The San Francisco call., 1895-12-14
Company D of the First Will
Leave the Guard En-
MaSSe.
A TRANSITION PERIOD HERE.
But the Heroic Operation Promises a
New and Better National Guard
for the Future.

The National Guard OF Callfornla Is the
worst military mess on earth this week. 1t
is lust now demoralized and at its lowest
ebb OF strength and efficiency. The ebb
and the decentralization will go on and then
it may turn and grow into the best mill
tary organization the State has known.
To one down in the wreck caused by the
explosion of the reorganization bomb that
the commander-in-chief of the State army
touched off last Sunday morning 1t may
seem that the guard is rushing to the
demnition bow-wows, especially in San
Francisco, so thick are the shoulder
strapped howlers, the chevroned kickers
and the plain blue GROWERS, so many are
the rumors and threats of designations and
so uncertain is the immediate future re-
garding officers, rmories, allowances,
orders harmony and so on. On the sur
face the pride and esprit du corps Of the
guard seem to have vanished. The guard
IS sore.
Attention this week has been given to
the small squabbles and personal griev-
ances that have followed the heroic action
of the Governor in completely revolution
izing the guard without warning, reliev-
ing nearly $50 officers of their positions
and suddenly destroying twenty com
panies by ordering them mustered out or
merged into other companies.
But from above the dust may be seen
the new condition of the guard in gen
eral way, the military significance of the
reorganization and the possibilities of the
State getting a military organization with
less of the opera bouffe in it, less gold
braid and more and better shooters.
There are but few criticisms on the revo-
Iutionized plan of organization. In theory,
and ultimately in practice, the guard will
be vastly better machine for the practi-
cal work of fighting. But such radical
change could not, of course, be made with
out causing wrath, wounded pride and dis
appointment. Officers and companies who
are hurt are pointing out the injustice of
not taking others better fitted Tor sacrifice
and the enormous stature OF the tools who
performed the operation.
The reorganization wipes out Of exist
ence five regiments and sixty companies.
In San Francisco the First, Second and
Third regiments become the new First.
Each regiment in the State is made to
consist of battalions, and in San francisco
the three regiments are each impressed
into one battalion of four companies each,
the battalions composing one regiment of
twelve companies. So in this City forty
eight officers are Topped off the service.
These forty-eight include two colonels two
regimentaI staff officers, eight captains
and sixteen lieutenants. There are on
paper as many men as before, and there
are TO be still more, but they are all under
the officers left.
No wonder there is trouble. All OF these
officers think that their military ability
and the gallantry they know they would
show on any bloody field entitled them to
remain. Each officer is popular with a
large number of men or he wouldn't have
become an officer. The men in eight COM
pan;es have been showed along under
strange officers not of their choosing and
many feel the wrongs OF their lost CON-
manders.
Then there is the matter of consolida-
ton. Companies with the poorest records
of attendance and efficiency generally are
fee. A company acquires a certain pride
in its identity and history, especially if it
has a long record. The enthusiasm with
which the men of a company would be-
come part Of an old rival may be ina gined
Another thing to be considered is the fact
that each company is a semi-social organ
ization, and it is naturally composed of
the same class of men or of men who find
the particular style and air of the COM
pany congenial. Consolidating two COM
panies is apt to bring discordant elements
together. These things are similarly true
of regiments. There have always been
wide differences of style, nature, etc., be-
tween the First and Third regiments, for
instance.
So human nature is to be considered in
reorganizing a National Guard in time of
peace. All this explains why Company d
of the First has practically revolted, en-
masse. The entire company, practically
will get out of the service. Company d
is ordered consolidated with Company B.
Now Company D is next to the oldest COM
pany in the City. It used to be the Frank
lin Light Infantry, and General Orton was
once its captain. Among its relics is
medal won years ago by being the best
drilled company at the State Fair. That's
one thing. These companies-B and D.
are not composed of men who would most
naturally drift together socially. Com
pany b is mainly composed of prosperous
clerks with pretty good incomes. Com
pany D is made up of good men from other
workaday walks and with less money.
All around this consolidation is being
pointed out by everybody interested in
the old First as sample OF the asininity of
some big military men.
On Wednesday evening forty-three of
the sixty men in Company D met, and
forty-one signed petition 10 be mustered
out of the service. The boys propose to
get out of the guard and to organize
social society under their old and honored
military name.
Ever since the strike there has been talk,
expectation and uncertainty about reor-
ganization, and now when reorganization
has come, there will be designations on all
hands from all sorts of causes, until the
guard will be greatly depleted. The shift
ing of armory quarters is like to prove an
other source of much disgust and trouble.
Adjutant- General Barrett is getting
kicked harder than ever for being in a
position that ought to be filed by man of
practical military knowledge and ability
for one thing, and by man who knows
the guard for another thing. The burden
of the general criticism is that the selection
of companies and officers for sacrifice was
made arbitrarily. without warning and
without due regard to military condition
and efficiency.
Military critics say that the effect of the
reorganization and the recovery of the
guard from what has knocked the life out
OF it will depend mainly on the new colo
nels. They will have 10 check the demor-
alization, display ability, become popular
and spend time and money in recruiting,
pulling together and inspiring their COM
mands. To be colonel of the First Regi-
ment of the Second Brigade means some
thing now. Lieutenant-Colo Crocker or
Colonel Macdonald, between whom the po-
sition lies, will be the only colonel in the