Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1913-07-10
The Military Muddle.
(Yorkville Enquirer, 4th. }

length because we are lacking in
knowledge of some of the facts.
and we are unable to furnish
proof of some of the things we
strongly suspect; but we would
say that while in our Judgment
some impolitic and unwise things
have been said and done, there
has really been very little harm,
and there will not be a great
deal.
In the first place, while South
Cardinals military establishment
is probably as good, compara-
lively speaking, as most other
States. it is nothing to brag on,
and there is lots of room for i'm
provement.
General Moore has been really
and truly doing his best to i'm
prove the condition of the mill
tary for some time past, and his
administration of the adjutant
generals office has probably been
up to a higher standard than
the State has previously known.
Because, however, of dissensions
in the militia itself. and because
the adJutant generals office has
not been working in proper har-
mony with the governors office,
almost any little untoward cir
cumstance has been very well
calculated to make big trouble,
and this very likely accounts for
most of the rumpus that has ex-
tended over the last ten days.
Although there might have
been a good many things leading
up to the final action of the adiu-
tant and inspector general in ask.
ing for the mastering out of
eastern companies, the immedi-
ate basis for that action was the
failure of the companies in Gues-
ton to come up to the plain re-
qulrements of law at inspections
lnasmuch as the governor is
commander-ln-chief, and as such
has to take full responsibility, not
withstanding recommendations
OF the adiutant and inspector
general, it is not at all surprising
that the governor should have
refused to act upon the adjutant
and Inspector generals recon-
mendations in this case.
Of course the law is the law,
and the law should be obeyed;
but those who understand the
facts involved, understand that
while the eleven companies i'm
question may be at the present
time most fagrantly inefficient,
1T is very doubtful as to whether
there is a company in the State
which could not be mustered out
with equal sanction of the law.
1t is a fact that there is no
more violation of the law in
what Governor Blease has done
than there has been continuously
all along, not only since the
enactment of the Dick law; but
since the establishment OF the
militia sySrem in the State.
We are not inclined to criticise
the adjutant and inspector gen
eral In this matter, certainly not
In connection with his mastering
out recommendation. The statu-
tory regulations are mainly for
the purpose of enforcing disci-
pllne, and if he could not secure
a desired standard in any other
way, it would seem to us that
ne was fully justified in resorting
TO extreme measures.
VI course as to how much
politics underlies the whole mat
ter we do not know, nor do we
know the extent to which in
trlgue, conspiracy and trickery
may have been used to bring
about bad feeling, and distort
and misdirect otherwise sound
Judgment. We do know, how
ever, that all of these things
have had more or less influence
in the military affairs of the
State.
1t is easy enough to under
stand. too, that if the governor
had sanctioned the adjutant
recommendation, there
would have been very con-
siderable amount of political
capital built on the incident
later on.
AS the outcome of the whole
affair, it would seem that the
is on top. If Secre-
tary Garrison was deceived or
it appears that he has
recovered his balance and gotten
back to a basis of reason and
right and nc tbo ,oc,,It &c .Lo