The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-03
MILITIA FOR AN UMPIRE.
BASEBALL JOKE A CAMPAIGN ISSUE
down IN TIRGIHI1

ObliEe the Boys-Ths Soldiers Objected
and the Governor Reconsidered It
Effect the sonstorship Canvass.
RICHMOND, Va, Sept while tho political
| opponents Of United States Senator Thomas 8.
Martin arc using arguments Ag ainst his 70
election the acrobauc manner in which he leapcd
Into tho FREQ silver band wagon when the white
metal doomed up in glorious array before the eyes
Of the rural voters Of Virginia, Gov TSler's OPP
ponents are working his attitude towards tho
State militia Us sweet morsel on the other sido
The Governors appointment Of negro officers in
tho negro regiment left out in the cold a number
of young white officers who were itching " do
somcthtng heroic They didn't like 70 volunteer
their snrviccs With flourish, and then as one Of
them put Il DO turned down for coons 70 parade
up and take command with q six y-ton grin
The result II that many Of the militia got on tho
opposite sido Of the Governors Canvass and arc
now pouring sharp volleys into his political lines
This opposition on the part Of the military
strengthened recontly by an incident which has
been for some reason left out Of public print though
II is being pretty we'll circulated verbally through
out the State II was some time during last
| spring that an influential lodge of Elks in Ports
mouth decided 70 have a baseball game between
the fat and lean mnmbers the bcnodicts and
bachelors for the benoft Of the lodges .rtas-
| ury. Great preparations vero msdo for the event
By way of drumming up the crowd a parade was
Arranged through tho principal streets, and tho
unEsro was dressed UP In bloomers and ulAsk
and driven through town in a donkey cart Il
was soon socn that there voro many inhabitants
OF Portsmouth, who wero out Of jobs and naturally
took great pleasure In following the procession
As drawing card IL was decided 70 introduce
q novel feature and no the committee Of arrange
nents wrote 70 Gov. Tyler requesting him 70 have
GhmeSs Battery ordered out In mil field service
equipment 10 protect their umpire from violence
By reason Of any decisions he might render dur
ing tho gama This is tho most distinguished
bettory II the First Battalion Virginia Volunteers
commanded by Major William K Simonn II
has enjoyed wide reputation for service rendered
the state for more than a quarter Of q century,
always hrinE salutes the anniversaries Of
WashinSton's and Less birthdays and taking
prominent part in unvef1ing Confederate monu
mentA Now, Gov. Tyler is not up TO date on
outdoor sportsT Hewas reared in Pulaski county.
whore there many fine head Of cattle but no
base ball players bridge jumpers and things like
that The Governor, unlike the mayor and other
public officers hero, docs not root" according To
the most approved methods imported from New
York. II has been said that he docs not under
stand the exact distinction between sacrifice hit
and foul Certain II Is that he is not informed
on tho most delicate points In the game we'll as
tno l1tcst Vernaculdr hcdfd around the playcTB
bench
So the Governor decided at once TO have the
ElkS umpire protected in case OF violence. He
issued an Official order which he stamped with
the Great Seal Of the Commonwealth, directing
Commander Warren 10 report 10 the Ellls commit
toe with his battery, including the four fold guns
Commander Warren is every inch a soldier, and
has oftnn unified the odor of gun powder. He
believes In military form and etiquette as firmly
he docs in tho Christian religion and when he re-
oved the order to lead out his battery he promptly
appaa.ed to Major Simons the head OF the bat
talon 70 know if he should a.low the organize
ton 70 be the central figure Of that kind Of a bur
lesque Major Simons teiegraphod: by no means
obey such an order adding that he himself as
Commander Of the Artillery in the State knew
nothing Of an order having born issued through
tho regular military channrls
There seemed to DO a mystery about the thing
and Major Simons accordingly sent 70 Adjt Gen
HaIlo the communication he received from Capt
Warren and inquirng il such order had been
issued Gen Male replied that nothing Of the
kind had passed through his once, and he was
not aware that any had been ISSUED He thought
there mus be mistake somewhere Shortly
after this Major Simous received a communication
from the Adiutant General saying that he learned
that an order directing that Capt Warren lead
issued directly from the governor himself.
rather spicy correspondence bctweet the Adiu-
tant General and Major Simons followed. and
the latter sent dignihed communication to the
Governor announcing that If the artillery Of the
State was 10 he used as a Punch and Judy show,
he would resign his command and he minated
that tho other commissioned officers would fol-
low his example
II appeared 10 the Adjutant General as well as
TO Major Simons that the Governor had put his
foot in IT," and the question arose as TO how nc
should Get II out Az first Major Simons was not
easily conciliated, for his dignity was well nigh
outraged when his telephone rang and voice
came over the wire saying that the uptown and
downtown Chinese laundrymen going 10
play game Of ball for the benefit Of Wah
Changs unpaid funeral expenses, and wanted a
battery 10 protect the umpire
Gov. Tyler then softened his heart and wrote
10 the Elks' Committee OF Arrangements and coun-
termanded the order to bring out the artillery
adding that rather than offend Major Simons and
| Capt Warren he thought 1t would be better not
to furnish the battery as a body guard to the UNI
pre. After several further official communica-
TONS the matter was dropped but not until the
facts leaked out and set the military tongues to
wagEing.
Gov. Tyiers opponents have made all the pot-
cAl capital they could out Of this incident but il
was noticed that few members OF the old Rich
mond Light Infantry Blues Battalion Joined in
the opposition Naturally, there were inquiries
about this and we'll known military an here has
endeavored 10 explain il According TO his state
ment the Blues are among the greatest paraders
in this country, except that vareg atod organize
ton uniformed after a method suggested by Jo-
seph Is coat Of many colors. and pompously known
as the Ancients and Honorahes Of Boston When
the Blues threw of the bareback and discipline
near Havana and returned home, they were only
little ahead OF Memorial Day. For many years
they had formed part Of the procession TO Holly
wood, where lie the remains of so 900 Confederate
sodicrA This time the question whether
they had legal right To parade with arms before
they were duly rcorganized
The ladies Of the Hollywood Memorial ARsocia-
ton WIRE exceedingly anxious for the Blues 10
take part and so the Blues They always
are. Gov Tyler appealed TO- He felt that
II would he an unwise movement on the political
checker board to antagonzc the ladies, and so no