Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-03
President Tells Citizens of Topeka
That Americans Must Be Respected
AUOUer the World and at All Times

L1GS ~ vi ~ ~ ~
| to do it. Nobody in authority, nobody
| in a position to lead the policy OF the
| country, has proposed great military
arma ments and nobody who really I'M
derstands the history or shares the
spirit of America could or would pro
| pose great military stablishments TOT
America. But / have heard of men IN
| Kansas who owned their own firearms
and knew how to use them. and II there
| is any place in the Union more thah
another where you ought to UNDER
stand what il is to be ready TO take
| care of yourselves, this is the place
All that anybody in authority has
proposed is that America should be put
| in such a position that her free clti-
zens should know how to take care OF
themselves and their country when the
occasion arose.
We have been proposing only very
moderate increase i'll the standing
army of the country because it is al.
ready too small for the routine uses OF
peace. ] have not had soldiers ehousn
to patrol the border between here ana
Mexico. ] have not had soidlers
enough for the ordinary services OF
the army, and there are many thlhes
that it has been Impossible Tor me 10
do which it was my duty to do, because
there were not men to do them with.
You are not going to be jealous OF an
increase in the army sufficient TO enaoie
the executive to carry out MS consul
tutionaI responsibilities. And over ana
ahoye +b.t We have nroposed this: That
a sufficient number of men out or the
ranks of the civil pursuits of the coun-
try should be trained in the use ana
~ ar,ps in tho meneuyers of the
=; ,;i;t,rv orraDization. to
be ready and pledged to be ready II
the call should come, upon an act OF
congress, TO uii.e .ne ;tsa,f md make
iit'ie loi'e '.;t,'da Of armed men
srea. III ~ r;ehts of Amer
i feaos u ''''u''e '''e
lea.
Tradition
Essence Oh Anieii 1"u
.rs .h.r. ,nvtb;ne inconsistent with
., ,rasi,;ons of Kansas or with the
true traditions of America in a pro-
nosal like that The very essence of
:: ,,o;,od in the
American traoi'ioh Is con
proposal. Every constitution OF every
s,.ts in tho Union forbids the state
1eoisIature TO abridpe the right of its
cit;Zens IN carry arms. At the very
outset the makers of our very insttu-
tians raaIizad that the force of the ma
ton must dwell in the homes of the ma
merely: I mean the physical force. They
realized that every man must pc az
lowed nor only 10 nav ,,n % that
when the voices of peace did not suf-
flee. the voice of force would prevail:
showing tnat erea. oou h;, " 49, III I;hero
80 hu, to decIare and indicate their
GU iiherties and that there will be no
colJusion among free men to upset free
institutions. that whereas .clioues and
cotsries and professional groups may
Conceive If 70 he of their interest to in
terfere with the peaceful life of the
country. the general bodies of citizens
wouid never SO conceive it to be-
aWb., ne arc .skinp In this. That
,he n MAJ snnn,r arms sfor those of
the nation who are ready. if occa sion
should arise. to come to the national
defense. and that IL should do this
w,thnu, ,rithdra wing them from. their
order thar America should know that
in the Foundations from which she
always draws her strength there
yelled nm the inexhaustibie resources
NJ American manhood This is not
military policy; this is a policy of
ADEQUATE preparation for national de-
tense and any man who represents it
in any other light must either be ig
norant or consciously misrepresenting
the facts.
A. =. ~. M;1;+;.
~
"You will saw. we have a National
60, VET, g.,
1oaru. les. we ha'e ->a''oiai Huafo'
and the units OF 1t. SO far as nave
observed them, command my admira-
tioh ana respect out mere are only
states taking the nation az whole
and they are divided up into as many
UNITS as there are states. And the
them under The direct corn,nans anS
control of the governors of the states,
not OF the PRESIDENT OF the United
no ri.bt 70 ell ,,rnr th 90 '
servire outside ,bs;r s,,tas ,,ios ~
territorr ~ III. na,;on t .,,nII e
yaded wan, 70 90 cnn,r.s. az ~
ervthino TIN, ~ 80 81 enb..e -,
dienitv and the Soroa 80 a. as.ist
in the deye,onman, 81 IT, E.tinni
Guard hut the Nation.I cuad -;
bodv ~ state troons and ~ q 49,,
~ nationaI rasaryes hanarsa ~ o.,
stitution makes them 90 No na+tar
whether we now think thoss .ra ~
best arraneements nr NOT 'e
'.The Other mater uvon+ ,o sna, .
Won about is not the nia, ;,saif ~
that is ouss,ior ~ In,nt, ioi
given vou ,be idea ~ i, and ,i, 49,
nor sufice To discnss IT, 49,,
meetings of this 60 tn. Inti, ~ ~
printed for that ma,ter to- an1hod, 10
N Gee ,vho ysn.s - 49,. oi ans oouy
,e lie III $500, oue ing other Ihat-
hody ~ Ia, 80, p. SVu nau sredI
sufticien,lv ,raineJ 70 r,rs -, LII 'i.si