The age-herald., 1902-03-19
Washington Day by Day

were when framed ana auopleu py S gress to govern our wilderness of coun- try in 1792, or a hundred and ten years ago.
 And while some of our gallant guards men are at daggers' points in Alapana' with the non-soldler Governor in com mand, there is a powerful and promising effort being made in Congress to reform the entire militia laws, place the national guard upon a much higher and more use full footing, and subject the militia 10 such a degree of discipline as will make regimental quarreling and unseemiiness impossible. This much-needed improve ment is sought through Congressman Dicks bill of the House ito promote the efficiency of the militia, and for other purposes;" an identical bill having been introduced in the Senate by MT. Hawley and favorably reported by the commhs tee on military affairs.
 Alabama particularly needs some such legislation" writes an officer of that states national guard. who Is widely known and esteemed throughout the state, and this is for the reason that the state is financially incapable of supporting state troops in proper fashion, as is evidenced by the meagre and reluctant appropria- tions made for military purposes during recent years.''
 Referring to the Dick bill proper, the same officer says its provisions seem to me to be eminently wise, and under It's operation the militia of the various states would, in my judgment be placed upon u practical and effective basis. It IS the most intelligent solution of the question of supporting the state troops and rem dering them serviceable to the national government in case of war, that has yet been presented
 q have discussed the matter" this noted Alabama officer proceeds, with number of officers here, and during re- cent years have talked along this line with numerous military men throughout the state. I feel justified in saying that this legislation will meet with their en- thusastic approval"
 In similar terms writes another officer a highly honored colonel of the Alabama National Guard. And it may be stated that the main features of the Dick bill were agreed upon at national confer ence of National Guard officers of the country.
 Congressman Dick, of Ohio, the author of the bill under discussion is himself an almost lifelong national guardian man and has the rank of general in that service; while Senator Hawley, the sponsor of the bill in the Senate, was a general of volun- teers on the Union side in the war be- tween the States. Thus the proposed militia reform legislation Is led in the two houses of Congress by men thorough ly and practically familiar with the needs of the vast non-professional warlihe forces of the Republic-forces the unor- ganized element of which exceed by five million men all the men in all the armies of Europe.
 The Alabama officers pointed refer ence to the meagre support given by the State to its national guard is well taken, as all Alabamians know. But even inad- equate support may be more grudgingly and even less adequately given by the next Legislature because of existing and notorious regimental internal quarreling, which has attracted the attention of the country, and which has been dealt with to the extent of columns by the most eminently respectable metropolitan news paper of the East. the New York Tribune, towit. The privilege does not obtain, nor l does the desire exist, to discuss here the merits of the Birmingham regimental 1 quarrel, which seems to have given much | aoi i, Ia but r made it all the more desirable that the Dick bill become the law of Congress l Those of us of Alabama who were for l merly of the national guard must fear the effect of such quarrel upon the Legisla- ture.
 The interest in the general government in the proposed memorial road from Char | lottesville, Va, to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. a distance of two miles and a half, has been officially pro- claimed to Congress by Martin Dodge di- rector of the Office of Public Road h. quiries Department of Agriculture, each Congressman having been officially sup piled with all needful information, includ- ing the fact that on April 2, 8 and a Jefferson Memorial and Interstate Good Roads convention will be in session in Charlottesville.
 Director Dodge, in addressing Congress- men, refers to the fact that the people of Charlottesville have formed Memorial Association, of which Gen. Fitzhugh Lee | is president. 'It Is their desire" says | Director Dodge, that this object-lesson road, when completed shall not only serve to benefit the people in the locality where it Is built, but all visitors from distant places who make pilgrimages to the tomb of the immortal Jefferson. have been pleased to encourage this idea, and have sought to bring into co-opera- | tion as many forces as possible to secure the desired result. The National Good | Roads Association, of which Col. W. H Moore of Chicago is the president, and R. w. Richardson, Esq, of Omaha Neb is secretary, has been induced to lend Its with the Southern hallway Company will bring the good roads train to Charlottes- vile, with its fifteen car loads of modern improved machinery, expert operators engineers and road builders, for the pur- pose of aiding in the construction of this | object-lesson road. The rock out of which the macadam will be constructed has been tested in the road-material labora-