The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-05
FIRED LAST SHOT
OFFICERS URGE NECESSITY FOR
AN APPROPRIATION.
CIRCULAR TO LEGISLATORS.
BEARS THE NAMES of ALL CON-
HANDING OFFICERS OF STATE.

Capt. Walter e. Coney, Adjutant OF
the First Infantry, Sent Out the
Circular-It Urges Upon Each Sem
atOr and Legislator the Impor-
tance of the Appropriation OF
$4,000 for the NIiIitary-COmpara-
tive Showing Is Made, and the Ap-
propriatiOns Made by other States
Leaves Georgia Suffering by the
Comparison.
The last shot was fired last night
in the battle for an appropriation from
the state for the Georgia State Troops.
A circular was sent out from Savan
nah to each member of the Legislature,
and it is hoped that the showing it
makes will result in the appropriation
of 100000 to the cause of the military.
Capt. Walter E. Coney, adjutant of
the First Infantry, is responsible for
the circular. He took the leading in
terest in its preparation, securing the
signatures of all the commanding off,
GERS in the state, and sending out the
copies to the legislators and senators.
If an appropriation is made, Capt.
Coney will deserve the thanks of the
military of the state quite as much
as any other one officer.
Maj. w. L. Grayson and Capt. Coney
had u conference over the matter, and
they decided that it would be well to
send out a circular. Affairs have
reached a point in the Legislature
where it seems very doubtful that any
appropriation at all for the military
will be made, and that is blow that
officers in Savannah dislike to contem-
plate. They fear for its effect upon
the service, though they do not say,
as Representative Warren Grice is
quoted as saying, that there will be
wholesale designations. On the con-
trary, the officers say that they will
stick to the service and try to make
it credit to the state, in so far as
might be possible, even though there
should be no appropriation, made.
Some days ago Maj. Grayson made a
trip to Atlanta and appeared before
the Appropriation Committee, and his
talk, together with those of other Of
f1cers in Atlanta on the same errand,
induced the committee to favorably re-
port an appropriation of 100000. The
failure of the Blalock bill, which was
designed to meet the interest on bonds
from the public property fund, leaves
less hope than ever for an appropria-
ton for the military.
The following is the circular that
was sent out by Capt. Coney;
''The undersigned officers, represent
ing the Georgia State Troops. in their
entirety, beg leave to present for your
careful consideration. a few facts, and
trust that in view of the same you will
he tot TN, 49, Sow
the support of the military for the
year 1902.
THE Georgia State Troops are legally
enlisted and sworn to obey orders in
| the execution of the law. They have
many times responded to calls and
have never failed to uphold the au-
| thority of the law, and that without
| bloodshed.
Officers and men composing the
State Troops give their means and a
large portion of their time to the SER
vice of the state; we respectfully sub
init that to have to plead for an ap-
preparation is not only unjust but it
is humiliating. The State Troops de-
serve a liberal appropriation and
should not be obliged to beg for same.
THE government appropriation for
the use of the State Troops is nearly
$30,000.00. The state should appropri-
ate at least an equal amount. The Gov
ernor favors 100000.
NO appropriation was asked for
last year and none was made.
1--WE believe that there are compa-
| MES in the State Troops on the verge
of disbandment, and that liberal APP
| preparation by the Legislature would
| so encourage these companies that
they would be enabled to survive.
only four states in the Union have
more troops than Georgia, viz: