The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-04
Senate Consideration of Bill
Fixing Terms of National
Guard Officers Brings Old
Militia Fueds to Surface
Sent to Calendar in Both
Houses.

The Eberhart bill for an act to limit
the term of office of the field and gem
eral OfncerS of the national guard Of
the state of Minnesota was recon-
mended for passage by the senate sit
tlng as committee of the whole, yes
terday afternoon, but not until the
FAMILY skeleton of the guard had been
dragged into the upper house
senator Eberhart announced when
the Dill was taken up for consideration
that he hoped the question could be
discussed on its merits. without delv-
ing INTO personal matters, but SEN
ators Hardy and Horton, determined
to defeat the measure, refused to be
stopped, and the bones began to rat
tie.
Senator Hardy moved that the bill
be indefinitely postponed, and declared
that 1t was nothing more nor less than
an attempt to legislate Gen Bend out
of office. He said that the bill had
been suggested six, four and two years
ago, and had not been introduced be-
fore, as the previous legislative COM
mittees on military affairs had refused
to assist the guard in washing its dirty
linen.
Play for Revenge.
He insisted that the proposed act
was not necessary, as the governor had
the power to revoke the commission of
any officer proving himself unfit. and
repeatedit was merely a plan to put
Gen. Bend out of the way. The bill.
he declared, was introduced because
an officer Of the guard was seeking to
even an old score with Gen. Bend.
Senator Cole joined Senator Eber-
hart in defending the bill and de-
nounced the arguments of Senator
Hardy. He explained that the guard
was organized to educate the young
men Of the state to military life, and
claimed for these young men a right
to look forward to promotion. The
bill merely provided that the officers
concerned should come up for Te-elec-
ton every ten years. and this, he MAIN
tained, was fair for all concerned.
Senator Hardys motion to kill the
bill was defeated, and Senator Horton
offered an amendment to fix the time
of service at fifteen years instead Of
ten.
Postpone Operation.
In defending his amendment. SEN
ator Horton went back to the begin
ming of the state guard and lauded
Gen. Bend for his work in bringing the
organization up to it's present excel
lent standing. He declared that Gen.
Bend had worked without thought Of
anything but the welfare Of the guard
for years, and that now, when he was
almost to point where he could claim
twenty-five year service medal it
was not jtWt on the part of the state
to acknowledge his good work and
then dismiss him.
Senator Horton maintained that
Cen Bend was a good soldier, but ad-
mitted that he was not well liked by
his field officers, and insinuated that
the bill to retire him was due to the
fact that he was soldier enough to rep
rimand one Of his officers.
Bend Wanted to Fight.
The Ramsey senator pointed out
that, as brigadier commander. Gen.
Bend had but two chances during his
long career to march at the head Of
the state guard, and declared that now
the guard officers responsible for the
bill wanted to deprive him of a chance
to lead the guard at the st. Louis
worlds fair and turn the honor over
to Col. Bobleter.
The mention Of Col. Bobleters name
brought the entire skeleton into the
senate, and the past records Of the
two officers were attacked. Senator
SOmerviIle defended Col. Bobleter and
told Of his Civil war career and of his
desire to get to the front during the
Spanish war.
Who went" asked the senator from
Brown, was it Bobleter or Bend?"
Bend Wanted to Fight.
Senator Cole followed Senator SOM
erVille, but Senator Hardy insisted
that Bobleter, and not Bend, had been
presented with the opportunity.
Senator Horton scoffed at the Span
ish" war record of Col Bobleter, and
suggested that the friends of the bill
refrain from" attempting to make a
hero of a man who did nothing more
than sit on the porch Of a hotel at
Chickamauga for several months.
And 1 will say for the benefit Of the
senator's" he continued, chat Gen.
Bend did seek an opportunity to go to
the front, and that he asked for a place
and that his application was one Of the
first sent i'm
Senator Schaller said that he did not
care to use UP the time of the senate
by joining in the debate, and prom
ised that if the bill were amended to
legislate both Of the bones Of conten-
ton out of office he would support It,
Senator Horizons amendment was
rejected, and the bill, without amend
ment, was recommended for passage.
The same bill, introduced in the house
by Representative Hinton, was ad-
vanced to general orders without de-
bate, but fight Will probably be made
today to have it sent back to general
orders, where an attempt to amend 1t
can be made.
DhSc hnDIEN nIt,