The herald., 1898-04-28
WANT TO Be RETAINED
NEWS OF GOV. BUDD'S SELEC-
TIoNs ANxIoUSLY AWAITED
GEN. LAST MAY BE COLONEL
What Is Happening in Local Military
Circles-Volunteer Promoters Not
Cheerful Meeting Tonight
"And he intImated to his brethren,

C0eecIuk- meeCluR 4oAASA1
"And he intimated to his brethren,
Step you down single notch
Any one who is even remotely concerned
in military doings-yes, even unto the
wives. sweethearts and little brothers
is waiting feverishly for the news of wha'
is going to happen in day or two. 1t
going to be official news with the seal OF
this great government supplemented by
that of this glorious state. 1t will be as
tidings of joy to some and as dagger
wound to many another. 1t will be the in
centive to the furtherance of the ambition
of some and the detriment and perhaps
complete stoppage to the ambition OF
many. But 1t will interest-no avoiding
that phase of the matter
BY tomorrow night those who know say
Brigadier General Last will have received
Q communication from Governor Budd ad-
vising him to have his men in readiness
to go to the national stamping grounds at
Chickamauga. Then the governor will APP
point the officers of the regiment, and ev-
cry member of the brigade staff in this
city expects to be one of the men selected.
Some one must be disappointed or events
will not have taken their natural and law
full course. The governor of a state has
the power to appoint a regimental staff
of officers, and it is the custom to select
these from among the men who are al
ready serving the brigade in that capac-
ity. That, as was said, is the CUSTOM but
the governor does not necessarily have to
q 70 bnp 1,a
pleases And that is what is worrying
these officers Will Governor Budd choose
some enc out of the brigade and ignore
those who have worked faithfully for it
when there was no chance of promotion or
finacial gain?
The governor has the power to appoint
officers from colonel down, the position Of
brigadier general being entirely at the dis
cretion Of the war department at WASH
1ngton. Those who should know say these
officers will be selected from among the
regular army officers according to the line
of promotion, and that volunteers will un-
der no circumstances be placed above
them.
General or ColonelP
At the armory there is considerable lat
ent unpleasantness among the five officers
under Brigadier General Last 1t has been
intimated to them, through the medium of
current rumor, that General Last would
be pleased If they would move down a
notch and give him chance for appoint
ment as first colonel. And the source cf
the rumor is such as to have considerable
probable credence attached to it.
AS the report has 1t, General Last is
n n n rni ~ t1a
that his present position is a hindrance to
1t, he would be willing to reduce his Off
cial designation to colonel in the hope that
the governor will ratify 1t when the oc-
casion comes. Now to do this 1t is neces-
sary to get the consent of the five men un-
der him. 1t can be done without their
acquiescence, but that is plan the gen.
eral would not like to follow unless forced
to 1t to carry out the campaign of his
military ambitions.
If proper pressure can be brought to
bear on the governor in behalf of General
Last. the executive can take the matter
in hand and carry out the wishes of the
general to nicely. The latter can resign
his present position and the governor can
then commission him a colonel.
This would bring Colonel Berry, who is
now next in command to General Last,
down to lieutenant-colonel and make
Neutenant-colonel Schreiber first major.
The first major will become the second
major. and the third major, Bangham of
pasadena, Will be forced out. or course
this plan would be in the nature of q COM
promise on the part of the governor, who,
If he did this, would look at it in the light
that he will give as many of the present
brigade officers positions in the regular
army as there are places to be filled, but
one man must inevitably be left out, and
he, as before suggested, will probably be
Major Bangham, the third major.
Schneider Kicks
Lieutenant-Coloncl Schreiber said: at
stands to reason that don't approve of the
idea. 1 can't see why any man should be
given preference over me just because he
has more influence. l have been in the state
militia since 1884, and by degrees have
risen to the position I now hold The
brigadier-general, on the contrary. is ap-
pointed and need never have seen the in
side of an armory to hold his office during
the term of his appointment. / think this
matter should go according to the line of
promotion for L was militiaman when
there was no hope of especial glory or any
gain, and now that both are possible I
think 1 should have reasonable chance.
And as the matter stands, according to
the military laws of this country referring
to the rights Of governors to make appoint
ments In times like these, it is not abso-
lutely certain that will get any kind of an
office. This matter has only come to me
through rumor, as it has you, and General
Last has not spoken to me about it,"
Colonel Berry is of the same opinion as
Lieutenant-Colonel Schneider and ex-
pressed himself on the main points in al
most the same language. He has been in
the militia for nine years and for three
years prior to that he was connected with
the militia of Illinois.
The Muster
1t Is thought that the National Guards
men of the Seventh regiment will be mus
tered in this city, the basis of argumnt
being that out Of about 1000 men there are
sure to be many unfit for regular dutv.
and 1t would be folly and extravagance tn
weed these out at Chickamauga and then
have to send them back. 1t will hardly
occur in San Francisco, these men argue
because the regulars passed through this
city on. their way east, and the government
would hardly transport 1000 men to San
Francisco and then back again.
Meanwhile there is effervescent excite
ment and enthusiasm on the inside and the