The morning call., 1892-05-30
CITIZEN SOLDIERY.
Regimental Figures at State Nus.
ters Compared.
Cuttings Bill Very Much Chsnged-The Affair
in the Light Battery = Holding Two
Commissions-Parad To-Day


Westerners as model organizations to pat
tern after. The figures Of attendance at
muster of the New York City regiments
have come to hand, and point may De
made for California by comparison, re-
Numbering that The New Workers have
regiments of 10 companies each and Cali
fornia in the Second Brigade of seven and
in the other brigadcs of six companies only.
The Seventh, the crack organization IN
tie United States, paraded SO officers, 9o'
men, total 1926; absent l officer q men,
total IS; aggregate 1051-1S more than the
aggregate for 1891. Company for BON
years had the largest number OF sabsentees
9 and respectively Twelfth Regiment
476 present, ia absent aggregate 6OO-oo
less than in 1891, and Is as the greatest
number of absentees in one company.
Ninth Regiment 80 present. 30 absent, ag-
gregate 56j-a falling off OF II. Twenty
second Regiment 563 present, 20 absent
aggregate 623-a falling of OF i. sixty
ninth Regiment 679 present, 146 ABSENT
aggregate S2J-a falling of Of a. Seventy
first Regiment 467 present, rs absent, aggre-
gate S45-a gain OF 245.
Compare these figures with those OF the
First Infantry of this city at the recent
muster, and The FirStis chosen only Tor the
sake Of conf aTiSOn, because OF It's remark
able percentage (9736) and because OF us
greater numerical strength. Not counting
its band of Il or the cadets. and this Tegl-
ment, with an enrolment Of ass, paTaded
asa and had only il absent. For seVeh-
company regiment 484 present and "A absent
is not bad, as against regiments OF 10 com
panies with 476 present and 124 absent, 5I0
present and 80 absent. 563 present ana 20
absent, 90 present and 146 absent and 46I
present and 70 absent.
The comparison between East aud West
stops at this The New York regiments
were paTaded in the morning in marching
or der, taken to a field or park II the open,
drilled in the extended order with the
firings, Unanswered as battalionS and as a
regiment, and mustered and inspected IN
tie afternoon IN the open and under the
light of the sun, so That There was an 0ppor-
tunity Of judging of their discipline and IN
stluctiOn and OF the capacity Of the 0ihceTS
The California regiments are inspected IN
oTercrOWded hot, and at best, cIamDed
armories. at night under the treacherous
light OF gas, and nothing mere is asked OF
them than 10 90 through a few motions OF
the manual CT arms. The inspection under
such conditions is sham
CUTTINGS MILITARY BILL.
The official organ" announced, with calm
assurance, in its latest issue that 200 Dem
ocratic memOe have joined General Cut
ting" in asking for the consideration of his
military bill, aid tina. ''the chances are that
the bill will become law" The Tact Is,
that the bill as reported in the House, has
been considerably changed since it was hrst
introduced.
It's author ascertained that the temper Of
Congress is such that it is out OF the ques-
ton TO expect any increase in the appT0pri-
alton. lie has therefore left the item IN
the bill as fixed 10y the existing laws $780,
| 0C0) and confined himself 90 making changes
in the existing law. The most important Of
| these is that the amount OF the apprOprla-
ton for furnishing stores and supplies shall
be appOTtiOned by the Secretary OF War pro
rata among the States and Territories, not
according TO population, but according to
the number OF active uniformed national
guard which shall appear for muster during
March ! and April 80 III each year, ana the
Secretary Of War is authorized TO detail
army officers 10 verify the presence OF the
men.
As originally reported the bill provided
that the allotment shall only be made upon
the certificate of such army officers. This
created so much dissatisfaction that the
clause was inSertedpTovlding that the num-
Der present might OB aseerta!ned IN other
ways satisfactory 10 the Secretary of War.
As the Army and Navy Journal says: The
innovation requiring the allotment to be
made according TO the number Of men ap-
pearing ia each State for inspection is one
on which there is great diversion OF senti-
ment. IL is favored by those States having
a strOug and well-0rganiZed National Guard
and opposed by those who are trying to
build mp one, and who need the aid Of the
United States for that purpose. For this
reason 1t has been heretofore defeated in
the conventions of the National Guard AS
ISOLATION. The clause providing for an in
spectOn during the months Of March and
April in each year will meet with criticism
from those OF the States whore inspections
are held at other times, as is the ease with
New York. The bill framed by the last
convention of the National Guard AssOcia-
tion has been introduced in the Senate by
Senator Hawley, and will undoubtedly pass
that body. But whether the difference be-
tween the two VIII result in compromise
or in the prevention OF any legislation what
ever, IL is difficult al the present time TO
foresee. 1t would be unfortunate if this
should be the case. While the IIawIey bill
is undoubtedly the best either would be
decided improvement upon the existing
legislation, or want Of legislation.
THAT ACCIDENT On TUESDAY.
That deplorable affair on Tuesday, as a
result of which member of the Light Bat
terry lost his left hand, has set some people
thinking what claim the injured lad may
present against the State. The section of
the code governing case OF this kind IS
section 1913:
Every officer or soldier wounded or disabled in
the service OF the state shall have reasonable
expenses paid him; and the widow ana children
Of every officer or soldier killed IN The service OF
Legislature.
In this case it is obvious that the wound
ing and disability WAS not received I'm the
service Of the State" but at voluntary
parade outside Of duties in the service Of
the State. The question OF contributary
negligence, 1t would seem, would also be an
element to be considered in claim of this
character. That there was carelessness or
negligence in thls case is apparent from tho
facts to any one who knows anything about
the light artillery drill. Moreover in this
case the wounded man was trumDeter In
the battery and not gunner, ana 10 was
not in his line OF duty to be handling the
piece. The piece is an obsolete one 1t is
true. but by no means defective This ele-
ment does not enter in the case
Captain Roster. commanding the battery,
has made an unofficial investigation, and
has completely eXhOnerated Lieutenant
Westphal, who was in command of the sec
ton, but found that Wells. as he has him
self admitted, was entirely to blame in the
matter. There was no premature dis
charge" OF the piece as some accounts had
it. Wells mistOok the command "load" Of
the officer In charge OF the next piece tor
that OF the officer at his. The result was
he turned to load his gun as the command
fire" was Obeyed His duty at the post in
which he was was to have his eyes rlveted
on the muzzle Of the piece, and not divert his
attention at a fractions horse near by. Had
TIC DOch pa4luk oOlulcliy dtJcutiOu W ehO
business in hand, the accident could not
have occurred.
SECOND ARTILLERY AFFAIRS.
By one of those extraordinary clerical
mauipulatlons for which 1.-THE office at Sac
ramento" has become noted, Captain Kos
ter's record will henceforth show that
military impOssibility has heen worked in
his case. In one order he was commls-
stoned as captain OF the light battery to
hold rank from April Is, and in later one
his resignation as lieutenant colonel Of the
Second Artillery is accepted to date from
April 20 The natural sequence of this is
to make him of record for two days hold
two commissions at one time.
A report during the week was that Major
John n. E. Wilson, the judge advocate OF
the brigade, had been approached as a can
didate filling the Bradstreet- McAllister bill