The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-07-31

hhc WceN' except tnat scattered SHOW
ers will likely occur In Florida and
along the south Atlantic coast.
The suggestion that military train
Ing be given in all the public schools
OF the United States for the purpose
OF laying the foundation for an efH-
cient citizen soldiery that can be call
ed upon to defend the country In time
OF need seems to have fired the i'm
sgination OF the nation and there has
been n chorus OF approval by the
newspapers OF all sections. The idea
Is undoubtedly n good one and IL put
into operation will be OF lasting bene-
nc. ph ysically. mentally and morally,
To the youth of the country. IL the
whole country should adopt the plan,
the nation will be doing exactly what
tho city OF Sumter has been doing for
more than fifteen years. 1t will be
just another instance of Sumter
Plan" becoming of nation wide ac-
ceptance. Fifteen or sixteen years
ago supt. Edmunds. OF the City
Schools decided TO introduce military
training as regular part OF the cur
riculum OF the Boys High School.
Since that time every boy who has
completed the high school course has
had four years OF mlitory training
under competent instructor.---a
graduate of the Citadel. which ranks
as military school next TO West
Point. The plan works well Ia Sum
ter. the military training. with the
daily drill In the manual OF arms,
company and battalion formation and
evolution having proven popular with
the boys. instead OF being regarded
by them as n hardship, as was pre-
dicted by many when the plan was
first inaugurated. The young men
who have received this training In
the Sumter schools during the past
fifteen years would require little ad-
ditional training for active service in
an army OF defense. III all the
schools OF the country had been do
ing similar work during the same pc
riod OF time II would be an easy mat
ter TO raise an emergency army OF
three or four million men between
the ages of eighteen and thirty-three
that could be quickly converted into
an efficient fighting machine. The
public schools OF the country could
be made the training school for a
great and unconquerable army OF
defense. while West Point and the
military schools OF the various States
such as the Citadel of this State
and the Virginia Military Institute
could furnish the officers with the
necessary technical training.
Not within our recollection has
there been such n running up and
down the State OF would-be statesmen
big and little. on speech-making ex-
peditlons as there has been this sum-
mer. Everywhere and every time a
little crowd could be induced to gath
er In a grove or In a hall an orator
with a message has been on hand to
shoot hot air into them and to- ex-
patiate ON what n great friend of the
people the orator Is and expects to be.
The orators have been various and
numerous. and their messages pecu-
liar and variegated. The dear people
have been presumed to- be oblivious to
any suggestion that the orators were
animated by any motive other than
n fervant desire To carry message OF
light and cheer To- the benighted
masses. That Is what the orators i'm
agine. but as matter OF fact the
people are wise To the game. They
know that these self-elected evangels
are office seekers. making an OFF,
year campaign. The orators think
that every time they deliver n com
mencement address at the closing ex-
ercises OF a One-teacher school or tell
q farmers meeting. composed of half
a dozen absentee landlords how To
make their lands blossom like the
rose by planting legumes and practic-
ing rotation. they have subtilely laid
wires that will pull them into fat oili-
ces next year. But the public knows
what the orators are after as well as
they do themselves. and many OF the