Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-18

some newspaper writers rehashed the old story telling of the discipline, the duty and the hard work of the state soldier of today as compared with the duty of the soldier in bygone times. when the state camp at Mantle was yeritable picnic ground. and all the soldier was expected to do was to have a good time and sign the payr Ill. Which, of course, Is all boSh, and TOT truthfnlness compares well with the stories that are told and retold about I the volunteer firemen fighting between themselves. and ali to give impression that the state soldiers of today are the real article and that those who served the state in the past were military grafters and soldiers in name only, and that the volunteer firemen of today are bunch of booze fighters and should be succeeded by men who would hght fires for the money there is in it.
 Without disparasement of the citizen soldiery of the present time, he is not one whit better in afly point that goes to make up the model soldier than hls predecessors, and the camp life was just as arduouS in the past as at tae present time. Neatne5s in appearance used to be one of the points essential to military merit and discipline was another essential. There have been many military encampments at Man tic, but never before has there been
  kempt Even during the spanish American war, when the state camp was utilized as a recruiting camp, with four times as many men in camp as there has been this week, with men picked up at random, here, there and everywhere, there was marked disci- pline. Not so now. Every night dur ing the present week some two or three hundred of these typical soldiers, as referred to by local newspaper writers, l.. A. ducted themselves in a most disgrace full manner. a living insult to the mili- tary service of the state, and not fit to be at large. Among the bunch were soldiers bearing side arms, indicating that they were of the provost guard, but who were staggering drunk with their, coprades.
 No such scenes as these were ever seen in the streets of New London in the old days that some writers would have the readers believe the citizend soldiery was composed of young men who paid no attention to the duties of a soldier and were not to be compared with the true soldier of today. In the old military camps the discipline was of the very best. So much so that the men were placed on honor and the provost guard was relieved from active duty after g o'clock at night. The rou- tine duty in camp was just as strenu- ous as at present and the outpost duty and sham battle work was fully as ex- acting as at the present time Just what the present soldier does in the work line is not apparent in any par ticular that was not accomplished by the state soldier of years ago.
 True, the men at the present time pay little or no regard to personal appearance and are permitted to be about the camp in a slouchy condition which was not tolerated in the old days. The old-time soldiers, so called, had the company. the battalion drills, today. and also the guard and other camp duty, and were conscientious students all through the camp of in- struction. The old-time soldiers prided themselves on appearance, dis cipline and thoroughness in drills and general efficiency. The camps of years ago were just as much working camps as are the camps of today. and just Why some newspaper writers persist in unfair and unreasonable compari- sons is perhaps due to ignorance of the facts.
 In the old days the people of the state took more interest in the citizen soldiery and came from all parts of the state to visit the annual encamp- ments, and due honor was paid the commander in chief when he visited the troops, and the brigade was pa- raded for his review and inspection On these occasions thousands of spec tatorS were present and they all had feeling of pride in the general eff ciency displayed. But during the cer- emon1al on Governors day, as on evey other day of the week, every man in the brigade performed his full duty as soldier and with credit to he command with which he was connect ed and to the state of Connecticut.
 
 One writer even goes so far as to say that in the old days soldiers came to New London from Mantle almost be- fore camp was established and that the streets were filled with soldiers all through the week. That's all bun compe. It IS safe to say that prior to the Spanish American war the soi- diers who came to New London from camp were at a ration of one to one hundred in comparison with the num- Der that have been in New London the present week, and the few that did come were orderly and we'll behaved There never was time when the pro- Nost guard was required to extend its line of duty outside the village of Mi antic, and then not during the night after o'clock. There was true disci- pline in the old days of camping at
 
 ent day military critics took a tumble and told the truth.
 The trip of the Charley comstock boomers for the nomination of cov- ernor of the state of Connecticut. is a mild reminder of the booming trip around the Third Congressional dis trict when Thomas NJ Waller was booming himself for congress. and the result will be the same The gifted Governor Waller was his own chief boomer. He did not have to have a Montgomery to boom him, he was competent to boom his own candida cy. Governor Waller made tour of the district in true style in a coach and four, with Richard C. Morris as his business agent and working with and under the direction of the big chief. In Comstock's case the boom Ing IS done through the boomers who dlstr1bufed anonymous circulars praising the ability and true demo- cracy of Charles w Comstock who is pictured as an advocate of pure politics. free from any entangling al- liance and far removed from any thing that tinges of legislative lob byism. He is directing his workers as he never directed before in the hope of landing the nomination for governor, or landing his friend Gov ernor Baldwin as candidate for United States senator. It does not make much difference to the genial Charley as he is commonly called With the exception Of that ethe. democrat Mir. flanders of New Britain