Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-02-28
THE MILITIA QUESTION.

THE MILITIA QUESTION.
The misunderstanding in Regard to
the Expense of the State National
Guard
/ Madison Dispatch 10 The Evening Wisconsin,
| A good deal OF misrepresentation exists
as TO the nature of the expenditures for
the Wisconsin National Guard. Through
some oversight or carelessness in fully
! explaining all the items in the secretary
of states report, the cost of the militia
for 1882 is set down as being $46, 229.3
In the summary, on page 7, there is @
foot-note explaining that 1924, 221.39 of
this sum was for 1881, being the pay
ment made on the inspection for 1881
and properly payable that year, but
through delay thrown over in 1882.
This would leave the actual cost of the
state militia in 1882 at $22, 007.96. Few
people would read the toot-note, howev-
er, and very wrong impression is
gained ID consequence. On pages 68-71
the disbursements for the two years are
given in detail, without division, and APP
pearing as the expenditures of 1882,
with not even o foot-note showing the
actual state of affairs. This is clearly an
injustice to the National Guard. But
the wrong is still further en-
HANGED by carelessness in state
ment of details; for instance
the commanding officers are stated as
having received certain sums of money,
varying from $191 to $270, "for attend
ance upon encampment." Thus the i'm
preston is attained that the officers
named get handsome individual fees for
the weeks time they give III camp. The
fact is that these items should be de-
nominated " subsistence for company "
the officers and men getting no per
diem whatever. The gentlemen in the
Legislature who are agitating the cutting
down of militia appropriations are doing
SO under a total misconception of the
matter. A full explanation of the mat |
ter cannot but convince them that the |
secretary of states report is wholly mis-
leading In the premises, and that the |
National Guard is doing it's work as
cheaply as it is efficiently-the cost to |
the state of $40 per man being far less
than In any other state in the Union
pretending to have competent militia
system at all.
In the discussion of the affairs of the |
Wisconsin National Guard, growing
out OF the hostile legislation pending,
it has been charged that the
funds of the National Guard have been
extravagantly expended" This state
ment grows out of the careless, loose
manner of stating details in the secre-
tary's report alluded to. and misap-
prehension of the character of the mill
tia funds. There are three of these
funds, viz: First, the armory fund of
$500 to each company passing annual in
spectioD; second, the clothing fund, at
the rate of SIS to each man who is pres
ent at inspection. This payment Is made
to the company, and not to the men. 1t
IS made on the sworn statement of the
company commander, verified by the
certificate of the inspecting officer, who
is sworn officer on the governors staff,
approved by the governor and audited
by the secretary of state; third, the
subsistence fund. This is paid to the
company, at the rate of one dollar for
each man In camp, for subsistence and
incidental expenses-the men giving
their time. The payment of this money
Is based on the morning reports of the
company commander, verified each
day by the adiutant and regi-
mental commander; and on one day of
each encampment by the adjutant gen
eral Inspector general er-o6iciO), who
personally sees that each man on the
roll is actually present. This roll must
then be approved by the governor and
audited by the secretary of state. There
is no general national guard fund, as
supposed by persons who have har-
angued against the " extravaganza of
the state militia. The payments are
made, as will be seen, on the very
strietest basis, hedged about with all
manner of precautions, so that in order
to inaugurate a fraud, every man in the
company (for the result OF the inspection
is always announced at the head of the
line), the company officers, the state in
specting officer, the governor and the
secretary of state would be necessary
parties to it. The adjutant general gets
the munifcent salary of $500 per annum,
with no fund to draw from or superiu-
tend the expenditure of; and if he is
diligent and attends to his business, as
Gen. Chapman does, the $500 does not
begin to recompense him fer quarter
of the time he spends in the actual dis
charge of his arduous and often vexa-
tious duties.