The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-22
SAYS CANNON
CHEWED GUM
One Of the Complaints Made
Against Brigadier General.
NATIONAL GUARD IS STIRRED
MEMBERS ARE WORKED UP
OVER CHARGES PREFERRED.


The national guard is greatly stirred
over the report Of conditions that
are alleged 10 exist within its ranks.
Men who claim TO know tbs state Sc
cfets say that these conditions nave
existed for a long time, but no one
dared run the risk Of a cOurtmartial By
telling of them. officers and men say
they dare not tell all they know for
rear Of bringing trouble upon their own
heads But other statements in regard
10 the alleged incOmpetency Of high
officers and the dilatory methods at
headquarters are told.
1t was the current report among the
guard yesterday that a secret meeting
of General John Q. Cannon, General
4. 5. Burton. Lieutenant Colonel II. NJ
II. LUnd and other officers was held
yesterday to discuss the situation
However, these officers deny that there
was any such consultation They re-
fuse to make any statements about the
alleged conditions. In regard to the
decline Of the guard. a member of the
organization said yesterdays
Companies Musterd Out.
Two companies were mustered out
because of the conditions that have ex-
listed These companies are b and G,
both of which were formerly located
In this city. Owing TO Interference Of
higher officers. the officers Of these
companies resigned as fast as elected,
until it was impossible to get men TO
mold these positions. This. of course,
brought about lack of interest among
the members and they dropped out.
Only a handful was left in either or
ganization- Then an attempt was
made to consolidate the two companies
into company D. Rivalries and dis
fan 4
result the two companies had to be
mustered out.
Troop A. First cavalry. is without d
commanding officer simply because Of
the quibbling at headquarters Cap
tain George F Summers resigned in
January. His resignation has not re-
ceived any attention yet There ap-
parently Is no prospect Of ii being
considered for six months And the
company must be without a command
er until that time When Captain
Summers left the state and resigned
there was shortage of six saddles ana
some other equipment Because these
were stolen out of the old armOry
shack, and cannot be accounted for,
the officers at headquarters viii not
allow the selection Of a new captain.
That is the way matters stand in the
troop.
The armory is in such d condition
causes the equipment to get into hOr-
Tible shape The officers are held We
spOnsible for it, when it is not theic
fault at all. As result officers won't
and can't take the proper interest in
the guard. This is all known at head
quarters, but nothing is done. How
ever, great kick is raised if anything
is out of order
Company G. at Provo. is going to
pieces Its officers have taken 10 the
woods and the men are dropping out
1t is simply because of Interference
and quibbling on the part Of those 1T
The. head Competent officers of COM
pany +. at BOuntiful. got out because
they were hampered by incompetent
superiors
The whole trouble is that men have
been put at the head of the guard who
are Incompetent and Indifferent There
are three STATS Governor Wells has
one. General Cannon has his brigade
STAFF. and Colonel Park has his regi-
mental staff, on the brigade STAFF are
some men who do not know as much
about military matters as q child. The
selection of these men is made through
friendship and without the least IT,
gard TO military competency. There
are some competent men 0l the stats,
but il is the incompetent ones who
want TO show their authority and are
getting things into a tangIe.
General Chewed Gum.
Just to show the manner in which
things are done in the Sua1d. an in
stance may be cited. A short time sg0
the battery asked General Cannon 10
inspect it. An inspection, Ct course. is
q very formal and important GO TemOliy.
During the inspection Gens-al Cannon
stood chewing gum and letting things
go as they would. a brigadier general
is supposed 10 set an example 10 his
men, When he does il by going
through a military ceremony chewing
gum he sets an example that would
get a soldier into the guard house If ne
followed il. 1t is in this sIiDshOd. I'M
military manner that the affairs of the
guard are handled. Such things cause
the men to lose respect for those over
them. and military discipline is shat
tered To pieces.
AT the adjutant generals headQuar-
ters things are run in great fashion.
When matters are sent uD they are
turned over to the stenOgrapher, a
young woman, for attention. Many of
these matters are never seen by the
adjutant. unless the stenOgrapher asks
for some information. Many important
matters are .pigeOnholed and the guard
is lucky If II gets an answer at all
General Burton, when asked for q
statement in regard to this yesterday,
said;
1T is a falsehood. That is all have
10 say about it. do not care TO make
any further statement in regard to the
guard. 1 viii answer no such charges
as are being made by someone VINO
does not give his name
General Cannon. when asked for an
expression. said
Il know of no trouble in the guard
and / have no statement 10 make
S-