Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-02-16
SECRETARY GARRISON'S REsIG-
NATION

- Secretary Garrison resigned fro1
the office of Secretary of War large
1y because the President would no
agree to do all in his power to oh
lige Congress to adopt the Secretary
Continental Army plan.
Mr. Bryan resigned from the cab
met largely because he believed tina
the demands of the President in ref
erence to the sinking Of the Lusi
= tanja would lead to war with Ger
many.
Events have shown that Mr.. Bry
an was mistaken. Germany ha!
agreed to every demand made by the
President, and the relations between
the two countries are now better I'm
derstood and more friendly than a
any time since the mmencemen
of the great European war.
The logic of events will also show
that Mr.. Garrison is mistaken in his
opposition to the state militia. The
State militia can be made and will
be made the strongest military arm
Of the Federal government.
President Wilson would have com
mitted an objectionable blunder if he
had undertaken to coerce Congress as
Garrison urged him to do.
Mr.. Garrison is civilian destitute
Of military education. He undoubted.
1y formed his opinions and based his
recomm endations upon the advise Of
the autocrats of the regular army.
These officers may have little use
for militia or National Guard organ
izations, because in times of peace
such organizations are not entirely
subject to their orders.
These regular army officers un-
doubted1y prejudiced Mr.. Garrison
against the military organizations of
the several states. But when did
these organizations fail, to make
good?@ s.sss9 NJ 81 j. J.. n ID
Some f<;f1sthe readers OF this article
will doubtless remember how the
Union forces, on the 21st Of July, 1861
struck the Confederate army at Bull
Run, and for time drove the Confec.
crates before them; how in the crisis
Of the battle six thousand fresh Con-
federate troops arrived from the Shen-
andoah Valley and turned the tide
of victory Immediately; how a pan
fc spread through the Union forces,
the larger part Of which became a
disorganfzed throng and rallied back
into the defenses of Washington;
how few old militia organizations
like the New York Zouaves and the
seth New York regiment maintained
their lines, helped cover the retreat,
saved the Union army from severe
losses and probably saved the Ma
tional Capital.
There are the best of reasons why
such military organizations should be
far superior to the Continental Army
organizations, with ranks filled by
CONSUMPTION. Many Of these state
organizations have a history cover
ing a period of many years, his
tory that every member IS proud
Of. Each of these organizations rep
resents the military power of some
city or locality and every man in
their ranks would instinctive1y feel
that he was disgracing his home as
well as his company or regiment II
:ae failed to do all that a soldier
scould possibly do when put to the su-
preme test.
: An unseen power seems to be guild
ing our President Alright. Mr.. Gar
rison's resignation makes it easy for
Congress and the President to work
Ill IAVuy 1O1 ANdIAOAoA ~ OPoA GU
ness. The Matchmaking of the mi
litia of the several states is only one
item in the long program for nation
al preparedness, but it is an import
ant item. Let the bill for National
preparedness provide for 100000 ma
tionalized state guards. That would
be about one regiment 20 each Con-
gressional district, and in a state like
Iowa not much more than one COM
pany for each county. In this dis
trict the counties Of Dubuque and
would undoubtedly want
10 furnish two companies, and each
If the remaining seven counties could
easily furnish company. That would
make eleven companies, or one I
more than enough. for an ordinary
egiment.
The several states could forge
heir militia forces into a formidable
rmy without any assistance from the
nen who are spending their time