The San Francisco call., 1895-12-19
They Are Getting Thick in the
Hot Fight for a Colonel's
Eagles.
MACDONALD TO DIE FIGHTING
National Guard Experts Are Busy
Reviling Alleged Idiots at
Sacramento.

Tonight at the armory at Tenth and
Market streets the colonel of the new First
Regiment of the Second Brigade will be
elected. Probably Lieutenant Colonel c..
ii. Crocker will defeat Colonel William
Macdonald, but the situation is so mixed
and uncertain, SO full OF jealousy, politics
and big pulls that most any result may
happen.
The election of the colonel of the one
big San Francisco regiment that is in pro-
cess of organization has intensified and
complicated the turmoil, uncertainty and
general decentralization that quickly fol-
lowed the explosion of the reorganization
bomb ten days ago.
The fight between the supporters of
Colonel Macdonald and Lieutenant Colonel
Crocker for the colonelcy has become quite
bitter, and all sorts of big military and
other influences outside of the regiment
are coming into play. The more those
complicated questions about the lieuten-
ant-colonels and majors voting for new
colonel and the appointment of the new
lieutenant-colonel and three majors by the
commander-in-chief are analyzed and dis
cussed the more general is the agree
ment among local guard officers, active
and retired, that the orders of Adjutant-
General Barrett in both propositions are
wrong, and that if they be carried out on
Thursday night the right of the new
colonel and the appointed field officers to
their positions can be successfully con-
tested. The woods are so full of disap-
pointed and bitter guardsmen that con-
tests will result quickly enough at the first
opportunity.
One difference between the regular
army and the National Guard Is brilliantly
illustrated in the present situation. In
the former shoulder-straps and authority
secure respect and unquestloning obedi-
ence. In the National Guard they secure
contumely. The bigger The officer the
more often he is condemned as an idiot
wherever officers and men gather in ar
mories or on street corners these days.
A parallel is also seen. In time of war
all the ex-colonels and majors and the
military sharps everywhere conduct cam
paigns and fight battles over again and
roast the generals in command. Now the
local National Guard experts are reorgan-
izing the guard in this City over again as
il ought to be done, and the Sacramento
way suffers badly by comparison.
"The djutant-general is an ass" de-
clared a captain at one of the armorieS last
night, and he dug down for some general
orders to demonstrate the proposition.
The Acknowledgement is the military
mouthpiece and representative of the
Governor and one of his functions is to
receive the kicks directed at the COM
mander-in-chief. Nobody wants to be
quoted in this field of criticism however.
Retired officers, many of whom have un-
healed sores, are as much interested in the
situation as active members of the guard,
and they can be seen about town arguing
things with the fierce gestures of a mau
who feels deeply that he is right. There
seems to be general feeling among guard
officers that the al djutant-general and his
advisers will realize that they have made a
mess of things in San Francisco in the
procedure of reorganization, especially re-
garding the field officers OF the new regi-
ment; that on Thursday night only COM
pany officers will vote for colonel and that
the lieutenant-colonel and the three majors
will be elected instead OF appointed.
lieutenant-Colonel c. H. Crocker seems
to have strong assurances still of winning
the colonelcy. The question is one of how
many of the officers of the old First and
Third regiments who at the caucus last
Tuesday night agreed to support Crocker
for colonel and James F. Smith for lieu
tenant-colonel can be persuaded from their
position.
If only the line or company officers vote
there will be thirty-four votes, making
eighteen necessary for choice. If the
observation-disclosures and the majors in
present command are allowed to vote there
will be forty-three votes, making twenty
two necessary to choice. Colonel Mac
donald of the old Second Regiment has
pledged to him in writing all the officers
OF that battalion except Lieutenant.
[ Colonel Denis Ha oil lin
officers and two majors. Geary and Mac
donald have not got along well together
for some time, and Geary is understood to
favor Crocker. Macdonald to be elected
needs seven or eight votes, according to
the ruling on field officers voting, and he
must get them from the First and Third
battalions, which have combined on their
respective Ieutenant-colonels.
The caucus gave Crocker the backing of
twenty-three line officers and six field
officers, making his strength twenty
nine, with Geary doubtful. If the line
officers only vote he can lose five caucus
votes and still be elected. If the lieuten-
ant-colonels and majors vote he can lose
seven caucus votes, and if Geary supports
him, eight, and still be elected
The question of whether or not the field
officers may vote tonight has been
carefully considered by big military
lawyers and udge-advocates, and AS
sstant Adjutant-Genera J. c. Giest-
ing OF General Warfied's staff has un-
doubtedly been Instructed as to how he
should rule tonight. General Warfeld
last night declined to give any statement
or opinion ON the matter The decision
will not be officially known until Mr..
Giesting makes his ruling tonight but it
is semi mi-officially understood that the three
observation-disclosures and the three majors
on duty will vote. 1t is pretty certain
that if this is done the new colonel will
have to fight in court to hold his eagles.
1t is a disputed point whether or not all
the First and Third officers were at the
caucus, anyway. The Nationals-com-
panes c and G of the First-are doubt
ful quantity. They are mainly interested
in being let alone in their fine armory, and
last week asked Crocker for pledge that
they would not be disturbed. He refused
any pledge, saying that he would have no
jurisdiction, and the Nationals grew cool
on Crocker, and would not say whom they
were for. The Nationals mean six votes.
They say that Crocker could at least have
promised his influence. They seem to be
in position to- get pretty satisfactory un-
official assurances from almost any quarter