The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-12
q STATE MILITIA,
The Legislature Should DO Something 70
Encourage It-whAt Our Soldier Boys
Have Done for Themselves.
III M EIlnr MINI IniNlLnenner

The Legislature Should DO Something 70
Encourage It-What Our Soldier BOya
Have Done for ThumSelYsS.
10 ne EllOr Ofln htdligaesr,
sIR:-While the Legislature is in ses-
sion, Think it good time to speak in
Of the military organizations Of
Why is 1t we cannot have q
National Guard, as a State organization,
kept up aud supported by the State
Every State in the Union and west Of
Of the Territories have volunteer militia
supported and kept up by liberal appro-
;pTiatiops. Our sister State Pennsylvania
spends annually about 100000 for her
National Guard, Ohio nearly as muck
and Maryland q good round sun, while
West Virginia has never given q dollar
to the support OF her militia. We pay
an Adiutant General $1,000 u year 10
look alter 1t, He does all he can, buthe
has nothing to do on, The National
Government has appropriated 100000
annually for the State militia, Withour
proportion Of this amount, and with q
small appropriation what y fine display
We could make,
We will take for example the First
Regiment, consisting Of nlne companies,
distributed as follows; Companys A aud
Is in Richie county, Companys o, d.
and in Marion county, Company Elm
Glmer county, Company q In Preston
county, Company | In MOnOngalia
county, Company IL In Ohio county,
These companies have uniformed and
kept themselves together without q dol
lar from the State, The State furnished
guns, belts, &C., which she received as
her share from Uncle Sam,
To gain m ideaOf what has been done,
| viii give the figures, | know to DO cor
rect, OF the expenditures Of one com
pAnyi
F0Fty'RY0 uniforms, $40 W.,."""., ,.,,, ,,... $40 %
Three officers uniforms, 81 0O"-,~,".,.,. " 90
Five drums aud Que flag ..,,., e, ,,.,..,"..,..,,. a. %
Armory rent ono yeAFr.r,,.. . ,-",r,",."",'. Z! W
Total g. J.. e.. g.. =, . ... +. g.. .. e., :. ..-..., - 05l %
Every penny Of this money has been
paid by the men belonging to the COM
pany, Still, II at any time there is arlot
or any trouble, the government has
perfect right to order any or all OF these
companies to report for duty,
We do not want the earth, but We
want the State to understand that We
want u little recognition, and ii she does
not deem it ~expedient TO make somo
slight acknowledgment In the way of an
appropriation for tho support Of at least
twenty companies, ! predict that there
will not be u single company in good
standing in IL months. II on the other
hand we get money to work on, 1t will
inspire ua with new life, new energy
aud more military spirit than has ever
been manifested before, aud We will
have u national guard that will not be
ashamed TO march alongside OF tue boys
from II sister States in New York In
April.
While West Virginia Ia now low In
the ranks in its military organization,
there only being two States below her,
yet we have us brave, healthy aud wig
orous young men as any other State IN
the Union, and there is no reason why
she should not DO reCkoned in the front
ranks, II the Legislature will give proper
attention to this matter IL will materially
aid In carrying our young State forward
with thegreGt current Of prosperity. AZ
the centennial OF the Inauguration OF
the first President Of the United States,
in April next, in New York, the militia
of this State is invited to participate, and
We will then be afforded an opportunity
to bring our State prominently to the
notice OF all the world. But II We are
not properly equipped, and we cannot
be without the aid OF the Legislature,
We will lose this opportunity.
Colonel Freer deserves the heartiest
thanks for the good work he has done.
Governor Wilson has done all in his
power to aid and keep the military
spirit revived. Public SPIRIT.
Fairmont, W. Va, Jan. o.