The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-22

| charges, but To fair to prosecute for such q
| breach of military law would nave IA demorallz
| ing effect upon the service Referring To the
| complications which nave existed Tor some
| weeks in militia affairs, the adjutant general
continued; sit should be remembered That
am acting in a dual capacity. owe duty 10
the people OF the state wei rs to the militia.
| In business pertaining TO the disbursement o!
funds am obliged to be careful that ali the
provisions OF the law and the rules and reguia-
lions on the subject are compiled with, so that
accounts mag be correctly kept The immedi-
ate cause OF the difficulty with Colonel Haines
is an Instance OF the loose business method
| have had to combat. His adjutant wrote
me. requesting that | remit TO him funds
with which to pay certain transportation
Charges cannot furnish state funds upon a
mere request. Before money can be lawfully
paid out a verified bill must be presented 10 the
military auditing board and allowed by IT.
Alter such approval the state auditor draws a
warrant for the allowed. | informed Col
onei Haines' adjutant that | could not remit
funds upon such application as he made,
| ana it was because of that reply that the col
onel made his attack"
The court martial will be composed OF from
five TO thirteen staff and line officers who are at
least equal in rank to Colonel Haines.
This dispatch was shown to Colonel Raines
and he said:
General O'Brien does not tell the whole truth
about that letter II contained an insult which
Geterai . Brlcn repeated III public place. ana
J resented IL. The letter was an official one aud
| am not at liberty TO make il public. The fact
mat y Brien Is brigadler general OF the Ma
tlonal Guard does not privilege him TO insult
me. / consider that my action was fully just-
fed. was not acting a military officer at the
tlIne, but was reading newspaper in the lobby
oil the hotel. am not subject to military law
Tor my conduct when not acting in military
capacity.
AS to "A court-martial, there are no officers of
equal rank with General 0'Brien to compose Il
court to try him. Thus / could be court-mar
tailed for resenting his insults, but he could
not be court-maTtialcd for insulting me. ! do
not see the sense OF his wanting court martial
lt VIII cost the state 5000 or 5000 and VIII
certainly be Il roaring farce. Ii General . Brien
feels aggrieved because / smacked his face,
why does he not sue me for damages or charge
me with assault and battery? | am quite ready
TO answer any charge he may bring
If General O'Brien thinks that the affair has
injured the service aud he is willing to resign.
l am willing to resign also. / am willing to
What the governor should do is to let o Brien
wear the cooked hat and epaulettes and detail n
staff officer to perform the duties of his office.
Then the service might be restored TO efficiency.
The following special dispatch describes the
feeling in Tacoma on the subject:
TACOMA, Sept. 2l.-ISpeeiaL Local militia
men approve of Colonel Haines action in slap
ping General OBrien'S face at Olympia. Some
say they would have resigned ii he had not re-
sented O'Bricn's insult. Captain Fife says
Haines did right, and that Haines 0Brlen
will have to retire from the service. Local mi
litiamen are recalcitrant, and should Haines,
under court-martial or before trial. retire.
general dissolution of the regiment is pre-
dicted.
made the subject OF joke, growing out of an
employe of the Olympian hotel mistaking him
for the cause OF the scrimmage and ordering
him to leave the premises forthwith.