The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-17
Spirited Election for Colonel of
the First Regiment
Expected.
CRoCKER-sMITH COMBINATION.
Macdonald of the Second Enters the
Fight-The Consolidated
Companies.

fairs, on being interviewed said:
Matters are hot in National Guard circles
over the coming election for colonel of the
First Regiment, and the discussions relative
thereto are becoming acrimonious, personal
and vindictive, and the tendency is to enlarge
the lll-feeling known to have existed for many
years between the three regiments of this City.
and this feeling is accumulated by the wording
OF the call for the election, which prescribes
that an election for colonel only shall be held,
while the officers OF the regiment should only
express preference for the other field officers,
who will be recommended by the brigade COM
mander to the Governor, thus fntimating that
their appointment viii be subject to the APP
prevail or the Governor.
Many OF the companys officers claim that
they have the right 10 vote for all the field OH
GERS, and in case this is denied to them, will
contest any appointment made. While it is
claimed on the one hand that the Governor
has the right to appoint the officers OF consoH-
dated organizations, under the provisions of
paragraph 3Sl OF the regulations and there
fore only permit the officers to express pref
erence, on the other hand it is claimed that if
such is the tact the colonel also should
be appointed, and as the Governor has
direc ted election for colonel to be held
he is not sure of his position under the pro-
visions OF the code which set aside any regu-
lation inconsistent herewith; that the cleo
ton OF colonel was only thrown out as a sort
OF sop to Cerberus, an intimation having
reached headquarters as to how the election
would result with certain combinations. Then
again in certain quarters, it is held that the
that there are several officers who are quietly
saving wood and saying nothing, waiting until
after the result is made known. when they viii
be heard from.
Since the com bination was made on Monday
night alleged to be for Crocker and Smith
colonel and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Macdonald of
the Second has entered the fight. His friends
claim that he has the unanimous support Of
the officers OF the Second and that the proceed
lngs at the alleged caucus were not binding
upon the officers OF the First and Third, several
of hon hcn n Of
simply considering that they were only called
upon to express a preference in case of certain
contingencies. Crocker's friends, on the other
hand, claim that there were unqualified pledges
made, the officers of the Third agreeing to vote
for Croker provided the officers of the First
would vote for Smith, and so personal have
the terms OF endearment become between the
rival factions that the terms pledge breakers
and railroad influence" are freely banded
and that dire punishment will be visited upon
recaicitrant officers in case they fall down. In
the meantime many OF the officers OF the guard
having its interest at heart have become thor
ougbly disguised over the faction fight, which
appears 10 have resolved itself down into one
OF personal ambition and interest and are
quietly looking around for combination
which will upset all the others.
There are many former officers of the guard
who would make competent and valuable
field officers who have been approached to
enter into some combination to that effect, but
they have declined recognizing the futility of
any effort being made under the present eondi-
ton of affairs, the ill-feeing ana dissatisfac-
ton, latent and openly expressed, and the
great labor attendant upon anything being
done to bring homogenity TO the disorganized
and lncongrous mass now called into being,
the merits OF which are not even united.
That the real condition of the several COM
panies could not have been taken into consid-
Grafton and that there were Interior motives
when it was decided to issue order No. II
must be apparent. In the First Regiment
Company d was consolidated with Company
B. whereas a knowledge OF the condition of
the regiment would have consolidated Com
pany with Company and Company D left
intact. In the Second Regiment Company ID
was consolidated with Company F, the latter
company being the weaker and its captain the
junior, and in the consolidation of G and II
nearly the same state OF affairs exist
In the Third Regiment Company was con-
considered one of the best companies in the
regiment, its captain was the senior, while
Company was in the throes of an election,
which was intended to depose its captain and
elect a former member OF the company, result
ing in the reelection OF the captain by bare
majority Then, again, Company G, who
Third Regiment Armory, remaining in
the First Regiment Armory,' from which
regiment it had been transferred to the Third
not half a dozen drills having been held by
the company since last July and on the "emer-
gency cali" only showing up with thirteen
men was retained IN the service intact while
superior and more effective organiZa tons were
consolidated out of existence.
Two of the consolidated companies have held
meetings, and the men have declined to be
thus transferred without their consent, Com
pany d OF the First and Company o. the Sec
ond having formed social organizations and
asked FOR their discharge.
The same state of affairs exists among the
few companies consolidated in the interior,
notably Company at GRASS Valley, the NUM-
cipality and residents holding meetings and
expressing their indignation. That this entire
matter has demoralizng and bad effect upon
the guard is unqucstioned. affecting enlist
ments and re-enistments and the obtaining OF
competent officers either line or staff on ac-
count of the uncertainty attending the tenure
OF existence or office.
During the session of the last Legislature Ell
forts were made by the friends OF the guard to
obtain legislative action tending 10 make the
force more effective, and the bill finally passed
and which is az present portion of the code
met with the approval of Governor Budd, who
was consulted with as to its provisions, one OF
which is That the number of companies pro-
vided for is sixty foot companies, five naval re-
serve and four to such arms of the service as
the Governor might designate.
While it is true that the provisions of the bill
were not perfect it was well understood at the
time that ii was in the nature OF ompromise,
the result of some ten or twelve bills intro
duced during the session, and was the only
means available to ward off the covert attacks
OF those inimical to the guard.
The bill originally introduced was the result
of q conference of officers representing every
portion of the guard throughout the State and
O committee appointed to formulate amend
ments in consonance with such views. This
had been done Tor many years past, and
had been the means of obtaining many good
provisions for the regulation of the guard. AS
soon as the bill was introduced number Of
others were brought forward and upon the
reference of all to joint committee from both
houses of the Legislature the present amend
ments were evolved and so reported. The
present board Of location, consisting of Gov
ernor Budd, Generals Dimond and Barrett
were well aware of all its provisions, one of
which was the maintenance of the force at
sixty-nne companies "a reduction of five) to abe
located throughout the State with reference to
the military wants thereof means OF concen-
tration and other military requirements" (Sec-
ton 1912, Political Code.) The history of this
legislation thus showed the intent of the
Legislature that there should only be redue-
ton OF five companies. While it is tue that
the appropriation made ut the same session
was inadequate TO pay the full allow
ances provided for by sections 2O94
and 2099, Political Code, it was under
stood that this cause and action was predi-
Gated upon the appropriation made earlier in
the session for the pay and subsistence of the
troops during the strike, aggregating some
$4,000 That it was not the intent of the
Legislature to reduce the force by more than
five companies is patent by their action on the
several bills brought before them, rejecting nil
providing for any less number than sixty-nine
companies.
Barely had the Legislature adjourned than
myriad of propositions appeared touching
what was termed reorganization, or what was
facetiously termed by many "disorg anzation
and decentralization" many of which were
based upon an absolute ignorance of the geog-