Norwich bulletin., 1918-02-26

to replace the National Guard but, l while such course would be bene- dcial in a way, it would place rifles in the hands of inexperienced men and boys who would not know what to do with them after they got them; and. Furthermore, the units would Tn all probability be located in the cities, and in case of trouble in an outlying district the depredations would be over before the militia could get there, as was the case in Chicago when the so- called Peace Conference was held, con trary to the orders of the Governor or Illinois, but with the consent of the Mayor of Chicago. The Governor or dered troops to Chicago, but before they arrived the meeting was verfand the damage done.
 The. danger is not altogether in the cities; and the violence will not be confined to manufacturers engaged in making munitions of war, but to our
 bridges, watergates, reservoirs and even our crops < While the dastardly plot which was unearthed in Oklahoma haas been, for | the time being, settled, what assurance have we that there is not another and possibly greater on in the state of | incubation and may be launched at any time? ssfs'4
 The National Association of Shot gun Owners, with it's members in every
 city and town in the country; with
 organized units in each locality, com posed of men and women swil ) have
 had years of training in handling ! shotguns and will llnot be transferred from one town to another, hut will be o1 the ground when the call comes from the Governor or his represen- Q blo fn tsal- .ra1, of o nv emergency which may. arise; and do it in a way from which there will be no criticism except from the unfortunate
 one who, through being misguided,
 perhaps, finds himself at the muzzle
 end of. our shotgune.
 In this connection we wish to cal
 your attention to a letter from E. M
 Sweeley. former Mayor of Twin Falls
 Idaho. MT. Sweeley says, in part: During the month of March last
 when the situation; was becoming
 tense. we organized the active trap
 shooters, and hunters of this county il
 connection with. and as a detachmen of the Sheriffs office. Each maI | chosen was commissioned as Q Deput, Sheriff. without pay, and provision made for instant service day or night , We have in this county, all irrigation
 farming: and the systems, with. thei
 dams, laterals and headgates, repre- I sent about ten million dollars whil 1 | the land under them-and absolutel. } dependent upon the systems com ! prise about S50.00o acres. Obviously ) 1 this offered sonelittle problem in pro : lection.
 ) ''Watchmen were placed at the i'm
 portant points; but no effort wa . found necessary to secure the promp , presence of sufficient, force c , gnards, Most of the men have cars 3 3 and those that do not, know wit z whom they will go in case of cal The results have been very happy: tn :, Sheriff's office has been relieved of tn | worry of where to get help in case ( a hurry call; and the knowledge ths
 such a force exists has a deterrer :: effect upon those who might be desiI , ous of causing trouble" e.- 2 The above is carrying out on .sma oo scale just what the National Associa ,J ton of Shotgun Owners is doing on 4 rational scale, with the exception tht 7 Icompanies are not to be deputized UT e der the Sheriff. nor are the lnembel - obligated in any way except to do the IA duty as American citizens, and prote ,e their homes. s T