Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-01-10

organized. Later on very much higher
| bounties were offered and paid.
| consulted with Colonel Kendall. who
| commanded the regiment and with sew
| eral captains Of the different companies,
| and they informed me that some Of their
men had been In the strikes In Lewis
| ton and Biddeford. and must have aid
| I told them 10 send out recruiting officers
| To the towns and cities where the com
panies OF the First regiment had been
organized. and endeavor To I'LL up these
companies with the least possible delay.
and | authorized him and them 10 state
10 all men enlisting that they should
| have the same treatment and the same
| gratuity as was given by the act OF April,
| 1861, to the soldiers OF the first 10 regi-
ments. assuring them that would either
raise the necessary funds to do this my
self, or call an extra session Of the lcgis-
Iature, and recommend that IL bc done.
| in which event | had no doubt IL would
| be.
After due dcliberation.I finally decided
under all the circumstances. to pay this
| bounty Ia tie men IN my own personal
responsibility, trusting and believing
| that after you had a full knowledge Of
| the facts. the needs OF the men and the
urgency Of immediate enlistments that
the wisdom and propriety, as we'll as
| the necessity of 80 doing. would com
| mend Itself Ia your Judgment. and the
| act be- ratified by you. There ar" Ger
| tainly as Cogent reasons for pay ng this
| small bounty To these volunteers IA thsrs
weI's tO those Ia 1861. Many OF the men
were I'm pressing need OF some money
To purcrase little necessary articles foi
| themselves. and others must have some
thing To send Ia their very destitute
families or leave them in want
While We were graphing with and
overcoming these difficulties. incident -
| filing the quota by using the National
Guard. | was constantly receivirE nu
| merous applications. from all parts 81!
the state. from patriotic citizens who
desired tn raise companies and who tx
pected Ia be commissioned In those com
/ paniea Offering services Of themselye
| and various numbers OF volunteers. and
| II had fclt at liberty 10 disregard the In
structions from Washington To use the
guard. and to accept these volunteer
companies. | could have raised several
regiments in a !ery short time. and al
| less cost To the state.
For the reason above stated and for
Others which are obvious. am very de-
| cidediy of the opinion that there should
| be some radical amendments or changes
In the laws relating to the National
Guard of Maine Al the present time
! both regiments Of the guard are very
much shattered and disorganized from
th, results of the war and orders have
been issued furloughing the entire guard
t. the frgt of Nay next. | do not In the
least desire tn reflect upon tn. officer
or men who constitute tho National
Guard of our state. II II not their fault
IL the march ~ events has outgruwn the
regiment provided by our military laws
and demand something ~. different
character Tn difficulties 20 my mind
can be Obviated and removed not by rc
pealing but by properly ar ending In
some important sections the law Great
Ing and regulating the guard as u now
stands upon our statute books.
II ls certainly better and less expensive
to the state TO have n single regiment
and have every company full to the
standard OF the United states require
ments. than larger number OF organi-
zations with less men In them. such as
our present laws provide for. What Ma
tional Guards the state OF Maine may
have In the future should be composed
OF companies OF not less than the same
| number OF physically sound men that
tnf lIllltb 81
ments specify. They should be arme'i
with modern guns. thoroughly equipped
and drilled. and ready To take the field
at any time upon short notice. and when
any call by the general government has
exceeded their numbers, and more SOL
dlers Az. needed there will b. no lack
| OF eager volunteers. Bu, two regiments.
with full comple meDts OF ofiicerS 10 that
| no commissions can be given 10 those
" no desire 70 bring men In. IN which only
| from 30 To ~ men are physically nj for
duty. are expensive and difficult To raise
70 the United States standard and re-
| quircmcnts when called into active serV-
| ice. and should cease to exist in our state.
In short. submit that II is very iesila-
BILE 20 so change our military laws as Ia
| form our National Guard In every par
tiCular. 50 far "a we can, upon the regu-
| lar army standard
There we're some soldiers enlisted and
| sent to Join the First regiment OF in
fantry and battery A OF the heavy ar
| tillery. under the supervision OF the
| United States government. and consti-
tui.d "A part ~ our quota under the SEC
| ond call None ~ these men have re
ceived any ~ the gratulty before re-
fcrred To. I believe that IL is right that
| IL should b. paid Ia them. as the state OF
Maine always has been and can anoid
| 20 be- not only Just but generous to the
brave men who came fOrwardsand en-
| listed IN her behalf at the country call.
All OF III. officers In these four batteries
were officers In the guard. though some
| Of them do not hold ns high rank In the
batteries a. ia the guard. ana all ~ their
| men and the men OF the signal corps
| have received the gratuity as above
| stated. with the exception OF the Few
| that enlisted In battery \.
For some of these soldiers I'm the late
war with Spain. and for the old soldiers
| OF the war of 6l. whose valor saved th.,
republic and made IL indeed a nation.
| where the fires Of liberty Will continue
| 10 burn on the altars Of freedom | rec
| ommend that you make such reasonab e
| provision AZ shall help to smooth the
| path OF their declining years. and save
| them from want
The last legislature appropriated ft5. .
coo per annum. which has been very care
| fully and judiciously distributed 10 the
most needy and deserving. through the
agency of Colonel r.. c. Milliken. There
| are also some needy families of soldiers
| in the late war with Spain. that have Ie-
ceived aid while their husbands were
| absent in the service from certain cities
| and towns I submit that this aid should
not pauperize them. but should be as
| sumed ard paid by the state in the same
| manner tnat state aid was furnished in
| the War OF the Rebellion; thus treating
| them and their families as the state
| treated the soldiers and their families In
| the war OF 1861.
Idesire in closing these already lengthy
| suggestions and remarks on military
| matters-for can only recommend and
| suggest, action and the initiative IL with
| you-to call your attention 10 the fact
| that In all the state has done in filling its
quotas. In equipping the men. in caring
| for the returned sick and suffering. the
| service. foresight and experience of Ad-
/ jutant General Richards have been most
| valuable TO the state. and Indispensable
| to me- He has devoted assiduously his
| whole time and attention TO the add
tional duties placed upon him and his
| department. by the war. and to the wants
| and welfare. health and comfort OF the
soldiers. And as his compensation or
salary Is very inadequate for the service
| performed. and is based upon what
| should be paid In a time OF peace, there
| fore. | know IL will be your pleasure TO
| grant him such additional sum as is rea J.
| sonable and Just, and recommend that
this be done.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
| During the past two years the dormi-
| tory. In connection with the state normal
school at Gorham. and the normal school
building at Pennington. have been COM
| pleted and properly furnished for use.
Both buildings are all that could be rea-
sonably wished for To serve the purposes
| for which they were intended.
| An additional building has been con-
structed In connection with the indus
trial school for girls at Halloweal. Also
| there have been marked and much
needed changes. improvements and re-
| pairs in and about the state house.