The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-26
URGED TO STAY IN
COMMANDING OFFICER OF GUARDS
THINKS MEN WILL REMAIN
UNDER DICK MILITIA BILL
WHEN THEY HAVE THORoUGHLH
UNDERSTOOD ITS PROVISIONS.

AIaj. Williamson Says He is Sure
That His Men VIII Agree With the
Special COmmittee-No More Dan
ger in New Law Than in Old One.
Expresses the Hope That All of
the Men viii Decide to Continue
to Give Their support and Service
in Maintaining the Old Organiza-
tiOn-Instructive Literature Mailed
In pursuance of the resolution adopt
ed at the meeting of the savannah Vel
unteer Guards, on the 10th inst, copies
of the report of the special committee
and of the Dick bill are being mailed
to the members Of the corps.
In transmitting the literature Maj.
Williamson. as commanding officer of
the corps, takes occasion. after urging
the careful consideration of the docu
ments, to express his desire that the
men continue to give their support
and active services in maintaining the
old guard.
Maj. Williamson adds few extracts
from the letter written TO him by Judge
Advocate General Davis at the instance
of the Secretary of War. He expresses
it as his belief that when the docu
ments are thoroughly understood the
members will agree with the special
committee that they are not subjected
to any new conditions, and are in no
more danger of being called upon by
the United States government for ac-
tive service than they were before the
passage of the bill.
The pamphlet entitled Comparison
of the Dick Bill With Old Laws" is
most interesting and instructive docu
ment, and, in the opinion of the Off
GERS, the men should consider them
selves fortunate in having the sec
tons of the two laws so arranged that,
without research, they are enabled to
compare the text of the two laws. The
text of the Dick bill occupies the left
side of the page, while the old law oc-
cupies the right, the various sections
being arranged so that those referring
to the same subject are to be found
opposite one another.
Report Carries weight.
The report of the special committee,
which was published in full in the
Morning News, is an interesting and
comprehensive one, which carries
great weight because of the fact that
the committee is composed of Savan-
nah's most prominent citizens and bar
Tisters.
The extracts from the judge advo-
Gates letter to Maj. Williamson con-
sist in references to the right of the
state under the Dick bill, from which
it appears that the state of Georgia
has the only power in the commission
ing of officers, white and colored; that
it is not contemplated by the Presi-
dent or the War Department to send
troops of one state into another state
to quell riot or enforce the laws of the
union, except upon request of the Leg
islature, or application of the Gov
ernor of the state wherein the insur-
rection exists, and then, not until the
regular army has been proven made
quate; and that a call for militia by
the President would be addressed to
the Governors of the several states.
So far as is known, there have been
Guards are now under the Dick bill,
according to the report of the special
committee. and it will become neces-
sary for those who do not wish to re-
main in under the new militia law, to
make application for a discharge. Maj.
Williamson has signiiied his intention
of granting such discharges upon APP
plication. He is now in Europe, the
circular letter being mailed to-day
having been prepared previous to his
departure.