The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-09-28
DEFENDS THE ARMY.
Gov. Roosevelt Shows Up the Falacy of
Danger of Militarism.


In a recent speech at Chicago, Mr..
Bryan is reported to have spoken as
follows:
''Can 100, 900 soldiers in country
like this take charge and change the
form of government No. But the
fact that people like ours permits
this bodies no good to American insti
utions. If hundred thousand soldiers
are permitted to walk about in idle
ness, where one soldier would do, what
are we coming tori
This extract contains such an extra
ordinary variety of misconceptions
that it seems difficult to believe it can
from this that Mr. Bryan has aban-
doned the Kansas City platform. The
absurdity of speaking of an army of
100, 600 men as threat to the coun
try when one third of them are volun-
teers the rest regulars provided only
for two years is so palpable that mere
statement of the case is sufficient for
refutation.
What is that bodies no good to
American institutions? 1t is the sixty
odd thousand regulars for the most
part in the Philippines2 Mr.. Bryan
SuShO w hhOW Ny G1IuO Ulldl
asmuch as Thomas Jefferson handed
over to his successor an army which
he had increased until it represented
IA of soldier for every thousand popu-
latlon as no damage to our institutions
followed there is scant room for ap-
prehension on the part of the most
timid soul from the existence now of
an army of for every thousand popu-
lation Under President Mckinley
while there is war in the Philippines
our regular army has shrunk to little
more than half the size, it had attained
at the end of President Jefferson's ad-
ministration, during period of pro-
found peace
Even more extraordinary is the state
ment that the hundred thousand SOL
diers are permitted to walk about in
idleness where one soldier would do.
If it were not for Mr. Bryan's other
utterances it would seem absolutely
| impossible that this statement could
have been correctly represented. A
100, 900 soldiers in idleness Think of
these words being spoken by a candi-
| date for the presidency. The soldiers
out, marching from dawn until dark
1
swamps, sleeping when and how they
could, eating what they could get or
going without, facing death by bullet
every step from a foe ten times as
numerous as themselves and if wound
ed and left behind, facing what was
infinitely worse than death-the most
dreadful torture.
With patient accomplishing, I'M
l
have done all this and have made
not only America, but all mankind
their debtors and so that their re-
of one of the two great parties sneers
| walk about in idleness Lawton no
longer walks in idleness Liscum no
longe walks about in idleness; Reilly
no longer walks about in idleness
Many an officer, many soldier rests
of toll for his country has come to an
end. One soldier does the work of
these men. Are our memories so short
as already to forget the hurry with
which we drew troops both from
America and the Philippines, when
| the blood of our people called from
China and the awful danger of the
women and children in Peking stirred
to its innermost soul the manhood of
| Christendom? Small, indeed is the
chance for idleness for our soldiers in
the Philippines SO long as the insur-
gents are aided and abetted by one of
the great parties in this country.
Every American who holds high the
honor of his country should have
craven on his heart the solemn pro-
phecy of Lawton. Let him beware
above all else the words that speed
the bullets of our country's enemy
From Governor Roosevelt's speech at
Helena, Montana, September II.