Graham guardian., 1900-10-19
TRUE DEMOCRACY VS.. TOREY'
FEDERAL IMPERIALISM
standing Armies Dangerous.

ing army only as dn lIlStI tIuiheHl VI
lawless power, and they I'D not
believe that the same could exist
without danger to the rights and
liberties of the people. The main
tenance of standing armies in this
country was one of the chief
causes which led to the revolu-
tionary war and the independence
of the American colonies. In that |
great instrument, the Declaration |
of Independence, we find it |
charged against the king that:
He had kept amongst us in
times of peace standing armies
without the consent of our legisla-
lures.
He has affected to render the
military independent of and
superior to the civil power; for
quartering large bodies of armed
troops amongst us. He has erect
ed multitude of new offices, and
sent hither swarms of officers to
haress our people and eat out our
substance.
From the day Thomas Jeffer-
son penned these immortal lines as
reasons why the American people
"were, and Of right ought to be
free and independent" down to
McKinley's administration, no
party, no man, who respects our
present form of government and
the glorious history which it rep
resents, has dared to advocate the
foisting upon the American peo-
pie great standing army. Itwas
left for the Mckinley adminlstra-
ton and its followers to take ad-
vantage Of the patriotism of the
people, and the conditions that
followed the Spanish war, to en-
deavor to violate all the traditions
Of our history to establish and
perpetuate militarism and imperi-
alism by establishing great
standing army to exist in time of
peace.
The people Of the United States
certainly are, or ought to be op-
posed to this change in our policy
and this desertion of the teachings
Of the fathers, even though such
opposition may be fippantly
charged as being reasonable by
those who are longing for oppor-
tunities to pillage and plumber
and for coming reign of titled
craniums. We were always taught
by the men who achieved our in
dependence and established our
government, that standing armies
are da gerous to fra gov ~nm il
President Andrew : J.3
of his messages to cong + ,ss, tlus
speaks Of the standing army and
the MALTA;
A large standing military force
is not consonant with the spirit of
our institutions nor the feeling of
our countrymsn, when the lessons
of former days, and those of our
own times, also, show the danger
as we'll as the enormous expense
of these permanent standing mill
tary organizations.
And of the militia as
u patriotic militia, which would at
all times cover our rights and the
liberties of the people from foreign
invasion and domestic violence
with an impenetrable egis.
In all the wars we have had
from 1776, to the present time
the volunteer soldiers, called from
the yeomanry and citizenship OF
our country, have established the
independence of our government
re-vindicated our rights in the wal
of 1912, and rendered imperish
able the glory of the volunteer
soldier.
1t is too late in the day of the
history of America now for tn,
first time to declare that we mus
change the theory of our constitu
ton and our government and rely
hereafter upon great standing
military machine in time Of peace
1t will not do for men to sneer a
at the volunteer soldier or the
citizen soldier Of this country, be
cause they have made the bes
fighters in time of war, and wher
the war was over and the force;
disbanded, have returned back tc
their homes and to society ant
made the best citizen in time o
peace. 1t is because of the fac
that the volunteer soldier has 1
home to defend and return t.
when the war is over, AID doe,
not rely upon the army and war al
an avocation, an occupation, ant
as q means by which he is to livt
} that makes our system Of small
standing army in time of peac,
and well regulated militia tn,
surcst bulwork for the preserva
tion of the liberties of the people
, The evils Of standing army