Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-02-03
THE NATIONAL GUARD.

not just 4ultS luS uiSoSuAN, AZ
some of its provisions advocated
by the National Guard Associa-
ton, but it is a long stride in
that direction, and may easily be
perfected as time and experience
may suggest.
After the close of the civil
war, when the several states be-
gan to reorganize their militia, it
became the purpose to national
ize it. The experience of that
contest had demonstrated the act
ual necessity for such measures
as should render the militia of
national value as a 1elerve force
from which troops might be
drawn enough efficient in disci-
pline, drill and equipment to be
placed in the field at once.
All the appeals made to con-
gress were futile. The states
were either unable or unwilling
to undertake the work. The
burden fell, in a large measure,
upon the active nilitiamen them
selves working in their own
states. Fortunately, these were
men who had gained their krowl-
edge and experience in actual
warfare. Their first effort was to
infuse the organized militia vlth
a national spirit. To this = it
was named in the several 5
The National Guard. No ]
South, as the militia wa =
ganized it adopted this de-
ton.
The next step was to Il
the organization In the S. al
states after the regular q y.
This was exceedingly dificl.lt.
The national government gave it
scant encouragement. 1t gave
the states such ordnance I'D
equipment as it had discarded or
the army, or such as it was be-
1ieved the army would never re.
quire. Regular army officers
looked askance upon militia1 en-
and militia organizations.
Nothing deferred, the National
Guard Association persisted.
Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio,
Illinois and other states success.
lively organized, armed, equipped,
drilled and disciplined their
troeps upon regular army models.
So fully had this been done in
some of the states that at the out.
breaking of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war they could answer the
cali of the national government
with troops ready for the field,
and, with the exception of arms,
quite as efficient as those of the
regular army.
Oregon made up her most ex-
cellent regiment by sort of &c
lectic process-hy appropriating
the best available material
throughout her whole organiza-
tion.
That war, however, emphati-
cally demonstrated the necessity
of more efficient national organi-
zatien of the militia. The Dick
law is for this purpose. Oregon
must reorganize her guard. The
acknowledgement has suggested
two methods of doing this. One
is by forming six additional COM
panies of infantry. This would
give the state a brigade of two
regiments of infantry, each of
twelve companies, one troop of
cavalry and a battery OF field ar
tillery.
The other method is to disband
all the infantry companies in ex-
cess of twelve and abolish the
brigade organization. This VIC 4
give the state one regime
infantry, one troop of ca
and battery of artillery.
latter method the adjutan
eral recommends, and it Is
here we differ FROM him.
With but one regiment
station of the companies "
be so far apart that batta
drill would be difficult, and re-
mental assembly, except at an
nual encampment, wholly ini-
practicable. Multnomah county
has a splendid armory. Eigh q
possibly ten, companies should
be stationed so that they could
readily meet for battalion drill
and instruction. The brigac s|
organization should be retaines
if for no other reason, because