The age-herald., 1898-02-11
A B|G KICK IS REGISTERED. Against Postponing Election in
 the Third Infantry. THE LOCAL OFFICERS TALK Will Ask That the Action of the Commanding Officers Be Reconsidered- Be
 Convinced of the Necessity.

The announcement made in yesterdays Age-Herald that the election of officers in the Third Infantry would be put off until after encampment was in the nature of a great surprise to many of the officers yesterday. Few of them had heard the news before that time, and many opinions were expressed; some of them said that delay in the election until that time would be a calamity, while others were not strong in their opinion.
 All of them thought, however, that 1t was an unwise action and that the election should be held as soon as possible
 Several of the local officers called on Gen. Clark yesterday and found that the situation was as stated in The Age-Herald. They talked the matter over with him, en- deavorng to interest him in an immedl- ate election.
 Gen. Clark said that the matter had been settled positively by the governor, the ad- jutant-general and himself, and that as matters now stood there would be no cleo tion until encampment. This action mad been taken for what they thought was for the good of the service, but if any or the officers of the infantry could convince them that it was necessary that the elec- ton be held at once he thought the action taken in Montgomery might be recons1d- cred He added that the arguments in la vor of delayed election were good ones and that no change would be made hastily.
 The local officers were free in expressing their opinions yesterday.
 ""The welfare of the regiment demands that the election be held as soon as pos sible" said Mai. T. o. Smith to an Age Herald reporter. "At present there Is most amicable feeling throughout the reg iment, but if the election Is delayed there is no telling how many candidates will spring up and another bitter contest be in augurated. I am surprised at the action or the commanding officers In this matter. The old system of electing by ballot has been in vogue all these years, and with one or two exceptions has been complete success. I shall do all in my power to in- fluence the commanding officers to recon- slider their decision"
 "The officers of the Third infantry will make a strong effort to have the election ordered at once," said Lieutenant R. B. Going. "As 1t Is now we are almost com pletely disorganized, not really knowing our commanding officers. In this diSor- ganized state. nothing can be accomplish ed while from now until encampment should be a period of most active work. I should be heartily discouraged over the situation were it not that l thought the governor the adjutant general and Gen. Clark would reconsider their action and give us an early election.
 q do not know what methods we shall pursue toward impressing them with the necessity of this, but I should not be sur prSed if there was not a meeting held in the near future, of all the officers in ithe regiment If this Is impracticable, at least a strong petition will be drawn up and signed by every officer and forwarded to the governor"
 q have letters" said Capt George r. Hart, from most of the companies com posing the regiment in which almost the unanimous support of the ticket which was recently agreed upon is pledged. circumstances? The present officers of the regiment are mere flgure-heads, sim ply waiting for their terms of office to ex' pire. We need the new officers now and officers of our own choice.''
 No other officers were seen, but it Is un- derstood that every other officer and priv ate in the Birmingham battalion endorses the opinions expressed above
 The board of survey appointed to inves- tigate the destruction of the arms and equipments of the Huey Guards at East Lake by fire last fall have finished their investigations and will make their report through Maj. T. O. Smith today.
 The board fixes no responsibility as the fire was entirely accidental
 They furthermore recommend that the nineteen broken muskets, the eighteen belts, the six blouses and the five pair of trousers be either sold or otherwise dis posed of and new equipments issued at once
 The Huey Guards held an enthusiastic muster on Tuesday night and elected three new members. When their new equipments come as recommended above, this com- pany boasts that they will be second to none in the regiment.