Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-04-14

fall back on their constitutional rights
and embarrass the government in time
OF stress.
Il do not deny that the average Ma
tional Guardsman enlists out of the
highest motives. He has patriotic
spirit and he is quite likely to volun-
teer in time of war. He goes to the
front with great zeal. But as time
goes on his life grows monotonous.
He says: Why should have to stay
here garrisoning town while other
men are at home prospecting? Why
should not one OF them take my
placer
"a perfectly human feeling, but a
dangerous one for the country.
II saw just this thing happen in the
! Philippines. We went over to fight
Aguinaldo with state volunteers.
| Many of these men wished to return
just at critical moment. Moreover.
the people back home demanded that
, they return.
Their friends and relatives at
tackled their congressman and sena-
tors until IT looked for time as
though the six thousand regular troops
would be deserted in the Islands.
/ so we had to organize the United
! States Volunteers TO replace them.
| These men were soldiers of the United
States, not of any one state. They did
not come from the same state as their
officers. They had no one back home
TO interfere at Washington with them.
In a few months you could scarcely
have told them from the real regulars.
What would be the effect on a con-
! gresham of 1000 voters, fully organ
lied, coming to him and saying: Give
up or we won't vote for YOU 1t
would be greater drain on the ma
/ tional treasury than the organized pen
| sioners have been. There would be
no limit TO their demands. We would
/ be building up a most dangerous poll
/ tical force.
/ The National Guard itself is pa
/ triotic and does not wish this meas
ure, supposedly in its interest, TO pass.
A prominent army officer returning
from speechmaking trip through
Massachusetts,. says the feeling of
nine-tenths of the guardsmen there is
one of Indignation. The measure is
being demanded by minority Of men
who make their living entirely through
! National Guard work.
! These men have been necessary to
the National Guard. There must be a
few men in the guard who do nothing
else. How shall we be just to them ?
! think that if they have qualified
themselves for army work we can well
afford to take them into the regular
federal forces.
The summer training camps have
proved that there is a large body of
men who will devote a few months of
intensive work TO patriotic preparation
for war service. In many industries
work is seasonable. Men, good work,
ers, are idle several months of the
year.
I'VE took census of New Jersey
and found there are 10000 men each
) year in that state who are without
work several months. Would not
; these men be glad to have healthful
exercise, their board and lodging and
a small amount of pay instead of idle,
; ness through the slack season?
. THE army officers who are earnest.
ly attempting 10 solve the difficult
! military problem of America would
. like 10 train these men, but there is a
possibility congress will prevent us
from doing ii.
; THE great danger we army men
have feared is that congress would
give the people something which
would give the people something
. which would satisfy them and instill
false feeling of security. Relying
on a broken reed, the people will nc
longer demand real preparedness. A
greater National Guard would do just
this.
Il do not deny that the proposed
measures would make the guard more
efficient than IL Is now. 1t would, in
deed. But at best, the priyates of the
. guard will not be fitted to take the
field and their officers still less so
The federal government will not have
: the control over them which will brint
about proper training. II will not b,
/ able to insure good discipline. 1t can