The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-14
Shall Nation Depend Upon
the States for It's Defence?

militia Of the several States for COP.
tain specified purposes, to wit: to A..
cc,tc the laws Of the Union, to .u,.
press insurrection and to rcpel in.
vasion. Congress could prescribe III,
organization and discipline. but, IN ~,
states were reserved tho appoin,nc,,
Of officers and the authority for train.
ing the militia in accordance with N,
discipline prescribed by Congress. 7,
other words, the doctor could MO.
scribe. but II was up to the ps,le,.
AS to whether or not he would ,,Lo
tho prescription. And there is ,hs
point That forever makes It impcye.
bic to build u system Of national 40.
fence upon the state militia. And
absurd from any standpoint.
The Constitution brakes il, the du,v
of the national Government to guar.
antee o the States a republican form
of government. to protect the s,a..s
from invasion. TO come to the ASST.
lance Of tho States whenever ,hs
ordinary agencies of governmeu.
within the States are no longer Able
to maintain law and order. The func.
ton OF the national Governmsn,
among other things. is 10 protcc. the
States. It is nowhere intimated or
contemplated In a single instance tina,
the States should protect the nation.
that the parts should take the whole
under their wing.
II is absolutely absurd to contend
hat the States should defend the IA.
ton. II Is the business. and the eS.
elusive business, OF the nation to de.
fend the nation. 1t is well enough am
logical that II the States have within
their jurisdiction certain moro or less
dependable troops for State purposes
In time Of war these troops Nigh, be
used for what they are worth. El:
/ the mere statement OF tho proposition
| that such troops should be the man
reliance or any serious reliance so-
the defence OF the nation In war con.
clusively demonstrates the utter f,l.
lacy Of hat proposition. You can .ool
some Of the people all OF the tine
and all the people some ~ the time.
but you cannot fool all the people d.
the time. Geniuscs in sophistry an
political legerdemain succeeded rro,'y
well for a time in making a aooi
many people believe that tho pea vas
under the shell where It wasn't.
They would federalize tho militia.
They would put II under the con,ro,
OF the War Department and make :
available TO the national Government.
both in peace and in war. for every
legitimate purpose OF national defenc'
Like the maligned and proverhial
druggist. they would give the peoplo
something just as good. But Il vii
not work.
Whatever else the American peop''
may he they are not fools. Not ono -
the advocates of state pork aga.a.
national defence contended agains. ,hs
fundamental principle OF the neccssi,
of tho un!tication Of control Of the n.
tional defence. But they would sio7
how. by til" expenditure Of 50 ma.
million dollars, tho State militia con-
he increased ~ $4,000 men. and ho~
ny making the payment Of this mon
10 the states dependent upon this a..
that, they would make a ver!tahle NJ.
t!orai army.
\ hollow imposture. The Co-c.!'
ton Of tho United states tells Congo.
exactly what it Il do and what
cannot do with respect to the :,
militia, With all the millions -
pubic treasury the Congress cans
purchase or bribe T. vcstigc OF :.
authority denied 70 il by the Co.-
tuition. The Governors can and "
appoint the officers. The Pes.
or the United States in time uf (,
CANNOT sive one legitimate order -
member OF the State militia. IN -.
OF war the President of the I'M.
states cannot order one State mil,
man outside the borders OF the Ua.C
But they say they will give :
President the power 10 draft the \.
tia IN time of war. That makes no d..
ference unless he has absolute pout!
TO compel adequate training and dig
pine in time of peace. which power :
denied him and the CONGRESS by -
constitution. For;y-eigh. armies
F~or'y-eight commanders in cNis' y
the persons of forty-cight Gove-nor,
F~orfy-eiRht State Adjutan.s.Genere
appointed / n a majority Of INSANE
for political reasons. All Fedora mo-
eys, all training 70 he sifted ,,-ogsl
the state Adjutants-Gencral - ~
militia: tho Governor 10 appoint I'll, :.
officers through the Adiutan;-tisn"rs
and with each appointment a S-try
In some Of the States OF the Tgo
the result would be a gigantic po'i.ra'
machine: in some of the States Of ~.
Union. an honest effort 10 40 ~. b.
that could be done. As a ger"-il ="
suit a farce. II not a scandal, la n
ter that nothing should be done ''7'
that the American people be d'.lde
into a false security, res.ing upon
broken reed planted in a q~uichsand
F~orty-eight armies for the 1at.'Ti
Defence Let us he logical. IN rs
have f~orty-eight navies; cach ST.
with its navy and tho Governor ~
grand admiral Of the fleet lf'
take out from the control ~ -" ~
tional Government the conduc' - o.
foreign AFFAIRS and set M fort"."ic
state Departments in tho States ~ 'h'
Union, so that Dur foreign a"urs nv
he brought closer To the people o.
each State direc, ito rcla,inIs W. A.