The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-21
POLITICS IN SECOND
RESIGNATION OF GRAvE0'S sTAFF
 CAUSES COMMENT.
"Rsana Rohin1 Was CircleA Ahest Re- questIng Present Cemnanaef q Regiment to Withdraw from
 Contest fer Reelection.

Ody mdHtesteQ III the Te8lWohtoA wa tics of the 2nd Infantry which yester- day morning ended its weeks camp At Electric Park. There were, however, no developments as to the contest for tho colonelcy of the regiment to aug ment the interest about the contest.
 Colonel Graves yesterday declined to have anything to say about the poltti- cal affairs of the regiment. Az to these anairs and the various publications concerning them. he takes the position that they are not proper subjects at this time for him to discuss or make statements upon. He was busted yes terday in personally experimenting the removal and packing of the tents and the regimental impedimenta.
 The wide discussion of the regimental affair was largely confined to civilians yesterday inasmuch as the oficers and men of the regiment have left the city. The sudden resignation of the stan Of Colonel Graves and the announcement tiNst there was a division in the regi- nient over the election of Colonel came as a distinct surprise to the peo- pie of Montgomery and of the State who take an interest in the affairs Of the National Guard.
 This was followed by the announce ment from somewhere that a number of ohicers of the regiment in a caucus prepared petition requesting Colonel Graves not to become a candidate for reelection as Colonel, at the same time expressing a high personal esteem for him. One statement had 1t that this round robin" was signed by thirty-one of1cers of the regiment. That there were so many signers to the communi- cation Is emphatically denied by friends of Colonel Graves.
 It is understood that a communica- tion of this sort signed by some of the r0nfafnA presented to Colonel Graves and that its purport was request that he do not again be candidate for Colonel There Is dispute as to how many names were attached to the petition. The friends, of Colonel Graves declare that petition have since altered their minds and are prepared to support him for the colonelcy.
 It is further said by the friends Of Colonel Graves that the round robin" was signed by only the captains of the companies and that the names of no lieutenants were attached.
 On .the other hand, those who are desiring a change in the head of the regiment say that the petition was signed by majority of the captains who assured the caucus that their lieu tenants would be for a new Colonel They say, too. that more sfian a ma- jority of the officers are with them and that the change will be made.
 In the meanwhile Colonel Graves is engaged in closing the business affairs of the regiment and he Is a candidate for re- election. Friends of his yester- day expressed their confidence in the ultimate success of his candidacy In the meanwhile the opposition officers are at work to vote the colonelcy on Lieut.. Col. Bricken in such a way that they say he can not refuse 1t. Colonel Bricken has stated that he is not candidate for the honor. He has not said whether he would reject or accept 1t If it was voted him in the face of his declaration that he would not be a can- didate against Colonel Graves.
 Newspaper publications yesterday showed that some of the officers had be- gun to talk about the political situation in the regiment and to tell some of the caucus secrets. Some of the state- ments published are said to be garbled and exaggerated. For instance, 1t was printed that the stan of Colonel Graves resigned because they learned he in- tended to remove members of his stan in some cases and make new appoint ments. This was emphatically denied by some of the staff officers yesterday
 One of them said yesterday: Speak ing for myself I never had a hint or in- timation that Colonel Graves proposed 70 make changes In hiS stan. 1t was well within his powers to do SO, if he had deemed 1t advisable. It would have been nothing unusual or strange if he had done 1t. The staffs of all three of the infantry regiments are changed frequently. Nothing that Colonel Graves said lead or did lead any members of his staff to believe that he was thinking of removing them. The members of his staff entertain the highest personal esteem for Colonel Graves, and they know that he has worked hard and faithfully, and, not withstanding the opposition. success fully for the regiment. Regimental politics in nearly all instances circles about the staff appointments. and 1t was believed by members of the stan that, if the field the stan occupies was clear the situation would be clarified"
 The outcome of the situation will de- pend upon the claims whether the op- position can make good its confident as- sertion that there are enough votes among the officers against Colonel Graves to select a new Colonel. It is a peculiar fact. but none the less true that no friction or anfmosity has yet been engendered in the End.
 The camp of the 2nd disappeared yes terday morning from the hill above Electric Park Breakfast was served at m early hour. The men marched into their company streets, struck their