The San Francisco call., 1898-07-25
STATE PRIDE AND THE WAR.

~ CONSIDERABLE discussion. lively at all | times and sometimes redhot has been > stoned in the East by certain claims put for ward by New York and Massachusetts asserting a superiority over their sister States in furnishing troops for the war. As the controversy is waged the records of the expedition to the West Indies 1t IS hardly our fight It happens however, that in carrying on their dsputation both sides have made assertions sufficiently sweeping to include the whole war; and not the Atlantic side of 1t only and as some of these sweeping claims are unjust to California we are compelled to take notice of them
 The New York Times for example. in discussing says Without question all the troops that were con- sidered available sent. They were all regular troops with the exception of the Rough Riders of one regiment from New York and of one regiment from Massachusetts That is to say when the test of we'll regulated militia came Massachusetts and New York the only States that were found to possess such militia
 If that had specifically referred to the West In dian expedition only would have had no cause to interfere but the broad statement that when the test came it was found that only New York and Massa- chusetts had well regulated militia is false Cali fornia the first State in the Union to furnish the quota called for by the President and she was able to be the first simply because she had militia sufi-
 
 ments delay. While New York and Massachusetts were wranging over the legal questions involved in transferring regiments of the National Guard to the Volunteer Army California acted promptly aud got there first
 The Philadelphia Enquirer in dsputing the claims of the Times claims for Pennsylvania the honor of being the first State to respond to the call for men, and in explaining why the troops of that State have not been more numerous or more conspicuous at the front says:
 The reason that New York and Massachusetts and by the way must not forget Michigans two regiments under Dufheld-have been well repre- sented at the front is because those States are well represented in the family counsel of the President Their Cabinet officers have spared no pains to bring to the attention of the authorities the condition of the troops of their States which we do not doubt in the main was fairly good But the guard of Pennsylvania which has been the pride of the commonwealth has been neglected and passed over until now that once splendidly organized body of has been scattered and disrupted"
 The plea IS ingenious, but 1t Is not exactly effec- tive California has representation in the Cabinet nor as strong Congressional delegation as Penn syvania, yet boys have found their way to the front and will doubt distinguish themselves there In fact when 1t to comparing State records in this war California will not have to advance excuses of any kind She has not only furnished promptly all that the nation called upon her for but considerable number of men for the regular army and other or ganzations Therefore when Eastern States wish to dispute with another over their rival pretensons they should confne their claims of superiority to their side the Mississippi and not make sweeping as sertions that include the Union