The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-17
Alabama Experiment Station.
The Governors Right to Remove
 Military Officers.

Editor The Advertiser:
 have read the letter of Major Surgeon l.. N. Stowe of the 2nd infantry, Alabama National Guard which appeared In the public press some days ago. and beg leave to make some observations.
 Major Stowe. is either grossly ignorant ernment in this State or he is trying to SOW dragons teeth and frighten the com- missioned officers of the Alabama National Guard into a protest against of the military forces of this State where it justly belongs, in the hands of the Governor as commander-in-chief.
 This State, like other States, has three separate and distinct departments of gov ernment, the Legislative. the Executive and the Judicial.
 The Governor Is at the head of the Executive Department and it Is to this department the military Is attached, and the Governor is and should be the com mander-in-chief of the military forces with all the power and authority the term implies. No Governor in the United States has authority over the Legislative or Judicial departments of the State Gov ernment and the talk of Major Stowe. relative to a Governor unseating legis- lator is the silliest kind of tommyrot.
 Major Stowe, and all staff officers hold their commissions in the Alabama Nation al Guard by virtue of the commanding officer who appointed them, and hold of flee at the pleasure of such appointing officer.
 A General or Colonel has the right to remove any officer on his stan at his pleasure, without explanation, cause, trial or anything else.
 Company, troop and battery command CTS have authority to reduce non-commls- stoned officers to rank for cause satis- factory to themselves.
 If this power is vested in all other commanding officers why should it not be vested in the commander-in-chief? If the commander-in-chief has no power other than to cause commissions to issue" as Major Stowe says. then it would not only be well. but absolutely necessary to enact just such a law as MT. Werner has introduced.
 A commander-in-chief who ''has nothing to do with 1t other than to approve 1t and cause commissions to issue." would indeed speak well for the Alabama National Guard, which Major Stowe seems so much interested in just now would be a gross insult to the commis- stoned officers of the Alabama National Guard, yet he advocates giving the com mander-in-chief no authority other than to issue commissions, which would be an insult to the intelligence of the State and evidence upon its face that the jackass industry needed no fostering. If the passage of the Werner bill would be an insult Major Stowe Is insulted already, for he holds office at the pleasure of the colonel commanding the 2nd Infantry who has power to remove him without cause explanation or anything else and he would in such case have to submit.
 No person has ever raised his voice against such powers being granted to brigade, regimental, battalion, company, troop or battery commanders, but when it is proposed to place such power in the hands of the commander-in-chief, or a power that is even more limited for 1t Is only proposed to give the commander-in- chief the authority to remove an officer for cause, Major Stowe and the person he represents would raise howl that could be heard from Tadmor in the Wilderness to the pillars of Hercules.
 hold commission as an officer in the Alabama National Guard by virtue of more votes than does Major Stowe or any other stan officer; and l am willing to risk my military destiny in the hands of my commander-in-chief and shall have no fears so long as l demean myself we'll
 Why should not be as willing to risk my office in the hands of the commander in-chief as Major Stowe to risk his in the hands of his colonel?
 l would not insult the dignity and chivalry of the people of Alabama by in timating that they would ever elect to the gubernatorial chair a person so de- prayed in nature or vile in character as to stoop to the unlawful and unjust re- moVal of officers In the Alabama National Guard to further his political ends.
 Suppose a riot should break out in the city of Montgomery and the Governor should order Colonel Graves to report for duty at once and Colonel Graves should reply: You have nothing to do with 1t except cause commissions to issue" and the Governor should wish to suppress the riot by placing the command of the regi- ment in the hands of another and Colonel Graves should say you can't do that tial that l may have a chance to vindi- cate myself7" It can be seen at a glance how inefficient the Alabama National Guard would be and how unnecessary without an authorttive head
 As Is we'll known the Alabama National Guard Is a great epense to the taez-payArs ! of the State, and why should they have to pay an additional expense to give un-