Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-10
Cities That Have Companies in
State Militia Advised to
Keep Them
GOVERNMENT ~ GIVING AID
Spending More Money on the Guard
Than the State Best Young Men
of Cities and Towns EnIistins--New
Rifle Range Nearing compIetion-A
Joke on Hart.

| Special to Times Republican.
| Des Moines, July 10.-Cities that have
| national guard companies should hold
to them, for those who haven't them
will soon be wanting them and it will
become harder every year to get a
guard company. The fact is it is be-
coming something of an honor to a
town to have company OF the ma
tional guard. The best young men of
guard companies. Unlike the regular
army a private in the rear of ma
tional guard company can be, and FREE
quently is, the equal socially and every
other way OF the captain and other
commissioned officers Of the company.
Some times, he is the superior So
cially.
AS 3 result of this state of affairs
sft is not difficult to get the best young
men in America to join the compan-
les Of the national guard, and the
company comes to be an aristocrat-
lie club which in no way impairs its
efficiency. In some Of the large cities
in the east there are companies COM
posed and offered by aristocrats.
In Iowa the federal government is
spending more money on the Iowa Ma
tional guard than the state Is Further
more the federal government will In
time spend more than 1t Is now. The
result Of this expenditure is to make
the service In the guard very attrac-'
tive. Practically every company in the
state now has a spacious hall for drill
purposes with suitable quarters at
tached. The policy Of the state Is to
refuse to establish company in
city unless there Is suitable hall or
armory room that can be rented. The
state supplies the armory, the federal
government supplies the guns and uni
forms, the martial spirit of the young
men of America and the desire for stir
and activity does the rest. The COM
plete execution Of the idea makes
large standing army unnecessary.
The history Of the wars of all coun-
tries, 1t is claimed, proves that the vol
unteer soldier is the best soldier, and
the volunteer soldier in America is
better than the regular army soldier,
even tho the latter Is volunteer. Adj
jutant General Thrift claims, and most
public officials agree with him, that
a company Of the national guard sta
toned In a city is one OF the assets
of the city. 1t is not that the people
of Iowa need a company of soldiers
to put down strikes and rebellions, nor
even to stop prize fights, but that a
company Of uniformed young men
drilled in the arts of war add life and
a metropolitan air to city that is a
genuine asset.
More and more companies Of the
Iowa National Guard are coming to be
fixtures in the communities in which
they are located 1t is seldom that a
is disbanded now. The state
legislature enacted bill awarding
medals for long service in the national
guard. A silver medal for five years
service and a bar 70 be added for each
additional up to 26 when a gold badge
Is awarded. Not alone these badges
but the money the government and the
state are spending which makes it
worth while to the members Of a
company, is operating to keep the
companies together. Only when one
is mustered out can another
city get company established.
The new rifle range north of this
,ity is now nearly completed. The high I
water in the Des Moines river for
=, - &1e rtnnrlr Nv, bo ol<c{ny,
,or the bullets. The water covered
a gravsl bed that was be-
ng used in the concrete work. The
water in the river has not subsidized
sufficient to allow worhmen to get at
The gravel bed but 1t Is discovered
hat the high water has deposited q
lew gravel bed nearer to the place
where 1t is wanted for concrete work
han the old one and OF decidedly
better grade of gravel. The water has
so as to leave this high and
Try and the work has again been re-
.urned and will be pushed to compile
ion. The range will not be used till
n September when the target contest
will be held preparatory to the ma
ional contest.
Ernest e. Hart, republican national
comm tteeman from Iowa, and a bank
n and business man of Council Bluffs,
s unaware that there has been an
Election in Iowa and that w. C. Hay
ward is now secretary Of state and not
". b. Martin. It is presumed by poll
icians that Secretary Shaw will use
his as further proof that the masses
# the people Of the state are unac-
luainted with it,, great men and are
therefore, unfit to select state officers
" means of the primary election. Pos
ibly it will be presented at the next
ession of the legislature as one of the
ensons why the primary election law