The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-05-09
stated in the letter.

stances, and not advisable in others
at this time. I, therefore, take. this
means of calling to your attention the
necessity for renewed activity on the
part of yourself and the members OF
your company. 1t would be a serious
reflection upon you and your men to
be mustered out of4le service. The
souths great chieftain, General Rob-
ert E. Lee, said that duty is the sub
limest word in the English language,
and it has often been said by military
genuises that the first duty of SOL
der is to obey orders. This
report of the adjutant general is
to the effect that your company has
not so done. and it would be serious
reflection upon you to muster you out
for this reason, for it would be stig-
ma placed upon you as soldiers to
say that you have not performed your
duty, and have not come UP to the
requirements.
And 1 feel that to muster you out
of the service would not only be a re-
fection upon you, but to muster out
as many as the adjutant general re-
commends would cause us the loss Oh
higher officers. We have now three
colonels. Their terms of Office in the
militia have been long, and they have
done valuable and efficient service,
and it certainly would be hardship
upon these to say, Zone Of you must
90: choose ye for yourselves which
one it shall be'-not for any neglect
of duty on their part, but because OF
the neglect of duty of those under
them. And l can not thus reflect up
ON one of our colonies until 1 have
begged you gentlemen to do your part,
You are volunteer soldiers, and none
should expect Of you that devotion to
service and regular attendance which
is given by paid men, but we do ex-
pect you to come up to the require
ments laid down for you in the future.
I think great deal of consideration
should be shown to our volunteer
troops, and that our legislature should
give them, greater encouragement and
do more for them. l have so stated
and have hoped that the legislature
would so do. l am free to confess
that the legislature has not done as
much for you as it should nave done.
We need a good, frs! class military
organization at every county seat in
our State, where a company could al
ways be ready to go forward at mo-
ment's warning to protect the proper
ty and lives of our citizens, and par
ticularly to protect cur womanhood,
,, from the assaults of those who would
destroy and tear down. In addition to
this, we should have first-class State
Militia, to be ready at all times in
case of the United States having~a war
with any other nation, so that we
would be prepared to go forward and
do our part in upholding our national
government and carrying out her poll
cies and defending her honor There
are other reasons why we. should have
a strong militia, which need not take
your time to rehash, for You know
them all.
In declining to comply with the adj
jutant generals recommendation I
realize, as you do, that I am not car
rying out strictly the letter of the
law, but l am taking this course be-
cause of my friendship and love for
the boys who are upholding the vol
unteer militia of this State, and while
| am free to say that I am not doing
my full duty, l plead in eXtenuation
of this fact that | stood upon the floor
of the senate and fought this Dick law
as hard and as bitterly as any man
ever fought any law. l believed then
that we were making fearful mistake
in placing these rigid regulations up
on our volunteer boys, and l believe
now that it would have been better if
this bill had been defeated, and l feel
that by the action which is now being
taken by the adjutant general and
the action which has been taken by
him for the last few years-asking
that companies be mustered out, court
martials being held, and other mat
Dc