The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-10-22


furnish weapon TO destroy any per
son who misbChaves politically.
In future the political boss Of ,bc
local standing army can say TO his
faithful eight hundred, "If you boys
put It over, I'll see that youi wages
are raised"
And what candidate for ofilte WIN
ever be courageous enough TO propose
any decrease in the pay OF the local
militia. or to demand In military scrv-
ice rendered any proper return for
the national funds expended? And
what militiaman Will dare be politi-
cally disobedient to his military COM
mander?
The following editorial from THE
New York Times" makes one suspect
that the writer has seen light and
is even a trine panic-stricken:
- Alert and progressive guards
men are not in favor Of converting
their military body into a powerful
political machine. They do not in
tend 10 vote as guardsmen or to place
the interests Of the guard above those
OF the state or nation.
Should Repudiate Letter.
yet they must be aware that there
is well-directed movement afoot 10
use the machinery Of the national
guard organization to gain purely po-
litlcal ends. Some Of them must al
ready have seen a circular letter ad-
dressed to his Comrades by General
A. Il. Crltchneld, of the Ohio militia,
congratulating the guard on It's re-
cent victory in the face OF strenuous
efforts to destroy 1t by substituting
another body OF volunteers" and de-
claring that much absolutely neces-
sary for the development and future
success OF the guard is yet to be Sc
cured. General Critchfleld commands
a majority OF the senators and repre-
sentatives In Congress for willingness
and frlendlincss, but points out that
they were unable TO do all that they
might have donetf they had been more
familiar with the guard and its needs.
Wherefore he urges that no national
guardsmen shall vote hereafter for a
for Congress who is not or
has not been guardsman. -
1.-THE national guardsmen themselves
should be the first to repudiate this
letter and its political advice. They
should unite in condemnation Of all
such attempts TO degrade their mill
tary body II they willingly play the
political game suggested by Crltch-
field they will inevitably lose public
respect. With 800 guardsmen pros
pectively, in every congressional dis
trict. there is no doubt that the or
ganized militia could temporarily ex-
ert an intolerable influence in ma
tional politics - Unless the guards
men themselves check this outrageous
plot in Its inception they will see the
day when their organization will be
held in contempt in every part OF the
republic. when ii may even be swept
out Of existence by the force of pub
lie opinion. The country has already
all the national guard poll
tics 1t can endure with patience"
"The guardsmen themselves did
try to check this outrageous plot in
its very inception; the more far
sighted among them began TO protest
against the Hay bill while 1t was still
in committee.
have interviewed many Of the Off
GERS and men who make up the pa
trlotic rank and file Of the milltias,
and most of them disapproved the Hay
army bill on the very grounds | have
here outlined. They foresaw that II
the bill passed they would either be
forced to become political henchmen
or be superseded by henchmen.
An Instance Cited.
That metamOrphosis had already be-
gun before the bill became a law. One
instance will suffice. In western 4
there lives a young law
yer named Churchill Mehard. He Is a !
graduate of the Pennsylvania military !
college, where he was senior cadet
captain. He passed successfully the
for commission in the
regular army. He has served faith
fully in the state militia for fourteen |
years. He reached the rank Of major
in 1912. The study Of the art OF war
Is his hobby and his recreation. His |
reputation as an exceptionally eff |
cient officer extends even beyond his /
own state. Therefore his appoint |
nent in 1912 as adjutant Of the brig
ade to which his regiment belonged
met with wide approval. His services
IN that capacity had for four years
been highly satisfactory. Last April |
The milltia-pay clause Of the pending
Hay bill became a vital issue. Although |
the bill would give. him five or six
hundred dollars year for merely con-
tinulng to do in the future what he
had unselfshly done in the past. Ma
Tor Mehard nevertheless opposed its
and. like many others of the
rank and file, Endorsed the federal
camps and national mill
la as provided in Section LvI OF the
bill. j