The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-22
AIMED AT rHE NATIONAL Guard.
Pennsy ., ania labor Unions Won't Anew
Members tn Join u.

WiLKEs-BaRRE, Pa, Sept. H-Ihe
National Guard Of this state ls facing the
prospect Of having it, ranks depleted within
the next two years and being unable To
enlist the minimum number for It's com
panie-. This il the direct result Of the
decision - most 81 the labor unions that
non. Of their members may he a member
OF the National Guard or Of any militia
a policeman. a special officer
or "A deputy sheriff - u kind. Those
81 the mons which have not adopted this
rule In their bylaws have " under CON
alteration and expect to adopt u NJ th"
new nnual convention.
The officers Of the National Guard see
in thus the end az the Organization unless
measures are taken to prevent the cii-
forcrmant uf such a rule 10y declaring u
American and trca-pnable Most 81
the regiments IN Pennzylvanis are made
up 81 working men, particularly IN the
districts Of Northeastern Pennsylvania,
where ar" the bg anthracite coal fields
ard IA the western and southeastern paii-
Of the state. whore are the bituminous
coal fields and the steel and iron indus
tries H. j. only IA these Districts That
there hAs ever been occasion tu call out the
troops To suppress lawlo--ue-- arising
from labor disturbances, the uutabl" ib-
stances recently being the Homestead
Anair IN the western part OF ne SiAi" ala
the lattimrr and Shenandoah disturb
apce- Of the last few year, IA the north
eastern part
Eighty Ter cent % the members OF the
Quad IN these two regions ar" mine
workers factory aud mill hands and other
CLASSES II hand worker, who have INC
strongest unions. and when th"ir laws
flrbiddiug their members To- belong T."
any organization whose prime ohJ'st II
ga, pre- .rva'iOn Of law and order are ELI
forced, there viii not To- enough men TO
fi the depleted ranks The officers admit
that there will b. available then ~ sol
dler- only clerks and business mon. The
former are generally too slight OF build
and too LACKING IN endurance and strength
10 mako soldiers and the business men
cannot devote "a" iimc 80 "
Some Of the United Mine Workers arr
even now hound nv this rule, the men IN
Anthracite district No ! having adopted
IL. Their national convention In January
l. TO take the matter up AMI ther" u lhtle
reason Ia Npec the defeat OF the rue
President JON Mitchell and the chief ON,
c~r~ ar, strongly in favor Of a.. and " VIII
probably H., embodied in the bylaws bcfore
the end If january.
Most ~ the smaller organizations have
IL now The rule n II has be-'n adopisSt
generally provides tia, no memter shall
b. permitted to join n military organ
cation, and. while u dos not prevent
the members a. present belonging Ia the
National Guard from serving, II does pft-
ven, their reDnliStment, III term of en-
lis, ment j. now thr+ years and within
that time. n the rule holds there Will he
a great falling n In membership.
A. present the effect Of the rul" l. notice.
ahlc. and several ~ the COMPANIES IN the
Third Brigade. which ! made up ~ men
from thi. part Of the state arr short mum
l.,r-d. whil" all the officers admit that
cnli-tmcuts arr more difficult TO obtain
nov than AZ any time since the formation
~ the Guard They can 100 no remedy
and expect conditions to grow wors''
The unions have adopted IA" rule hrcau-"
In the past the National Guard has b'-'n
used ~ prevent wlrS-ness hy rib
and their sympathizsr~ II" leaders say
that the militia j. always called out at
the h-,hc~t III tho Trusts, tn" capitalists
and the magna'e- and that no union man
should ta PLACED In SUCH a position that
hn will -erve hi- natural enemies, a. he
would 'o do II he militia was called out
60 protect property and lives
One union paper, n publication devoted
to the Interests ~ M" railway telcgrapher~.
took the opposite view and dcClapSt that
a. many union men a. pusSible should
bccorn. soldiers. learn how to u-' guns
and conduct themselves In n military man
ncr. so tina when o~ccl-iun came I'll" know %
rdg. Of hghting should not H. all with
IA" me- ~ the -erviCe oi tie enemy