The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-08-17
REPLIES TO HOFFMAN.
General Jamlson Takes Come Exeep
tions to Present Military Laws.

Editor Leader notice with pleas
ure Colonel Roy v. Honman's note in
the Leader Of Angus. ~. replying in
part to some suggestiors ] offered in
the Leader recently wiz regard to the
powers lodged by law IN the com
mander in chief to appoint and remove
commissioned officers OF the National
Guard at pleasure. The colonel
agrees with me that ! correctly quot.
ed the law upon the subjec. but calls
attention to an amendment adopted I'm
1901, giving the colonel commanding
summary power for cause to discharge
withou. honor commissioned officer
who has been regularly assigned to
la company. spoke entirely with
reference to the military code adopted
in 1895, and stated tha, II there we're
subsequent amendments to the code
had not seen them.
Colonel Hoffman knows me too well
as stickler for military discipline 70
believe for a moment that would
offer the slightest encouragement to
disobedience and INSTRUMENTATION
either among officers or enlis ed men.
and he viii pardon me for suggesting
a doubt as to the possible enforcement
OF the summary provision TO which
he calls my attention lt viii be OBJ
served that the summary power con
ferred upon the colonel commanding
Us greater and therefore more arbi-
trary than that given into the hands
OF the president cor the general in
chief OF the United States army. But
! did not Start out TO discuss this
phase Of the subject but rather TO call
attention to some Of the bunghng
provisions OF the present military
code OF the territory, with the sole
purpose that it may attract sufficient
attention TO insure their correctio by
the next legislature.
Taken in manv ne It's provisions the
present code is an incougruous daub
and was grub aked" through both
houses Of the 1895 legislature on po-
litical pulls and superior knowledge
of the military geniuses % who as
sumed tC know just what was neces-
sary for the organization OF an effici-
cnt military establishment Out Of
several OF these laundering provisions
take section "a for example. The ad-
jutant e. aeral IS by law as well as by
long military custom the real head Of
the state militia. and TO emphasize
this section % of the Territorial Code
expressly places the entire responsi-
bility of the organization of the guard
and its equipment upon his shoulders
and holds him accountable for it's pro-
hciency in the drill and the tactical
maneuvers, yet, under section "a, as
manipulated by the legislative Solons,
the auditor is absolutely inhibited
from auditing any vouchers presented
by him for the ordinary expenses Of
his office. even for postage stamps to
meet the necessary business CORE.
spondence which the law requires at
his hands, and which Is q hundred
fold larger than that Of all the o.her
staff officers Of he territory com
bined. and who are authorized under
the same section TO have their neces-
sary official expenses audited aud al
lowed, and any warrant issued to him
as adjutant general for these expenses
is in direct violation of the law lie
may, If possessed Of elastic consct
ence, whip the devil round the stump
under section 90 which makes him
c~oNicio Of four other s. af appoint
meats, IN es3 otherwise ordered by
the governor As these san officers
are allowed to have their vouchers
warranted the adiutan general could
by closing his conscience optic Ions
enough, voucher under one OF his ex
officios and then pay the cash on tho
warrant SO drawn over to himself, O
course the vouchers and warrants ac
cep'e and issued by the auditor IL
this zig gag, periphrasucal, rolnd
about way might suggest a little cx
PLANTATION 10 some legislative ingesti
gazing committee, but II would be per
fectly legal and in accordance will
the statutes made and provided fo
Ln,,rh nncnn md thnf NJ OH tho law