The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1900-09-28

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be a menace to our republican institu-
tions. That we will necessarily have To-
t,ave much larger standing army than
previous to the war with Spain is per-
fectly plain to everybody, and if we had
had no war with Spain an increase would
still have been needed. So far as actual
numbers are concerned, we now have
about 10000 men in arms and have two
fights on our hands. 1t is quite probable
that after Aguinaldo is defeated on
November 9th and Chinese matters set
tied, that large part Of these troops will
be disbanded. There may be question
as to how many we need after that, but
we do not recollect that anywhere has
the republican party made any statement
that our army should be greater than it
is at the present time. There may be
some individuals Of both parties who
think we ought to have as many as 100,-
GOO men in the regular army. This we
think larger than necessary, but as "a
menace to the peoples numbers go
-as about Is, ,000, 600 voters cast their
ballots in this country in 1895, the pro-
portion, one soldier to $50 voters-is
rather too small to be frightened about
either as menace or yet as burden to
support, even If the one soldier is a
"mercenary."
But the subject-matter is not the num-
Der so much as the kind. The assertions
Of the Pink Paper are to the effect that
the professional soldier is a danger.
"He follows his leader and does not
fight for principle" We are inclined to
think that the Pink Paper has in mind
that class of professional soldiers who
are better described as Soldiers Of for.
tune" and some even Of these like
"Chinese Gordon" have not only proven
themselves Of the bravest but of the best
and purest patriotism, for there is a
patriotism that is for-humanity as we'll as
alone for ones own country.
Men in choosing avocations are in
fluenced by many circumstances and by
their mental and physical natures. Some
men choose to be editors, others to be
clergymen, others may incline to military
life. In each of these professions, daily
bread is necessity and must be to some
extent an object when choosing. But
we will do the editor of the Pink Paper
more honor than to believe that while he
is regular that he has no higher
motives than mere mercenary ends, that
he would follow any leader knowingly to
the injury Of his clientage.
The minister regular who has en-
listed in the service of the Lord and the
church is generally credited with some.
thing more than "mercenary" ends.
General Miles and General Chafee
though starting in the ranks of the volun-
teers are regulars, professional soldiers"
but we hardly speak or think of them as
mercenaries.
And in the beginning of the dark days
of 1851 when southern officers of the
regular army were throwing up their
commissions and handing over arms and
Notifications to the southerners, the
privates in the ranks almost invariably
stood true to the colors they had enlisted
under, and the annals of that war show
that they fought shoulder to shoulder
with the volunteers and with equal pat
riotism and bravery. :.
The idea that because man becomes
a soldier in time Of peace, that therefore
he shows he has no patriotism is about
as absurd as that because man joins a
church he therefore has no religion.