The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-01
nail IN KIEEFFER'S COFFIN
CLOUGH'S DETERMINATION TO
SUPPLANT THE MILITIA
Minnesota Soldiers Do Not Like the
Proposition to sReorganize a
Pseudo National Guard on a
Basis That Smacks of Peanut Pol.
tiles More Than of Patriotic Ar
dor-WHI <Avengef the Insult.

Gov. Coughs refusal to reconsider
his decision to raise "a new national
guard to take the place of the volun-
teers who are going to the front Is an
other nail in the political coffin of Col
Kiefer.
In consequence Of the governors DO
stinacy every Republican In the st
Paul companies OF the First regiment
will come to the city Tuesday and vote
against Col. Kiefer.
This was made certain Yesterday
when the result of the field officers in
terview with Gov. Clough became
known at Camp Ramsey. Every ma
tional guardsman was indignant, and
1t is safe to say that the Republican
candidate for governor, whoever he
may be, will be opposed by the solid
national guard vote and as many more
as the militiamen can muster
Gov. Clough has committed political
suicide" said a prominent volunteer
yesterday to a reporter for The
G e. HE tells every man who has
volunteered to fight for this country
that his services are no longer wanted
by the state and he kicks us out as nm
He has not even the decency to wait
Until we are on our way to the front
suppose we do not go to Cuba. bur.
get no further than Atlanta or Chat
taEooga? We come back and find orr
commissions gone and usurped by
strangers and heroes ca who were too
t1mid to go to war, but who were very
anxious to wear uniforms and titles
conferred by governor who was anx-
ious to secure their political support
We are to give up our uniforms and
armortes to men who never drilled and
who never knew the first rudiments of
tactics. We. who have spent our own
money in fitting up armories, are to
see them turned over to men who never
have been inside, Of an armory. while
we are fighting. these cheap warriors
are to strut about in our feathers and
all for the political power and military
Of a governor who, wants to be COM
mander-in-c chief of something. And
then we are to teome home and vote
for Clough and for the party he stands
for-or rather, that stands for him. 7
guess Clough and his outfit will be
sadly disappointed.
Gov. Clough seems to think we will
all be killed whensWes go to Cuba, and
tnat ne need notlreckon with us any
more-but he will. discover he is mis-.
taken.
There are some men in this camn
who will have a. chance to express their
views at the polls Tuesday and they
are not going to hesitate to do 40.
Somebody will wake up to the fact that
we resent insults.
'Clough made himself supremacy ride
ulous Friday" continued the officer,
when ne had the regiments assemble
at the capitol. There was no excuse
for 1t. Some of the companies got to
the city early in the morning, but they
had to march about in the sun several
hours and go without food Just that
Clough might be gIorified as comman-
der-in-chief of the militia. He should
have been satisfied with that without
kicking us out. He fears that he will
be without a body guard If he does not
fill our places with new men. He is
a very modest man. eis Gov. zClough."
I shall. be zNerysfnIlc oh int erestedsin
the new militia, Aid another. high
officer. "It will be- FaHstaff's army come
back again. ItWiIl excel Coxey's army
The men will all be Inexperienced and
they Will be Offered by men who may
make very good captains Of election,
but not militia captains But 1t is
evidently Gov. Cleugh's idea to place
the militia on a political and not a
military footing. II that be the case
Minnesota will have. q unique national
guard"
"And what a brave lot of heroes the
rev regiments will be. How they will
be applauded when they parade on
front. I can see the state falling pros
trate in admiration of their prowess.
If second call Is Issued. the new mi
htia will doubtless stay at home, be-
cause they would not want to lose their
brand-new commissions. Minnesota's
Home Guards will be by-word
throughout the country"
In every barrack In the camp and in
every tent the governors action was
denounced yesterday, and it was the
universal opinion that, if he organizes
new militia in this state, the Re-
publican party will be showed under
at the next gubernatorial election.