Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-12-02
Congressman Brown Defines His
Position.

OF Congress. / deem it wise to reply to
them, as well as to all others who are
interested, in a public letter. an
glad to define my position on these
questions and would esteem it favor
to have a reply from those endc rising
my position, as well az from those diff.
fering with me. 1t is imp ssible tc
please all, but it is my purpose to dc
the right as l am given to see the
right.
As a patriotic citizen, and one deeply
interested in the future welfare of oul
country, ! feel compelled to stand fol
adequate preparedness. Preparedness
does not mean war in any sense: il
rather means preparedness to maintain
peace. If good citizen ascertained
that there were burglars and house
breakers in his neighborhood and would
go to the store and buy the best revol.
yer he could get, secure an ample sup
ply of cartridges, load the revolver and
place it at the head of his bed. would
that be evidence that he intended to go
out ane kill people, or would it signify
his preparedness for the thieves and
robbers in the event they broke into
his house? Would we not say of that
man that he was wise and prudent?
This is all that is meant for this nation
when we advocate ample preparedness
Other nations are on the warpath
and it is our duty. to be ready to repel
them should an invasion of our terri
tory be made. England, France and
Russia, in blood and treasure, have
paid the price of unpreparedness
Therefore, we stand for ard advocate
ample preparedness. 1t ls most diff
cult. however, to determine the proper
steps that should be taken to meet
these emergencies. We need dread
noughts, super-dreadnoughts, battle,
ships, submarines, torpedo boat des-
troyers and oversee crafts, and we
need armed cruisers; all these are es-
sential to protect our extensive coast
coast lines both on the Atlantic and
the Pacific. Therefore. / stand for a
big navy. Many of our friends say
however, it will be too expensive, and
that it will exhaust the revenues of
our country. In reply to this let me say
that if this nation would spend as much
yearly upon our navy as we spend for
chewing gum, it would give us in ten
years the greatest navy in the world.
If we would spend the same amount
on our navy that we do for automobile
supplies In five years it would give US
the largest navy in the world: or, if
we would spend on our navy what we
spend for alcoholic liqnors and tobacco,
in two years our navy would be master
of all the seas When so much money
is spent unwisely, if not .harmfully,
upon uxuries, it does not stand the
American people in hand to complain
about sufficient sums of money wisely
expended in building up our navy
Therefore, advocate and will support
all measures tending to strengthen our
navy, which believe is needed to de-
fend our cities and coast towns, as we'll
| as protect our commerce and the lives
of our citizens on the high seas. ad
vocate the building up of our merchant
marine, and nothing will go farther to
do this than the assurances that our
sea-going vessels will have ample pro
lection in every part of the globe.
/ am not in accord, however, with
the Secretary of War and those who
advocate the building up of a large
standing army. A standing army is
| always expensive and has been look ed
upon with disfavor by many of our
wisest statesmen. Instead, however,
of a big standing army | advocate the
encouragement and building up of the
National Guard. History confirms the
statement that the best soldiers come
from the fields, workshops, and com
mercial circles a nation. 1t is from
these sources that our National Guard
is recruited. Let the members of the
| National Guard receive sufficient pay
from the general government to justify
them in meeting for drill twice month
under the direction Of well trained mil
itary tacticians and you can rest assur-
ed that in very short time you will
have an army better than any standing
army that can otherwise be enlisted.
This will be great saving to the gov
eminent in the first place, and in the
| second place it will distribute the pay
of the Guardemen throughout the en-
tire country and prevent the expendi-
ture of this vast amount of money in
certain congested centers.
The question of Rural Credits will
also be up or action and disposition at
the coming session of Congress. AS a
member of the Committee on Banking
and Currency, / have enjoy ed splendid
opportunities of STUDY ing this question
and have reached the conclusion that
there should be sound system of Ru-
raj Credits established. Rural Credit
Banks have been established in nearly
every European country Some of these
are built up of private capital. others
have received government aid, 1t was
with fear and trembling that / voted
for the system establishing our FEEDER
al Reserve Banks, for this put the gov
eminent directly in the banking bust
ness. The government furnishes the
money to the Federal Reserve Banks
to assist commercial interests. why
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