The San Francisco call., 1896-01-25
To Solve Knotty Questions in
National Guard Reorgan-
ization.
CONFLICTING GENERAL ORDERS.
The Matter of the Armory Changes
and Election of Field Officers Be.
getting a Bitter Contest.

! ant-colonel and three majors of the First
Infantry r. giment, n. G. c., to be held
on Friday, the 31st inst, looks as if a
lawyer was required to solve some of the
knotty legal questions likely to arise in
the anticipated merry war.
| On account of the delay in the issuance
of the order after it had been called for by
the officers entitled to elect, many rumors
became rife as to its cause, one of which
was that the order would not be issued
| until after the armory question had been
settled, and another to enable companies
having vacancies to hold elections to fill
the same.
One of the curiosities of this order reads
that the election is called sin pursuance
OF orders from general headquarters" and
does not specify whether it is to fill any
original vacancy or one caused by resigna-
ton or expiration of term.
In this connection the question is
brough. forward and agitating the electors
as TO whether the tielo officers assigned to
duty with the bautalions under general
orders II are still on duty, such battalions
having been organized into regiment
under general orders Is, and as they
have not been relieved will they be en-
titled to vote at this election?
In all orders issued since then there is
relieved, which can only be done in the
manner prescribed by the regulations or
customs OF the ser vice.
Paragraph 329 of the regulations pre-
scribes: ''All officers will continue on
duty with their commands until their sue
| cessors have been appointed ana qualified.
All officers of the National Guard
will hold their offices and continue to per-
form their duties until properly relieved
and they therefore must still be on duty
from the fact that the brigade order simply
states that the election is called in ''pur-
suance OF orders from general headquar-
| ters." The order referred to is probably
the letter of Adiutant-G General Barrett of
January 10, wherein the brigade COM
mander is directed to Immediately order
an election for lieutenant-colonel and
| majors.
General orders No. 18, dated Decem Der
! 3, state: Permanent assignments of the
| leutenant-colonels and majors to duty
with their respective regiments will be an
nounced IL future orders" and the next
order (No. 19) reeds: "All field officers
not assigned to duty in general orders No.
IL are hereby placed on waiting orders"
AS the status of these field officers is the
same as on December 19. when they were
! permitted to vote at the election for
colonel, and IN face of the fact that such
was called TO the attention of the Gov
| ernor, their right to vote was recognized
| by virtue OF the issuance of the com mis-
sion TO Colonel Macdonald. 1t is now
claimed that they have the same right to
note at this election, their standing being
the same as officers would be whose terms
are expiring, voting at elections for their
! successors
In the meantime every effort is being
made by the steering or campaign COM
mit.ee of the combine, consisting Of Cap
tains Cunningham, O'Neill and Boxton, to
how har rhraa . 1tI a
to agree to move 10 the Page-street arm
oIy, thus relieving Colonel Macdonald
| from the unpleasant necessity of endeavor-
ing to enforce his regimental orders No. 3,
it being shrewdly calculated that the other
| three companies remaining at Market
street would then be compelled to move to
| the same placs on account OF the increased
expense, thus enabling the two companies
of the old Second to move from Page street
TO the Nationals armory on Ellis street.
1t is said that one of the inducements
held out to the three companies of the old
| Third to move to Page street is that they
would be permitted to name the lieuten-
ant-colonel and one of the majors, und
that their nominees would be supported
| by the combine which elected the colonel,
but this proposition has thus far been un-
successful, these companies having agreed
with Companies B, D and l. to remain at
the Market-street armory at all hazards
unless the entire regiment is concentrated
| at one place, as contem plated by the regu-
lations. The Market street companies
recognize that they are unable to elect any
of the field officers without the support of
some of the old Second officers, but they
claim that they will make nominations
nevertheless, and will ask for no pledges
| from their candidates.
! In all of these consultations and efforts
at compromise the old First companies
appear to be ignored, the attack being
made upon the companies commanded by
! Captains Connolly, Fitzpatrick and War
| rem.
| Among those announced as candidates
for field officers are Major Cook, Captains
| Margo and Delaney and Lieutenant
Robinson, but these appear to have no
| chance with the combine as they are un-
able to bring any strength to it in the way
of inducing any of the companies to move
that being one of the considerations re-
| quired by the combine for their support.
| Colonel O'Connor, Lieutenant Colonel
Smith or Major brady the combine would
be willing to elect provided they can help
| them ont of the armory dilemma. 1t is
reported that unless the committee can
! report a satisfactory settlement of the
matter Captain Tilden will be elected
| lieutenant colonel and Captains Cunning
ham, O'Neill and Boxton as majors, the
! combine having at least nineteen votes,
while their opponents cannot muster to
exceed seventeen. If this should be done
it would give the old Second and the
Nationals twenty-three votes in the board
of officers, a majority of five.
1t is also stated that the three COM
panies ordered to move have addressed the
Board of Location in conformity with
paragraph 26S Of the regulations, which
reads: 1'No company will be allowed to
locate its armory outside of the building
selected by the regimental commander
unless good cause is shown for such
action, nor without permission from the
Board of Location and Organization,
protesting against being ordered to move
unless the entire regiment is required to
locate in one armory. setting forth cogent
reasons why they should be permitted to
remain in the Market-street armory and
asking for favorable action upon their
petition.
This matter of the armory, coupled
with the election for field officers and the
several bargains sought to made, appears
to have degenerated into bitter contest
with but one tendency, which is to injure
the Guard, and will probably cause the use
of heroic measures at general headquarters
to bring the several factions to time. The
/ n ovarnnr apd ad arara1 haipr