St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-17
WoULDlT BE BETTER?
Should $4,000 Be Given to En-,
tertain the Thirteenth Regir

tertain the Thirteenth Regis
ment? }
To the Editor of the Globe.
There has been a good deal Of talk
about the decision Of the. exposition
managers inviting the Thirteenth regi,
ment of New York to visit; Minneapolis
during the next exposition, and more
or less criticism of the wisdom of
their action as compared with the
scheme of William M. Regan, published
in your paper of recent date, to offer
the $4,000 necessary to bring the regi-
ment here, divided into prizes for COM
petition by military companies through
out the country. 1t seems to the writer
that there is; no question that Mr..
Regan's plan will do the exposition
and the city vastly more good
than to bring any one regi-
ment here. In the first place.
whereas the Thirteenth regiment will
bring not to exceed 500 men to our city.
Mr.. Regan's plan will bring upward of
5000, not only from one state alone, but
from almost every state in the Union.
Perhaps it will not be amiSS to cali the
attention of the citizens of Minneapolis
to the fact that we have right here in
Minnesota regiments of national guards
men second to none in the country,
a fact which the people of the state
seem to have overlooked, and some of
it's companies would, without doubt,
carry off some of the prizes which
would be offered under Mr.. Regan's
scheme.
Some time ago there was movement
on foot to raise $4,000 to send the First
regiment, Minnesota National guard, to
Washington, to represent the state
at the inaugural of President Harrison,
but the people evidently did not want
the state represented, and the money
was not Forthcoming and the plan had
to be abandoned. Now the exposition
managers want to bring a regiment here
from New York, and the people seem
ready to go down into their pockets and
furnish the wherewithal.
There is scarcely city of $4,000 pop
ulation in the country which has mill
tary company but what has a better
armory than Minneapolis can boast of.
Minneapolis people make great claims
Of being al the front in everything, but
i'm this we are sadly behind the times.
In other cities the military have place
furnished them to drill in, but in Min
neapolis the companies are obliged to
pay about $50 each per month for the
use of the old barn On Eighth street,
besides paying for their own uniforms
and everything else they have out of
their own pockets, with the exception
of arms, most of which are so antiquated
that they are totally untitled for active
service.
The time may come, as it has in !
other cities, when some riot or other
disturbance of the peace will bring the
people to realize that we have Ma
tional guard in the state, and that is is
for the best interests of not only the
state but of the cities where the cons
panies are located, to see that they are
properly equipped.
l would add that one of the prlncipali
arguments against Mr.. Regan's scheme
was that there would not be time for.
the various companies to get ready for
competitive drill; in answer to which
it need only be stated that the First
regiment. NJ. N. G., can get ready in
the six months between now and next
Exposition to "do up' in a competitive
drill, the Thirteenth of New York or
any other regiment in the country.
MILITIAMAN.