Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1913-04-26
TIE NATIONAL GUARD

inc icelinR ~ growing m this State among well
informed men. who appreciate the value Of the
service for which the National Guard exists. that
The state Is negleoting it, duty IN not making pro
VISION Tor maintaing this branch oi the public ser
wee on more efficient basis The constitution OF
o'Ranzation and maintenance OF a citizen ,oldlcry
The state is mandatory in rs provisions as 10 the
hui from the nggardy appropriations made IN Us
behalf 10y each recurring Legislature the impress.
son seems to prevail with our legislators that the
National Guard - only a useless appcndagc 10
state government
such view IA wholly uncnable In tunes of
peace or IN the absence Of great disasters the pub
hr s inclined TO forget that the National Guard
exists and should be kept at a high state OF cihci-
cncy Tor reasons similar 10 those which prompts
every city to maintain an efficient fire department.
ready TO respond at any moment night or day TO
the call OF duty for the protection OF the lives and
property OF the people Let those Who are nolin-
ed to undeuate the value OF the National Guards
men IN tunes OF peace CONSIDER the patriotic ser.
wee rendered by them recently ~ the flood stuck
en- districts OF Ohio and Indiana and then let their
thoughts revert back 10 the similar service OF the
Texas Guardsmen during the Galveston storm
] he press OF cxas. ever alive 10 the public
welfare realizes the shabby manner IN which the
Texas National Guard being treated and Is
speaking out very plainly the subject I rom a
the following:
Texas should make proper provision for IT'S
branch OF the National Guard or disband the
organization In fact Uncle Sam has already
mustered out number of companies IN the
state because they were not adequately man
tanned or even encouraged by this great com
monwealth Even Battery A. OF Dallas the
military organization that was for ycars known I'd
as the crack artillery company OF the South
is the subject ol am army officers criticism
recently He found that the equipment fur
nished by the government was unsaicy hous-
ed and that the membership was discouraged
Captain Logan and other Officers OF the com.
pany have worked enthusiastically and untir
ngly for the upbuldng OF the artillery but
they have almost reached the point of com
pcte encouragement They have not been
accorded that support by the public IN these
piping times OF peace that might come to
them were conditions different
1t Texas does not need the guard It should
say so and relieve itself OF the expense of
fnaintaing an inadequate force and an inclh-
Gent system Perhaps We do not require the
service Of the fire department today. tomorrow
or next week. But the necessity Tor its exist
cnce Is apparent TO every citizen Is there
difference
The value OF this arm of the National defense
was fully appreciated by the founders of our GOV
eminent Indeed. article =, of the Federal con
sutu,ion, alfirms that \ we'll regulated militia
being necessary TO the security OF a Tree state the
not be iniringcd and cmphasling this thought
night Of the people to keep and bear arms. shall
homas Jefferson declares that well disciplined
militia is best reliance n peace and Tor the
first moment OF war ull regulars may relieve
them
IL is high time our Legislators were getting the
false idea out OF Their heads that d is wise ccono-
my not to make appropriations large enough to
place our National Guard ON "a plane ct thorough
efficiency and instant readiness tor every call OF
duty Houston Post