The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-01
WILL ELECT THEIR MAN
HOW THE COLONEL FOR THE NEW
REGIMENT WILL BE CHOSEN.
Backus's Chances Go Giimmering-
Men Detailed as Recruiting OH
GERS from the Field.

for the selection of the colonel of the One
hundred-and-sixty- Regiment that is
believed will be satisfactory to contending
applicants. In another day or two, after the
pressure to which he has been subjected for
several days has subsidized somewhat, he will
take a map of Indiana and pick out the
towns that are entitled to the twelve COM
panies. The companies will be allowed to
elect their own officers and after they are
modified in Indianapolis the thirty-six
company officers will proceed to elect col
onel. The Governor said to a number Of
delegations that called on him that this plan
would be followed. This is regarded as
meaning that Victor NJ. Backus of Indian
apoiis, has but little If any chance to be-
come commander Of the next regiment to go
to war, If one there shall be. There is still
some uncertainty as to whether the State
is expected to furnish regiment in addi-
ton to the recruits required to bring the old
regiments up to the maximum.
Men who called on the Governor yesterday
state that up to the early hours Of the day
yesterday the Governor intended to appoint
Mr.. Backus, if any way could be found to
do so. Last week the Journal stated that
prominent men in every district outside of
Indianapolis were asserting that this city
had received enough appointments already
and that therefore the Governor should ap-
point colonel from some OF the outside
counties. The geographical opposition
against Mr.. Backus crystallized Monday
night when there was meeting at the Den
ison Hotel, at which was present a large
number Of the men who have formed COM
panies and regiments outside OF Indianap-
oils. It was decided to send committee to
the Governor to call his attention to the fact
that the State at large believed indianapolis
had received its share of the honor and the
officers in the war thus far. Yesterday the
committee, consisting of Charles 8. Hernly,
r. o. Hawkins and General Foster, visited
the Governor. They asked whether the
Governor was pledged to commission Mr..
Backus2 Then the Governor gave some in
formation on a subject that has perhaps
been misunderstood He said that Mr..
Backus began recruiting a regiment while
the National Guard was being modified
here He went to the Governor saying that
his regiment was being formed and asking
for assurance that it would be used on the
second call. The Governor told him, as he
did many others, to file his rosters and that
If second call came and nothing arose to
prevent it his tender of regiment would be
accepted. The promise to Mr.. Backus was
no more positive than those made to other
men, and the only assurance he received
was provisional upon the Governors ability
to favor him. This being the case it was
clear to the committee that there was moth
ing to prevent the Governor from allowing
the officers of the regiment to elect their
own colonel and he agreed to- do so. When
talking for publication Mr.. Backus has
never said he had positive promises, but has
left as much to be inferred by mods and
winks. Since the opposition to Mr. Backus
has developed, facts have come to light
which indicate that his ''junta" was pretty
thoroughly and cutely organized After his
regiment was partly formed with six In
dianapols companies and the National
Guard was in the field, the Backus "junta'
watched the papers and every time it was
announced that a new company was being
organized elsewhere, the "junta'' opened
correspondence and represented that it had
positive promises of being allowed to place
the first regiment The bait caught and
companies from all parts of the State were
tumbling over one another to cline the riji-
ment" The "junta" foresaw that in case
of a short call only districts that had not
furnished many men on the first quota
would have chance and requests to be
taken into the regiment were only consid-
cred from those districts. When the word
went out that yesterday Backus was not
1t" any more the companies that had filed
their rosters with applications to be in
Guided in the Backus regiment, went to the
Statehouse and quietly withdrew their ap-
plications. Now they are free to vote for
some outside man for colonel. Some out-of-
town men are rather strong in the charac-
FORMATIONS Of the "juntas'' methods of as
sorting that General Harrison had indorsed
Mr.. Backus and that Senator Fairbanks
WAS WAS urging the Governor to appoint him.
Inc Junta" did succeed in getting some
company officers in the north part of the
state to telegraph Mr.. Fairbanks that their
interests were Identical with those of Mr.
BackuS and ask him to request the (,overno.
to appoint Backus. One point made when
the committee visited the Governor yester-
I'd Jay Was that Mr.. Backus would not be able
10 take single company out of Indianapo-
lis, under the apportionment that is TO he
made, and that 1t would be rather absurd
W expect companies from other towns to
come mere to select their commanding Off
GER The committee left the Governor be-
ileVlng that the course outlined above would
pc; De pus su , ana SO reported to another meet
ing or the opposition to the "junta' The
committee yesterday did not undertake. to
dictate to the Governor what course he
S Silouiu pursue, put represented that it I'M
questions he had to dispose of and onIV
wanted in friendly way to present to him
what the State at large thought of the Sit
uation - INC ST.
To others who called on him Yesterday the
Governor said that the companies selected
10 form the next regiment would be al
lowed TO designate their own commander
Governor Mount gave q talk to a COMMITTEES
headed by Charles +. Griffin of Hammond
Which called to request that a Sons of
veterans regiment be organized The Gov
ernor was informed that there are over a
score of companies from which enough
could be selected to form as fine a regiment
as ever left Indiana, without encroaching
on the rights of any of the districts that
are entitled to furnish the men. The Gov
ernor expressed a wish that ii might he
possible to send Sons of Veterans reei-
ment No.
There was delegation from Terre Haute
TO urge the acceptance of a regiment which
fhomas w. Harper, of that citv has
formed. Mr. Harper has a large following
of railroad men. as
Ex-Governor Claude Matthews had an
nour s conference with Governor Mount rel
atiVe to the acceptance of his regiment II
developed that nearly all of his companies
are IN districts which are not entitled at
Tear that l shall have to stay at home said
Mr.. Matthews afterward. las / find under
the geographical apportionment my com
panles are not in the right towns"
%
RECRUITING THE REGIMENTS.
Field Ohicers Named by the Indiana