St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-04

acting under the orders of an officer
without lawful authority. This is a
serious question for the men Of the
First regiment and serious question
for the taxpayers of the state, who con-
tribute $4,000 year to support the ma
tiOnal guard. AS one. | say the taXpay-
ers of this community have the right to
know that if they require the serv-
ices of the First regiment
they can have them legally
and not run the risk OF
damage suits resulting from the acts OF
unlawfully Differed and Illegally com
manded troops. This is no faneiful
picture, for older states of the East have
look on the militia as child's play, but
the people pay for it and they have the
right to require competency at its head
in order that they be protected from
further loss OF injury by its manage
ment. Gov. McGill may claim that the
above quoted order was intended only
to correct the muster of Col.
Bend, and not to reopen the case on
which his first commission was vacated,
though Bend and his frieds have made
use of the order beyond his eXcellency's
So-called intention. However, i'll mill
tary usage and practice, to correct
muster is to make it conform to the act
ual facts of service. What are the
facts? The records of the adjutant gen
erals Office show facts that have not
and cannot be controverted, that for
eight months QSS5-6) William b. Bend
was without rank or command, was not
a member and performed no service
whatever in the guard of the state.
Gov. McGill's order, and a printed reg
lister recently issued from the adjutant
generals office, attempts to give him
rank and credit of service for those
months. Does not this look like very
bold attempt to falsify the records
an OffenSe against the penal code pun
under the articles of war by dismissal
and disfranchisement. Who is guilty?
Let the commander-in-chief or his adj
jutant general answer.
IN THE REGULAR ARMY.
At the close of The late war hundreds
of officers were dismissed OF mustered
out and few months after appointed
and commissioned, and some of them
are in the service yet, but has cOntln-
uOuS service ever been claimed for
them, or have the records of the
war de partment ever been doctored to
show rank or service the months they
were out of the army? 1t cannot be
done, not even by the laW-making
power Even it cannot make something
out of nothing or change vice to virtue,
though it may relieve man of the pen
alties or responsibilities attached to his
fault, error or crime. VIII the next
legislature rescue our military COM
manderS from the hole they have dug
for themselves? Perhaps so, unless be-
fore then they pull the hole in after
them. And if they do, who will regret
it? Certainly not l."
THE GOVERNOR DEFENDS IT.
"There's absolutely nothing in that
yarn about Col. Bends not being the
ment." said Gov. McGill last evening in
answer to a question asked by GLOBE
reporter. II took that action after con-
sulting with Gov. Hubbard and other
authorities, and it was perfectly legal
proceeding. The order which | issued
did not condone Col. Bends Offense-
indeed it was quite to the contrary, and
it was done only to make the commits
sion of Col Bend continuous from the
beginning.
'7But it is claimed that the order re-
voked the only commission held by Col.
Bend, and that he is now acting without
authority" said the reporter. SIS this
true?"
mo, not altogether" said his excel
lency. 81 revoked only that part of
Gov. Hubbard's first order which an
nulled Col. Bends first commission.
You may depend on this fact that did
not take this action without Knowing
what was doing. and it's all right and
perfectly proper"