Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-08-03
La Toilette
FAVORS
GUARDSMEN


for the appropriation of 100000 to
take care of the dependent families of
National Guardsmen, now on the Dor
der. There is no question but the ap-
preparation will remain in the bill
as the House of Representative pass
ed similar measure by a vote of 300
with only two votes in opposition.
That measure was sent to the Sen
ate and it had been carefully en-
tombed July l in the inner vaults of
the Senate Committee on Military At
fairs. That committee opposed as it
is to such an appropriation had no in
tention of reporting the bill 1t would
be still there if La Toilette had not
produced a jimmy in the form of a no.
tice to suspend the rules so that an
amendment carrying the appropria-
ton would be in order on the Military
Bill
Senator La Toilette made an ex-
tended speech in support of the mea-
sure and completely swept aside the
opposition of the Military Commit
tee.
When the original resolution draft
ing the National Guard into the SER
vice of the United States, passed the
House it contained similar provision.
This was stricken out in the Senate.
There was considerable i'll feeling be-
cause of this action. To meet the
lack of care of dependent families of
militia men, the department made a
regulation that men with dependent
families upon their own application,
could be released. La Toilette dem
onstrated that this was an Ineffective
makeshift unworthy of the govern
ment.
Senator La Toilette also disposed of
the contention that to care for the
families of dependent National Guards
men, would discriminate against the
men in the Regular Army The SEN
ator clearly distinguished the serv-
ice of the regulars from that of the
militiamen and showed that the latter
were entitled to, and should receive
consideration upon a different basis.
The Senate finlly included within
the provisions of the amendment, the
families of regular army men so long
as the Guard is kept in the service.
This action, however, in no way ans
wered the distinction made by La
Toilette
The whole debate which can be
found on pages 1886 to 13477 of the
Congressional Record is Illuminating
and will be especially interesting to
militia men. In the course of the de-
bate Senator La Toilette said:
"Mr. President, the man who enlists
in the Regular Army takes an obi
cation which he we'll understands.
From the moment that he enlists he
obligates himself upon the call of the
military arm of this Government to
go wherever soldiers are required, be
it to the Philippines or to any other
place. He understands perfectly we'll
that his contract is one that takes
him away from his family from the
very hour that he takes the obliga-
ton as an enlisted soldier in the Reg
ular Army. Not so with the BOYS who
enlisted in the militia. AS I said a
moment ago, but twice in 81 years
have those men been called into the
service of the country, and it is, I
think, plain proposition under the
Constitution that they can never be
called into the service of the country
excepting to suppress instruction on
our own soil, to enforce the laws of
the Union upon our own soil and und-
er our own flag, and to repel invasion.
Their obligations are easily disting-
Unstable from the obligations which
the soldier enlisting in the Regular
Army takes upon himself. When YOU
leave out Of consideration constitu-
tional questions and technical con-
structions Of statutes and look at it
as practical proposition as applied
to men every Senator knows that it
would have made world of difference
to those lads who enlisted in the Ma
tlonal Guard or the State militia
many of them the heads of families.
many of them the sole support of
families-if they had understood that
at the snap of finger they could be
taken away from their homes and sent
to the border or into foreign coun-
try.
Il say, Mr.. President, that it cannot
be contended that the same rule
should be applied to the men who
have enlisted as Regular Army men
and the boys in the National Guard.
who find themselves so unexpectedly
snatched away from their families.
removed from the occupations in
which they were earning enough to
support those dependent upon them.
and sent down to the border subject
70 the perlls that attend upon the as
SemDIIng of a largo n11nobo IF roo,, -,