Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-11
To the Editor:

10 the Editor:
The federal government was formed by
the thirteen colonies expressly for the pur-
pose of enabling them To make n common
defense. Ii became a defensive union
Under the constitution the federal govern
mont not only guaranteed each state
against invasion, but it forbade each to
maintain troops or ships of war; except
with the consent of the federal govern
ment.
Thus. the states surrendered into tae
hands of the federal government The frnc-
ton Of their defense, and in return the
federal government guaranteed TO each
state security from invasion or lnsurrec-
ton.
To make good its guarantee of security,
congress, in 1892, enacted that all able
bodied male citizens, between the ages OF
Is and As, should constitute the military
forces Of the nation, and it made each LA
BILE to military service within the confines
of the United States. This still is the
law. a. perusal of section 81 of the act OF
June 3rd, 1916, will show.
In order that universal liability 10 SER
vice should be made effective, congress,
under the law of 1895, re-enacted in 1908,
and widened in 1916 to include the nation
al guard and lis reserve, gave to the presi-
dent the power to call for service the en-
tire male citizenry of military age and fit
ness in the event of invasion or insurec-
ton. This power the president may exer-
else without further act Of congress-.
Thus, the federal government was Great
ed for the military purpose Of defending
the state, it, president was made com
mander- chief of the army and navy, its
first president was a military man, and
il citizens of proper age and fitness were
bound each to fight in the common de-
Tense. Ii will therefore be seen that NJ
in the democratic sense of the phrase, and
that we are subject, today n ever, TO
compulsory military service within our
own territory, upon call of the command
er-in-chief.
This is Il sufficient answer to those who
claim that, In our making the necessary
modern preparations for defense, we are
departing from non-military traditions, to
become a militaristic people.
While the act of 1872 made every man
of military age and fitness liable 10 fed
eral military service, ii delegated to the
Several states the military organization Of
these men and il granted the states the
power To make exemptions.
The history of New York, which is in
this respect substantially that of I'LL the
states, Illustrates how badly the states
fulfilled the military duties laid upon them
by the federal government. IN New York
Ithera was al first IN annual Enrolment.
In lS4G the legislature granted exemption
from{ military dutyaorevcryepe ppon pay
|ment of a fee of IS cents a year. En-
rollnients swerc then made 20 'oeciir bien-
|nualk next 10 occur AT every fitih year
and, finally, enrollments were 10 he had
only upon cal lof the governor. No gov
ernor, ! believe. ever has called am enroll
ment. Meanwhile, the non-service tax was
reducted to 30 cents, and shortly there
after il was abandoned. Thus died the
federal militia. which had been created for
national defense.
During the ~disintegration Of the federal
militia a volunteer force sprang up. a. q
protest against the military laxity Of the
authorities. This force was accepted and
subsidized by the state. and became what
is known rs the national guard. Having
no standing under the federal law the
guard was q body wholly local in charac-
ter, and was not recognized BY the federal
government until early in the present cen
fury.
The constitution. while forbidding the
states to maintain troops or ships of war
without the consent of congressl had
hound ihc federal Government ~ dafnnd