The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-10
GEN. O'BRIEN'S REPLY.
Endeavors to Shift the Blame
For the Deficiency.
SAYS TIE LAW IS RESPONSIBLE.
lie Seems 90 Think the Committee VISA
Pre3udiced and Listened 20 Hear
scy Evidence.

Brtz1f0ns naS been 80 generally commend
ed. has written a reply OF very great
length. He says IN part:
The report zade by your COMMITTEES on
the military department. il as Ingenious
In construction as IL Is misleading arst err
rUne0us tn the statements OF fact Tsy- 4.
you would have one belfeys that the aa-
Jutant general Is couarnavlsier-fr-ehses Of
the military Of the state REGARDLESS Of the
fact that the law makes tho governor
ssich, and holds him personally RESPONSE
bic for ali the Ills that have hefaIiea the
territory and state from the date Of i,s
birth. and regardless OF the question as TO
whether or not he acted under proper
authority. orders Of the commarsjer-ir-
chief, in carrying out the Instructions of
those empowered by law TO DISCHARGE
duties In which they have only the best
interests Of the service they represent to
suhserye.
You arraign the adjatant general for
the performance of duties imposed ucon
him. and under the most adverse eirc4isn-
stances, By higher authority, which he
could not escape TX he would. and II, the
performance OF duty. would not il he
could You speak OF him as a member Of
the military board which makes the ex-
penditures. and yet he alone is held re-
sponsiole for the acts OF the board.
Again. you mention that he Is also a
-
and yet you would have IL believed that
he alone ADULTS all the accounts presented
for the consideration of that board: is re-
sponsible therefor, and Is In fact the great
autocrat of the state, and especially the
military department. No reference what
ever Is made 10 the acts Of the other
members OF the two boards. presuming
that the governor and the state auditor
on the one hand. and the brigade COM
rfsz rFar uA 2<ffnr he.
are not worth considering
You entirely overlook the fact that law
imposes certain duties upon the adtutant
general and those with whom he is as
ISOLATED, which he cannot ignore You
hold him responsible for an encampment
which the law says shall be held annually
and because the encampment Is caught
between foods and strikes SO tight tnat
IL is impossible to move in any direction.
he. forsooth. is responsible for the in
creased cost thereof.
You aiiege that the limits set by pre-
vious legislatures as 10 the amount OF
money to be expended seemed TO have been
utterly ignored. and the past two legis-
latures have found Ii necessary to meet
def1cinecies caused by the failure OF the
adjuiant general to keep within bounds
set by them," when as a matter OF fact.
no limit was ever made by the legislature
until the session Of IS92. and the great de-
'fciencies called for previously were to
meet the expenses OF the fire at Seattle
and Spokane In 1889 amounting to "a. Tss IS
the mining riots In King county for $i2,-
sss. i6, making a total OF SIT. -, which
was heretofore paid from the military
fund. and was never contemplated as a
legitimate charge against the fund for the
maintenance of the militia No blame can
attach to any part OF the military estab-
lishment for the failures of the legisla-
ture. The act passed by IL made the APP
preparation continuing without specifying
any amount until 1892, when 1t was Inn
ited TO $4,000 per year for two years. The
military have never received from the
legislature the consideration IL asked but
has been compelled To take the crumbs
swept from the legislative table.
No one can deny your right to make
such a report as you see fit In this mat
ter. and no man with the least degree
OF pride. honor or seIf-respect. can quiet
ly submit to have such sweeping charges
as you have seen fit TO make go by with
out reply. You say that ian examina-
ton OF the records for the past four years
has shown to the committee an utter
lack of ordinary sense, sagacity and
common prudence which govern In the
financial transactions of the day" As
neither yourself nor any member OF
your committee has set foot In my Office
since the converting of the legislature
much less examined the records therein,
i am at a loss to know to what records
you can possibly refer. When you fired
your shafts OF criticism at the adjutant
general II probably did not occur to you
that he Is b4t single member OF the
board of auditors, and also the military
board, and If he is that frightful expo
nent OF colossal extravaganza and ap-
paliing recklessness which you have
painted him. how about the other honor
able gentlemen who are his associates
on the two boards
IL you had examined the records of
this Office you would have discovered that
nearly the entire amount of this de-
ficiency was incurred ny operation of
mandatory laws which leaves the board
without any discretionary power other
than TO see that the service ordered by
law has been done and the amount
charged correct
There is one bright and beautiful little
green oasis I'm the long TRADE OF abuse
and charge of Observation-Disclosures which
you have pronounced. and that Is that
you find absolutely no reason for aues-
tloning sthe good motive or integrity of
the adjutant general In IL ! am certi-
fed that mot all Is lost You conn
ment upon my paiatiaI official quarters,
and large force OF clerks. whereas per-
sonaI inquiry would have Informed you
that / have two rooms on the third floor
OF the building widely separated one a
good outside room, furnished with six
leather-eoyered chairs. lounge. desk book
case. typewriter and stand and lamp:
the other room Is furnished with a stand
ing desk. file cabinet and case, letter
press and stand, two plain chairs and
lamp plain deal table and a few ink
stands and like fixtures. These were pur-
chased several years ago, and were not
paid for from the appropriation under dis
cussIon.
In conclusion. the adiutant general does
not pretend 20 be infslIihie 10 errors I'm
Judgment, but Il you VIII visit the office
and examine into the matters you have
seen at to critlcise In such excorfattng
terms. he win undertake To bring Won 70
a change 90 mind, IL not % heart. and that
tae source from whence YOU obtained
your information is not reliable
Fully recognizing your position and your
right 70 report uren the condition Of sf-
fairs In this department as you find them
l. however most earnestly and respect
fully protest against a report based upon
hsarsay evidence. and your report shows
upon the face 81 it that IL has no other
foundation. coupled with the fact that
you nor any member Of your committee
has ever been inside the off1ce at any time
since the convenisg 81 the legislature
X rrighs not be becoming at this time
having a due regard for the rights OF
parties 20 state In plain language my
feelings in connection with such a report
as YOU have made. bat I 40 demand such
fair treatment as Is due any other citizen
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