Newport daily independent. (Newport, Ark.) 1901-1929, 1913-05-08
NATIONAL GUARD
On DUTY OFTEN
ARKANSAS NILITIAMFN HAVE
DONE GOOD SERVICE
FOR STATE
EMF 0RCE RESPECT FOR LAW
II Guard Were Abolished Arkansas
Would Be Only State Without
Citizen Soidiery.

s!sting OF two regim ,nts Fl about III
teen hundred men and officers. vas or
1anizei by Ger. W II. Haynes under
orders Of GOV jeff DAYS soou Af'or
| his first iAaugu.a,
Tie Guard as If now ~taIs is made
L" 81 the 49, be- T1GH2 mau u the
a., carefili.g selected In Zach com
mun.tY Nhera company IS Organised
hey $50 Arkansas boys the sons 5t
men W. saw service in tA. Confad al.
af7 aud + 1eral armies. Many Of them
are veterans OF The Spaui-a.Amerjcau
war
IN 80 .arse All assemblase OF men
some few may Tot De what is desired
in citizen soldiery but the per cen
tage IS so small as not to be consider
ed. These men are sworn into the
service of the state FOR term OF three
years. and are subject to the orders
or the governor at any and all times
10 enforce law and order, and they
have no volition Of their own, whsn
ordered they must go. The pay of these
men while In active service is from
fifty cents to 1928 per day while their
officers receive the regular pay of the
United States army when on duty.
Unusually the Guard is ordered on
duty ten days OF each and every year
for rifle practice. and the same length
OF time In camp Of instruction or
maneuvers In which case the United
States meets all expenses and their
pay, The state is only called upon to
pay the salary Of two officers at the
adjutart generals headquarters, and
the rent Of company arsenals and in
cidental expenses.
At one time the Guard was called
to protect life and property In Argen-
IA, during general strike. They
we're called for duty along the Arkan-
sas and Louisiana state line and at i'm
pOrtant points along the railroad to
protect the state from an epidemic of
yellow fever They have often been
called in squads and by companies to
protect the courts and to arrest crimi-
nails and to support county officials in
enforcing law and order They have
been called to protect the Ievees along
our rivers. to prevent cutting of the
levees, and to labor In repairing
breeches and to raise the levees in or
der to prevent overflow Of waters
which would have proven very destruc-
tive.
In every case the Guard proved itself
- ~ ~,
At all times, it has been a latent
force, ready to move and to act II
properly called to preserve order and
enforce law in any and all parts Of tho
state. This may account for the fact
that the soldiers were not needed Of
toner, an ounce Of preventative being
better than a pound Of cure. 1t Is Of
no small value to the state and to ciu-
Eens who have invested money in COM
mercial ventures within it's borders
to know that there is a power behind
tho courts to enforce it's orders and a
respect for law.
It is not believed that the people
will sit idly by and see the National
Guard Of Arkansas disbanded because
Of the want of few dollars to meet
actual expenses, which cannot be paid
by the general government.
The federal government is ready
and willing to pay $1,000 for every 81
paid by the state, and the reason for
this is that the National Guard is sub
feet to the orders of the War Depart
ment and the president Of the United
States and they cost the government
less than 10 per cent per man as COM
pared with regular army and can DO
relied upon with certainty. for, under
the Dick Bill, the National Guard Is
required to be up to the standard Of
the regulars in equipment, efficiency.
drill and rifle practice. 1t is not be-
lieved that the patriotic people of Ark
ansas will permit the Guard to dis
band and thus advertise the state 81
being the only one in the union with
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