The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-04-09
If THEY Was NOT PLEASED WITH
TIE MILITIA
THREATEN TO DlSBAND
Governor Blease Tells Officers il
They Don't Like the Way Militia
is Run to Resign and They Must
Stop Kicking or He VIII Disband
Their Companies.

NOW, if these gentlemen are not
pleased with the militia, 1 would sug-
gest, as commander-in-chief, that in
stead Of continuing to keep up strife.
that their designations would be &C
cepted, and there would be no re-
grets in the note os acceptance"
The above is the opinion of Gov
ernor Cole L. Blease, ir regard to the
position of Capt. A. E. Legare and
Capt Dibert Jackson in signing a
"round robin" charging Major JOS
eph r. Allen, commanding the First
battalion, Second regiment, S. c. N.
G., with inccmpetency and making
other serious allegations against his
conduct as an officer.
The Columbia Record says Gov
ernor Blease, in his preamble to the
order dismissing the charges against
Major Allen, is severe in his condem-
nation Of the internecine strife now
going on among the officers Of the
Columbia battalion.
Governor Blease has the following
to say of the other five officers who
signed the petition GAS to the 9th
er gentlemen who signed this paper.
I am satisfied that they have been in
fuenced or misled, or, if not misled,
certainly badly advised"
In no unstinting terms does the
governor criticise the position OF
Capt A. E. Legare in signing the Pc
tition. He recites the fact that he
was the judge advocate in the recent
court-martial, and sustained every
allegation and every charge made by
Major Allen against Lieut.. Claude
Boland, of the Richland Volunteers,
and Capt. Dibert Jackson, command
ing the Governors Guards. He also
states that Capt. Legare praised the
conduct of Major Allen. Governor
Blease says:
"If the Judge advocate knew of
this misconduct on Major Aliens
part, why did he not discredit his
own witness and save the humilia-
ton which was heaped upon others
by him whom he now signs a paper
saying is unworthy Of the high Office
of major"
In referring to Capt. ~Dibert SaC--~
sons part in signing the petition,
after he had been convicted by court
martial and reprimanded by the COM
mander-in-chief, Governor Blease, in
part says:
1T would seem to me that If l
were in his place would have been
ashamed of my recent escapade and
would have at least remained until
it had somewhat blown over. But,
no, he comes back with a strike at
the one who had consummated his
own humiliation" In his order dis
missing the complaint, Governor
Blease writes:
And, as commander-in-chief, I
will positively disband the next COM
pany that comes up with this inter-
necine strife, and will, if there be any
military way to do so, relieve from
Office the next officer guilty OF the
least breach of discipline tending to
cause strife among his brother ofic-
ers or the privates within his ranks"
Probably the whole controversy
hinges on the court-martial proceed
ings instituted against Lieut.. Claude
Boland and Capt. Dibert Jackson
several weeks ago. Major Alien
charged them with several specihea-
tions of disrespect and disobedlence
to a superior officer. Both were con-
victed of the charges. The governor
dismissed the charge against Lieut..
Claude Boland and sustained those
against Capt. Dibert Jackson, who
| was reprimanded in an order signed
by Governor Blease.
Several days ago petition was
filed with the adjutant general,
charging Major Allen with incompe-
tency and divers other allegations
and asking for a court to inquire into
his conduct. The petition was sigh
ed by seven out of the nine active
commissioned officers OF the F1rsf
battalion. The paper was sent to
Governor Blease for his recommen-
dation. The governor dismissed the
charges toto, and refused to have a