The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-01
" MUSLIN PAPER
SOLDIERS. :"
That's What Mr.. Feeney
Called the National
Guard Of New
Jersey.
NOW HE IS SORRY HE SAID IT..
How the Feeney Speech Is Regarded
by National Guard Men
at Trenton.
[spec;ol to the Jersev catv Ne,es. |

TRENTON, Feb 2S, 1SS9-The attack which
Assemblyman Feeny made today on the
National Guard of New Jersey is going to
cause trouble for that gentleman. 1t
causes indignatson among the National
Guardsmen and their friends here, as it
will all over the State. Five minutes after
he spoke, Mr.. Feeney began to realize that
he had made mistake and, although he
attempted to qualify his statements, he is
likely to grow sorrier before he gets
| through with the matter. Two things
prevented him from getting a tongue lash
ing on the spot One was that the Repub-
| licans were in a laughing mood, and the
| other that the House was in hurry to
adjourn and go home.
The attack was uncalled for, TO say the
least. The occasion of it was q resolution
offered by Patrick H. O'Neill of Jersey
City, directing the Quartermaster- General
| to issue fifty satnds of arms to the Hibernia
| Rifles of Jersey City, Jonathan Goble,
| the single specimen from Ocean county in
| the House, wanted the resolution laid over
| so that he might be able to get to Barrs-
vile for dinner, and also air his voice on
| the policy of issuing arms to organizations
not forming part of the National Guard.
ONE sLUR MINUTE.
1t was simply question of policy, with
which the Hibernia Rifles had nothing to
do. Mr.. Feeney looked at it otherwise
and in the course Of three minutes cast
three unjust slurs on one of New Jerseys
most creditable organizations. He said of
the National Guard:
That they were muslin paper soldiers.
(2). That on standing two hours in the
SON, in the strikes of 1877, as big avenues
tpere cut by the heat in the regiment, as
hxrf hn phal in C.
Sc mblyman O'Neils command at Peters
burg.
(3). That they wore cabbage leaves in
their hats in hot weather.
OF course accusation No. 8 is not worth
ans wering A cabbage leaf is a mighty
q cod thing to wear in your hat when you
ar in the sun in the summer 1t might
ven be wished that hot headed members
eof the Legislature might find some substi-
tute for cabbage leaves. But on the gem
eral question whether or not New Jerseys; !;
national guardsmen are muslin paper"
soldiers, it may be stated that wherever
they have appeared in other States as a
body, they have won new laurels, and have
been admired, not only by militia OF other
States, but by the officers of the regular
army and men who gained high rank by
their services in the war
THE N. G. IS. CONQUEST AT YORKTOWN.
To cite one instance, the experience of
New Jerseys represent atives at the dedica
tion of the Yorktown monument may be
mentioned OF all the thousands of
troops, militia, regulars and naval, that
filed past President Arthur, none attracted
more attention for their soid1erly bearing,
their discipline, their perfection in drill
and their appearance in general than
did New Jerseys contingent. If you do
not believe this, ask Governor Ludlow
what compliments he received. Not only
that, but their organization SO put New
1.s f- CHI
+ hat the next year, the chief argument
used to pass a law in the Empire State by
which all regiments should be required to
wear State uniform while on State duty,
was the sensation made by the New Jersey
regiment at Yorktown. The law was
actually passed, and furthermore the uni
form was closely patterned after the fash
ion set by New jersey. So much for the
estimation in which the New Jersey mill
tia is held by other states. There is not
much 'imuslin paper" or fly paper either,
about that, is there?
Now for what the National Guard is
worth in actual service. Leaving aside
the question whether national guardsmen,
German veterans or any other class OF men
are able to stand in the sun without feel,
| ing the effects thereof, it may be said that
the militia in New Jersey does not have
much chance to see actual service. The
riots of 1877 was the one instance in recent
years That the National Guard did good
work then, and were of inestimable service
in preventing outbreaks, was admitted by
every one at the time. Governor Bedle
was in personal command, and he had
none but words of praise for them. New
| Jersey was one of the critical States at
that time Compare the order which
reigned here with the scenes in Pcnnsyl-
yania.
MR.. o'NEILL WAS GRIEyED.
Mr.. Feeney made break, and no one
* Ila& .s<Ir rnsIl
If any question of nationality were con-
| cerned, Mr.. O'Neils is qualified TO speak.
He is an IriShman born and comes from
good county But nationality had nothing
| to do with the case Neither, in reality,
had the question of organization. Mr.
O'Neiu wears on the lapel of his coat a
| little bronze button, which is q reminder
of what volunteers can do when it comes
to fighting He understood as well as any
body what harm had been done by Mr..
Feeney,s unlncky speech. He said, pa,
my bill by talking like that, don't see
why members should vote against it for
that reason"
Colonel Heppenheimer sat fidgetting in
his chair all this time. He was practically
debarred from speaking in defense Of the
organization of which he is an ornament
by the praise showered on him by all the
speakers, including the partially repentant
| Feeney. Long before his name was
reached he saw that the measure was
doomed, and with shrewd parliamentary
tactics voted in the negative. Then he
moved to reconsider the vote, and thereby
insured a reconsideration of the measure
when more Democrats are in the House.
When the resolution is called up again
Mr.. Feeney will probably have something
to say in the way of explanation.
LAZY LEGISLATORS.
The vote ON this measure. 23 to IL, is an
illustration of an evil which is becoming
felt more daily, namely, the neglect of their
casd ts ~ tbers were sne ro Dn s e
| than eighteen E5sent, one-third of the
House. AS it fakes thirty-one votes to
pass a bill, the5 effect may readily be con
ceived. If ma 4bers stayed away when
there were mol bills on the calendar in
| which they weR Interested, their neglect
of duty mighlHsbe pardoned by their
constituents, ough not BY the