The daily sentinel., 1903-12-22
lime TABLE.
GOMPERS ON THE MILITIA.

uUmfEhO UN lHE mIlIlIHs
There is sharp prejudice against
the nationnal guard by people not in
the habit of reasoning beyond the sur
face of things. Particularly is this
true of the short sighted workers.
who forget that these same militia
men are mostly working men them
selves and large proportion OF them
members of unions
In this connection it is edifying to
read what President Samuel GoInpers.
president of the American Fedora
tion of Labor. has to say ON this sub
ject. Mr.. Gompers is the greatest
labor leader in America. not except
ing John Mitchell. and the organiza-
tion lie heads eclipses i'll members and
successful results any similar body in
the World
trade unionist addressed a letter
to Mr.. Gompers. asking if member
of the State Militia could act as an
official in labor body After express
sing surprise that such matter
should even be questioned. President
Gompers said:
ga man who is wage Garner and
honorably working at his trade or
calling to support himself and those
dependent upon him, has not only the
right to become citizen soldier, but
that right must be unquestioned.
The militia. i. e. the citizen soldiery
of the several states in our country.
supDlias W hat otharwisa rniubt taka
it's place-a large standing army
The difference between the citizen
soldiery of the United States and the
large standing armies of many Europ-
can CO ountries is the diffe renee between
"a republic and monarchy-it is rhe
difference between the conceptions of
liberty and tyranny.
''While organized labor stands
against the arbitrament of interna-
tional or internal disputes by force of
arms, yet we must realize we have
not yet reached the millennium that
in the age in which we live we have
not the choice between armed force
and absolute disarmament. but the
alternative of large standing armv
and small one supplemented by
volunteer citizen soldiery mill
tia of our several states.
with this. both wisdom and pol
icy. as we'll as principle. should war
rant our trade unions in not taking
any cognizance OIL the matter at all
allowing each member to follow the
bent of his own inclinations. insist
ing only that he shall be wage earn
er. faithful member of his union
and true to the cause of labor-the
cause of humanity -
How refreshing it is to lead such
sentiments. after being inflicted with
the socialist and Western Federation
of Miners rot that has passed for labor
literature in Colorado for the past
year or two.
We may not agree with Governor
Peabody as to the need in many cases
of sending troops to points where the
sheriff has declared he did not need
them; we may think fool officers like
Sherman Bell should be taken to the
ate border line and pitched over;
t iere We're many things about the
military imbroglio we dill not likes
But Just the same the national qua
stands for the preservation of law and
order and no honest man need foar it.
The men who belong to it. who in
most cases are the flower of our stur-
dy youth. are deserving of our encour-
agement and not our censule. for they
are performing like nnwholesome duty
requiring both moial aud physical
courage and great sacrifice to them
selves.
So long as human nature is prone
to evil and demands the curb of law,
so long will soldiery be demanded.
Just as sheriffs and policemen are
needed to preserve the peace. Infin-
itely better. as Gompers says, that
each state should have its own citi-
zen soldiery-its own people-subject
to its call to defend lives and proper
ty, rather than the system of great
standing armies that prevails in Eu-
rope.