The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-01-16
MILITIA BILL
NOW A LAW
General Dicks Measure viii Work
Radical Changes in National
Guard.
REPLACES AN OBSOLETE STATUTE.


where receiving congratulations OIL the
passage by the senate yesterday of his
miliatia bill, says the Washington cor
respondent of the Cleveland Flain
Dealer. The measure has already been
passed by the house and as soon as
several relatively unimportant amend
ments are concurred in it becomes
law and Gen, Dicks fight of two
years for this legislation will have
ended in entire success. The enact
ment of this law means much to the
national guard organization of Ohio.
The Dick bill is the second militia
law to be adopted by congress since
the formation of the union. 1t replaces
an obsolete statute of the eighteenth
century, which made every citizen be.
tween the ages of eighteen and forty
FIVE a soldier at the call of the presi.
dent and required him to be in read
mess for such a contingency, to pro-
vide himself with firelock and bag
Of fints
The bill passed yesterday has two
general features. 1t places the nation
al guard organizations of the various
states, hitherto independent Of any
but state control, at the call of the
president of rhe United States for
such service as the government may
require and, In compensation for this
concession on the part Of the guards.
men the government hereafter con-
tracts to arm and equip the organize
tious In regulation fashion. The gov
ernment appropriates money as here
tofore for the guard and in addition
sufficient money to provide camp pay
for officials and men at regular army
rates. TO receive the benefits con-
ferred by the act the state guards
must hereafter be organized on regular
army lines, engage in practice camps
for at least five days each year and
indulge in target practice at least
twenty-four times year.
The Ohio legislature al the regular
session OF last spring passed the Hard
ing bill reorganizing the Ohio guard
in conformity with this requirement
so that the soldiers of the Buckeye
state are already in position to ben
eft by the act This means that every
organization will soon receive reg
ulation arms and equipments. The
infantry regiments can surrender their
obsolete Springfield rifles and secure
modern Krag-Jorgensons as can the
cavalry and engineers. The artillery
Of the state will be equipped with
breech loading rifles and regulation
small arms. All branches will receive
mess and other necessary equipment
in addition to ordnance. of the regu
lation type.
Hereafter organizations Of the guar'l
will be associated with regular army
commands in summer camps and ma
neuvers. such as was conducted at Fort
Riley, Kansas. last summer Guarl
officers are eligible for admission In
government military schools for spec
ial courses of instruction when their
will be furnished by the
government. In time OF war voiun-
teer forces will be officered as far az
practicable frsm active and former
grard officers, who will be entitled to
first call.
There will be an odd feature or so
connected with the new order of
things, as well. Uniforms must lie reg
ulation and the new olive drab will
of necessity make its appearance in the
field. However, the guard will have o
brilliancy on parade exceeding any
thing so far seen, for with the adoption
of the dead colored inccnspicuous
field uniform have come in dress and
uniforms gorgeous in hue
ard gay with gold and braid. But
these In the nature of things can be
by the guard at rate inter-
walls and as the usual thing the public
must prepare to see the now familiar
blue replaced by the olive drab.
On the final passage of the bill the
senator's thoroughly exempted Quak-
ers from it's demands of military de-
manls on the average citizen. Certain
features of the bill were
also omitted, providing penalties for
yuardsmen who declined to obey the
call of the national government into
tbo AaId