The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-08-27
THE NATIONAL GUARD AGAIN.

The Journal recently commented
on sweeping condemnation Of the
Vermont National Guard by the
Two Eyed Man" of the Burlington
Clipper, in which that Roycroftie
writer characterizes the First Regi-
ment as "A drunken, idiotic bunch of
alleged soldiers The Journal did
not seek to convey the impression that
muster this year, or any other year,
was free from Objectionable acts on
the part of some Of the militia boys,
but did assert, however, that those
boys who disgracod their uniforms by
drunkenness or ungentlemanly conduct
were far in the minority The two
eyed" observer continues the discus
sion and in lengthy article stands by
its first allegations and adds few
more counts against the boys. Says
the Clipper:
The Journal is right in saying
that did not intend to include the
entire First Regiment in the drunken,
idiotic bunch of alleged soldiers, and
neither did |, but did intend to in
clude goodly number of them, and
wish to make plain to the reading
public that muster week was charsc
terized by its drunken militiamen and
that there were more bruised heads
and SCARED faces than were ever seen
at d previous muster
If the Clipper man means good-
ly number of them to include a ma
jority, or even medium sized minor
ity OF the members of the regiment,
the Journal must again disagree.
Indeed, the suggestion that such a
condition exists to the extent inferred
from the Clippers comments is pre-
posterous. For instance, militia
man S duties when in camp occupy at
least eight hours of his time each day.
He is drilled, paraded, messed, and
mustered from reveille until after re-
treat, and during that time his work
is such that it is simply ridiculous to
say that he could do it while drunk.
The Clipper man may allege that this
duty is easy to avoid bat it is not.
Col. Estey, Lieut. Col Bonett and
their officers as a rule are trying to
make the National Guard of Vermont
practical, useful institution and it
is fact that the militia boys are
made to toe the mark" in a way
that would have brought rebellion
from the National Guard of few
yons ago. Drinking is not impossible
with the boys, but such drunkenness
as is suggested by the Clipper man
is impossible if a man would do the
ordinary duties of a camp day, and
if the records be searched it is safe
to say that the list of those who ne
gle ted duly during the muster just
past would be small indeed.
The Clipper mans desire to make
plain to the public that muster week
This year WAS characterized by its
drunken nilitiamen and that there
were more bruised heads AID SCARED
faces than were ever seen at Ia preyi-
Gus muster, is reprinted here, not es
an argument bat because it is funny.
Not funny perhaps to a novice, but
show that statement to one of the
older b)ys" whose service medal
has several bars and he will see the
joke. Ia the old days when muster
was on VIII ais and much show with
lit g work was tne rule, things were
differenc, and had the Two Eyed
Man" bs ' on the ground then he
wou l nos now have taken up the old
thr2a1Dare theme = 'VeTmont's an
ndal drank" which long ago lost it's
potency. and was relegated to the rub
bish heap Of Vermont newspaper
topics.
AS the Journal previously stated it
does not deny that some OF the mem
bers Of the First Regiment deserve the
repr.rHch that the Clipper seeks to
cast unon all, but it does feel that
the Clippers blanket condemnation is
uncalled for and unwarranted. The
National G1ard is State institution
and as such it deserves the support Of
eV,.s 7 ~. on in the State, and while
it is all right to loint out its failures
and shortcomings it is wrong to mis-
lead the public concerning it. But
the Two Eyed IAN" will see in
time that the people are behind the
milisia boys, and he .will cease to
hand out Eas5 Aurora verbiage in
al attempt to belittle tie First Regi-
ment.