The Jersey City news., 1902-03-03
END OF COL ONELS
New Military Law Abolishes
the Gorgeously Clad
Personal staff.
especial to tThe Jersey CITY News.,.1

Especial to aThe Jersey City News.''l
TRENTON, March g. 1902.--It is general
ly believed that Governor Murphy will on
Tuesday next announce his staff, and
there is a movement on fooot among the
friends of Colonel Robert NJ. Thompson
to have him renamed as the personal aide
to the Governor to which he was APP
pointed by Governor Voorhees, Under the
new military law there can be no more
gilt-lace colonies. The new act was par
ticulariy constructed to keep down the
promiscuous creation of all kinds of
colonels, either from civil life or brevet.
The National Guard of New Jersey was
getting top heavy with very ordinary men
with extraordinary high military titles.
The selection of men from civil life to
be. aides-de-camp to the Governor, an
honor which carried with it about S40o Of
elegant military toggery and the title Of
colonel, was making colonels as thick in
New Jersey as they are in Kentucky.
There was demand for change. and It.
is a question now whether the State mill
tary authorities are not going to the other
extreme.
The Governor has only the choice of
one personal aide from civil life, and then
he does not become colonel. He is ma
jor The other five aides-de-camp must
be selected from the commissioned off
GERS. and they must not be allowed the
rank of colonel, either a major, captain or
lieutenant They get commissioned as
aides-de-camp, and that commission adds
no additional rank, but carries with it
only the grade of the officers as named
1 fccifr Thav ra mot
permanently with the Governor. and are
| consequently not relieved from duty with
| their respective organizations, except
when actually on duty as aides-de-camp
under the orders of the commander-in-
| chief.
| The Governor is not without colonies,
| but he has less generals on his staff be-
| cause the Inspector General, Inspector
General of Rife Practice, Judge Advocate
| General, Quartermaster and Surgeon Gen.
! eral are not generals. These titles are
misleading. The new law reduced the
rank from what the office carries TO that
| of colonel Quartermaster General Dom
nelly, although he is major general, his
rank, so far as the office carries rank,
! makes him colonel His successor, unless
| he have previous heavier rank, viii only
! be a colonel Those on the military staff
of the Governor now secured their title
of brigadier general previous to the en-
actment of the new military law. but
/ their successors will only be colonies.
| The change that Is most noticeable Is
| the law that controls the Governors
| staff 1t was Governor Voorhees, idea Of
quiet and democratic administration 20
/ get rid of as much fuss and feathers as
| possible 1t is a question whether 1t will
! suit all of his successors. Many names
| have been suggested to Governor Muir
1 phy for a place on his personal staT,
none of them being familiar with the
rigid and exclusive law that controls the
| conditions. Even if he was disposed 10
please a few of his personal friends IL
| whom he leans kindly, he could not do
SO becausee Of the law.
| Colonel Robert NJ. Thompson, who is
| graduate of Annapolis, and prominent in
/ army and navy circles, has many friends
| who would like to see him retained as
| the solitary personal aide. He could be
| continued with the rank of colonel, be-
cause the law provides that reappoint-
ment carries with 1t its previous rank,
i so that Colonel Thompson would not be
reduced
I There is to be some change in the milf
tary law before tpe adjournment Of the
Legislature. It will. however, only touch
4 one phase of the law, particularly that
! which deals with the courts of inquiry
i and courts martial, delinquency courts for
enlisted men and the powers of the judge
advocate general. The changes were
/ suggested by the State Military Board,
and the bill is now being drafted. The
4 changes that are to be made will be
/ favorable to the men who come before
i courts martial.