, 1879-02-24

TIE MULLf04N GUARDS or 1871.
The militia who wero called out to protect tho
city from ttc thieves and the thugs ut the tluc
of tie great fro In 1871 do nut propose 10
willingly let the memory OF tllcr yalor die, or
Their serslccs 10 urrcwanled,-tf they can help
1t. Relieving thur the warrior, as we'll as tho
'Aborcr, IL worthy Of Ills hire, they propose to
strike the city, Or the State, or somebody, for
their pay. 1t Is HOW nearly eight yuars siuco
they stood around tho smoldering ruins aud
consented to sacrifice their tlme and
their convenience for tho public goo.l
anu s3 day. III TINT long interval
repeated attempts have been mado to milk tue
public treasury Of their pay, hut for some reason
or other both the municipal and The ssato
,uddcrs havc failed to "givu DOWN. Nothing
deferred, they layo armed themselves with
Wlking-paas mud mi!s-st0os, and propose to
ery u agatu. Thls latcat effort was started some
two or illree waeks ago, when nu.nbor Of thu
HIN tu exert himself III tl,rlr behalf. Mr., Nlclrr
hunted up sl.c rccurds, fund slu repurt OF thu
alato 1nil'tia.. to, this Adjutant-uenera! Tor
l673-tho eurllest llu could gct-ani discovcreu
that the document was sitHularly Silent on tic
subject of their employment. Then lle wGnt tu
TIC Ad1utahtt'cncral, who could only tell him
that hiB recollection was thAt tl,ero weru five
companies, outside Ut Cl.icngo, who wcrs called
out " tic Governor, and WHO only were e,,.
titled TO receive ani did rccctye NV for thrir
services. Tue absence Of anything Ut, tbs sub
1cct tn the report for 1873, or, indeed, In any
other documents that could bu found ut S,rlnE-
Held: WAS something that thu unpaid militia
couldn't exactly account for. The recollection
al the .PEcscut Adlutant-ueneral, however, ac-
corded IN the main with tbs statements con-
ta!hc1 IN letter to a member OF oue
Of the compantes frotn Aujt. +1ull. Higgins,
May ". 18Th. Ia tint letter it WIS s.atuI lllut
x9,0oo had been appropriated by ths previous
deNeral Assembly to pay the militia culn panes
Whtcl! did duty In ChIcago tn October, 1871,
under nrdafs ct tllu uorernnuut. 'rk.B law WIS
20 wortict, however, according to the lettrr, as
to exclude the Chicago companies from tho
bcneits Ut the appropriation for the reasop that
they were not ordered out by tbs HpYcrlor.
Tl,t lettgr closcl with the BtateMent tI,At the
appropriation vas for 81 per day Ut service, but
that tho limit was $1,000, which would
only pay tho cotnpautes from oiIlee
paEts Of tue State. 'rha fact remained, huw.
EYER thAt The militia did duff, aud tllat sutna-
body called them uut, 4n1 that they wero prom.
taea Day Tor their services, anu tbs next thing to
% vas to get bold OF tho somebody. ask Gtm
What authority he had to tall them out utd
make them such promises, uilA then decide what
further steps they should ta3e to got their pay.
w meeting Of representatives OF tla suycrul
co!npantcs waa held yesterday afternoon ut No.
lN West La3e strcet. whero int whole business
reviewed EeneFuus atrIlIE. unl q committee Of
ase, Eoustattng OF +. WlcKMann, l.. HTandes WIN.
faua iiohn, ltaus Miller, nnd Adolpl Osturmau,
appointed u interview the then otliecra Of tile
f1Est Regiment. un1 all others lu authority, ut
That memorable period IN ChicaXo's history. auI