Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-24

newspaper correspondents to belittle the
military department of the State Of Dsla-
ware. Whether or not Delaware should
be unlike every other state in the union
and have no militia is q question which |
could be honorably discussed. But when |
Il correspondents misrepresont facts and
4 slur at the management Of the military, |
d IL shown an animus quite unworthy OF It's
writer's. Surprisingly 30, too, there are IN:
situations and Rlurs about the financial
II matters of the militia, and the Hame are
II published In papers where such articles
l. Nswould bs least expected. Every bill paid
4 Hly the state treasurer on account OF the
n Hhilltia is upon voucher endorsed by the
q 3hyernor. The governor III commander
:, IA u chief of all the military Of the State
" and rehsctions which these writer's at
n teiApt to make are q reflection upon
Governo. Biggs who, doubtless has done
come of these writer's many favoEs. The
3cneinel for long time has been pub
lisling false statements on this matter,
but nothing better could scarcsly
be expected from that source. A few
: weeks ago it even said that the State paid
n the expenses Of the staff y going about
Hlyiewiag grounds for an encampment
&and that boxes in theatres used by them
{iwere paid for by the State. There is not
Wone word OF truth in this. Next we find
bne Taxpayer" in the DeldoGreGt, ven
ID Ittlating himself. He seems to take es-
lipeoial pleasure in attacking the generals
II Ifnnd oolonels. Now, how about this? The
ndiutant general of Delaware gets but
the salary of $500 per apnum and con-
4 $'ltingent fund Of 800 per annnm. If he
ibid nothing else he would earn that
A amount by certifying to pension papers.
4 But everyone knows he has done move.
| H. I.ou than in tl1
State to build up our militia and put 1t
I Nnpon its present suooesstul basis. He
| Yaceiyesn no pay nt all IN comparison to his
| ibfk. All of the abuqs he gets from
| BRIAN quarters ia extra. The sdiu5aut
| fensral OF Pennsylvania gets $3, 5O0 per
| ,nnnm, 81 900 yearly for contlngoas OK
| epenses and has employed AZ the expense
hof the state, two clerks the whole year
JArouud. Our privates get but enc dollar
\ a day and the officers two dollars psr
day while in encampineut. In Flew
| Jersey the privates get $l.5O PER day
and the officers FROM 50 to 80 per
dey. The colonels which seem to excite
the bad temper Of "Tax. payer" have to
, X buy their own uniforms, costing about
~ S75 each, aud the only pay they receive
N tis So per day while ST encampment, which
n k,annot exceed $l4 ger year. All OF his
y .,atelnents or insinuations about their
-iding up and down the railroad and
oppiug at hotels in Wilmington and
IA hiladelphia at the expense OF the State
N are absolutely fstsG. It IL false that any
one OF them hes ever u'ed the reporters
| Cot the Philadelphia Tims or Record TO
I thave their views on politics published to
the world.
The only two occasions that the militia
Ut this State or any msnber OF the at a
or went out OF this State at the ex
tIe OF the State was 10 attend the CON
Ational centennial in Philadelphia IL
and the Washington celtbn
in New York ia 1850. Whel
other stnte9 OF this unloi
represent Il Ut these remarkable Rut
otto occasions, what true Delawarsai
4 not haYe bluahod with thsns hat
ware, the first btate to adopt tn
I ScoiiRtitution, been conspicuous by II
%sS absence? And where is the true Delswareai
vho was not filed with pride when h
saw the Delaware troops hoaded b. ou
illustrious gray haired governor, marc
at the head of the line down Ohestnu
and Broadway amidst the plaudiis Of thi
multituie2 "TGxpRysr" upeaks OF the Nov
York expedition and charges the cost
$4 ,0GU against ths Mil.tary-why th
miitie really bad nothing to do with tn
creation of this expense. 1t canno
yfeperly be charged as one OF the cz
fanses necessary to keep up the militia
ais 81 600 vas appropriated by til
tsnerAl Assembly on the recommends
ion of Gov. Biggs in his annual message
=, therein be said II deem it my duty
cali your attention to this celebration, 0
It is but meet and proper that yo
shouli in some manner cause Delaware
IA bsrepresented on that occasion. Ban
Lt one of the original l3 states and the fia
Cf 70 rntify the constitution, il will bs as
natter OF courge expected that she wi
participate" ard this appropriation di
tot simply cover the militia, for IL
members OF the Legislature and I'd
tate officials including "faTpnyst" hin
elf and their Car fAvoa, hotel ollis an
Lll paid by the State. Yet this sau
writer, "Taxpayer," who grow!s go mus
about its expense wants the whole GUS
ness charged against the miiit q, ineiul
ing his own car fOra and hotel bill at u
Grand Central Hotel.
Now again to come down to plaiI fac
about its cost to the Stlta Of Delawa
for maintaining the militia, Gsnel
Kenney in On interview Published
livery EVENING in June, 1888, snow
that the Stats OF Delaware had ra5siy
from the general government sn
amuunLs Of ammunition, guus, &c., whit
n were uOl u but bbN U1NN NA4S -
appropriated to the uso Of the ST.
which amount was sufficient to pay
expenses OF the militia for number
years to come.
The De'avGreGn in ito issuo of Ju
- 16th, 1855, published the following e'
torial
''There is in certhin quarters cry q
howl about the money spout by the Sta
for the militia Of thu State. IL IS to
presumed that tho persons who do I
most taking know the least about |
subject, or they would not be 30 glib
their expressions about tho matter. L
fact ia the militia oil the State costs monS
This everyone knows. They could I
get along without spending money. b
has the militia OF the State east the Sta
one dollar2 We think not. The wh'
expense OF the militia of the State b
been paid by the general governme
The government of the United Sta
since January, 1877, has given to De
ware as pa.t of her share of the money
the equipment of the militia, over $3S, ,0'
which has besn placed in the State tire
ury or in the Farmers Bank to the ore
of the State. II the Federal governm'
sees proper TO grant money to the sta
for the purposs of keeping up we'll
gAnizsd state militia, we cannot sae VI
4 4 F.