authorize voluntary instruction in military
drill namely, New York city. Geneva. n.
Y. Workers, N. Y, Rochester. N. Y, and
Wnona, MINI.
Summing up the extent of the military
drill in the grammar or common schools
of the country, he concluded that out of
an army of seven million boys enrolled in
the grammar schools not one in thous-
and has any opportunity of instruction in
military tactics, and not a half dozen
communities in America have imposed
this work upon the grammar or common
school, TO be paid for at the public ex-
pense,
lie commended the wisdom of the gov
ernment in allowing military officers In
times Of peace 10 he assigned to our col
legcs and universities to instruct in mill
tary tactics. He said he should not fear
Of every one of the 100000 boys that go out
OF our schools every year into active life
had enjoyed two or even three years of
drill, that We should be one particle more
likely to march into Canada or Mexico
or to take ship TO conquer either Europe
or Asia, Nor would the fact of their drill
make chem one iota more ready TO encour-
age riot or civil war.
Would Give Good Material.
on the other hand, grant the United
States that out of her boys leaving her
high schools and the uppermost grades
of her grammar schools. hundred thous-
and every year with some knowledge of
tactics, and at once we should have the
best material for our state militia or ma
tional guard, the best substitute for a
great and expensive standing army: a
aep do