The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-20
Testimony Before Court is
That Corporations OPP
pose Enlistment
VIII ASK GOVERNOR
TO RECOMMEND LAW
Enlisted Man Loses His Po-
sition Two Years in Sue
cession for Belong
Ing to Military

The military authorities are In
eensed by the character Of the evil
dence brought out before the military
court which has been in session the
past two days at the Seventh street
armory trying the humorous cases OF
nual encampmeIst at Cuipeper the past
summer.
IL was testified that IN some cases
mem bers VI tho State militia would
have jeopardized their positions by
obeJtng thu call of the State, ana that
certain corporations and firms have
rules discriminating against men In
the service. and that these corpora
ions have discharged men when they
have found that such employees were
nen}b ers Of tho Stale militia
Ask Legislature For Relief
80 Indignant were members OF the
court that they viii ask the Governor
to recommend Legislation that Will
make such action upon the part Of
employers punishable offense.
In ono OF. the cases brought before
the court yesterday It was testified
that Il member Of the First Regiment
who attended the encamprnent last
year was discharged hy the corpora
ton employing him. notwithstanding
the fact that such corporation IS
drawing thousands OF dollars each
year from the State OF Virginia, and
from the national government In a
business way
The court was made up OF Lieusen-
ant~Colenel B, w. salamonsky. Ma
tor Clinton l.. Wright, adjutant Of the
III st Brigade. and Captain l. Branch
TAt4 a "
Battalion. Field Artillery, all Of Nor
folk. Captain Jennings c. Wise. OF
Richmond. acted as Advocate General
Had Many Cases.
The court was designated to try
thirteen members Of the Richmond
Blues and forty-two members Of the
First Regiment. On Monday they dis
posed of seven cases. and on yesterday
ABOUT twenty Ave cases were disposed
Of. OF the remaining cases Il was
found that that all but three or four
of the men were without the jurisdic-
ton of the court The few men who
have not yet been apprehended VIII
be arrested as soon as they can be
found. and VIII he placed under bodn
or hold III JAN pending trial
The punishment to be rneted out
10 the men Will not be made known
until the courts report shall have
passed through the Adtutant GEN
erals office and its findings approved
by the Governor.
The Bibb Case
Probably the most Interesting case
before the court was that of Horace
c. Bihh, who testified TO having lost
two. positions and was afraid that he
would lose the third one by attending
annual eneanpment..
1t WAS shown that men who are
found to be members Of a military
company are frequently discharged
for this reason, and that II Is fire.
qucntly tho case that men must
choose between disobeying the man
date Of tho officers OF the State mi
liua and taking the consequences. or
their employers and losing
their means OF livelihood
CffcCfscs Such Conduct
In his concluding address Advocate
General Wise flayed the corporations
and individuals guilty OF such unpa-
triotio conduct He alleged that
many Of the chief offenders would
he the flr-t to call upon the military
FOR protection, Notwithstanding their
UNFAIR discrimination against the
members or the States citizen SOL
diery, Captain Wise will. with the
remainder Of the court be a strong
advocate of such legislation as shall
throw the protection Of the law
around the men who volunteer to
serve the State
a member OF the court In an in
terview with a Richmond Virgipian
representative last night stated that
there had been disposition on the
part OF militiamen to have too little
regard for the oath taken at the
ume or their enlistment and that the
military authorities had determined
that such lax condition of discipline
could not and would not be tolerated
The Hubbard Case.
one OF the cases that has excited
the most attention was that of Private
l. {. Hubbard. Of Company A. Short
~ before the recent encampment he
was disabled by slight accident He
notified his captain, but failed TO take
the proper measures to be excused
from duty. He was arrested a month
ago and held In Jail In default OF a
bond of $500. He was not released
until Monday, when tho court-mar-
tial went into his case 1t Is gen
orally felt that the law has been en-
forced with an undue degree of
harshness in his case
The present court win sit again in
Norfolk to try fifty-three members
OF the Fourth Regiment for failing
TO attend the annual encampment