Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1914-12-17
i. +. KING.


Thursday Morning, Dec. AZ, 1914.
There is much talk nowadays
about increasing the armament and
number of our enlisted men so as TO
compare fayorabiy with abe great
numerical strength Of the European
Powers, and, because the President
does not seem enthusiastically in
terested in this manner Of convert
ing the free United States into q
tyrannical military compulsory hot
bed Of discomfort and hatred for the
country whose destiny he has
been entrusted to guide. number Of
the Press have taken occasion for
severely criticising him.
That the President is pursuing
the right course, in this attitude. is
evident 20 those who have the inter
est Of the country at heart and no fee
ledefense of ours is necessary. But
for the sake of putting ourselves be-
fore the people in the light Of pa
triotism, rs we see it, a few words
may net be amiss.
II we read Alright the idea. is to
bring about a compulsory military
service. Compulsory military SER
vice for the people of the United
States whose readiness and willing
ness To fight their country's battles
has already been SO forcibly express
ed. more particularly 50, when they
answered the call for volunteers in
the late Spanish-ADerican war, in
so overwhelming a number that the
country could not use them all. To
attempt to deprive a free citizen Of
the United States Of the exercise of
his freedom in time of peace is ,on-
trary not only to all that we under
stand by liberty, but infringes upon
the inalienable natural rights of al
human being.
This heinous thing must not be.
The sooner the great statesmen of
the country understand this funda-
mental principal of our government
the greater service they will be able
TO render it. The idea of compul.
sorry military service in times Of
peace il so abhOrent to the average
citizen of the world that many have
deserted those countries in which
il is practiUed and have duplicated
the United States TO adopt then as
citizens. Compulsory service in
times Of peace has ever been respon-
sible for all that is contrary TO pa
triotic love of country. Ii stands
as the great ''bug-bear" of Russia
and the father of Nihilism; in Ger
many it is responsible for the anti
class that has given birth
TO socialistic tendencies that arcT'
only slightly removed from absolute
anarchy. These people who have I
lled those lands on account of this
infringement of their liberty and
other attendant causes springing
therefrom have ever shown their
willingness to defend the Ged-given
rights of freemen as exemplified by
The country of their adoption. Break
down this ancient bulwark and make
instead an army compelled to serve;
instill into the hearts of the young
the accursed thirst for power over
The weak, and, behold, the wreck and
misery of civilization.
An exchange, in a recent article,
1
speaking sluringly of the Minute
men" type of defenders, in an age
Of what they term 'forty-two CEN
tre-meter Krupps, 500 mile battle
lines, and Zeppelin dreadnoughts"
fail TO note that since the minute-men
accomplished the task they set. out
10 accomplish, we, their defendants,
have increased to 100, 900, 600, and
are not less able than our fore
fathers.
To all minds that are not biased
by the thirst for conquest and the
greed of power, this talk about gi-
gantic lighting machines, increased
and compulsory military
service is most sickening. Guard
coast-line and commerce surely, but
we need no Armada for that.
Large standing armies we need not;
our coast defenses are of ample
suiiiciency 10 protect us until our
voluntary, free and uncompelled
patriotism will people our great
country from shore to shore, from
Canada to our southmost boundary
with m army that would repel any
invader.