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Show "THE GUARD TO BE BUILT UP." Governor Cutler and the members of his staff, almost all of whom are either close political or religious re-ligious associates, indulged in much banqueting a few nights ago, ostensibly because they apparently thought a banquet would be the happy inspiration, but in reality to discuss the luminous condition of affairs in the National Guard. The fact that the Guard is now in a state of absolute disruption, amounting to insubordination in the ranks, was felicitously referred to by the staff orators as "the better condition today than ever before." From all reports the affair passed off with the uttermost harmony, and mutual felicitations were showered upon members of the staff on the brilliant bril-liant outlook for the Guard. The consolation party must have been quite similar to that which General Gen-eral Kuropatkin had with his staff after the victorious vic-torious retreat from Laio Yang. The governor is said to have expressed overt glee regarding the withdrawal from the organization of Brigadier General Park, who labored under the misfortune of being a Gentile and who, at times, showed political independence, thereby rendering himself a discord in the otherwise felicitous military symphony. sym-phony. The retirement of Mr. Park and his staff, who, in reality, constituted the only efficient wing in the organization, is probably what the governor gov-ernor referred to in his mention of the "better condition" of affairs. Undoubtedly that is the way his excellency feels about it, as he is now at liberty to either leave the position of brigade commander vacant or fill the post with a more congenial spirit, some military expert, for instance, whose priestly rank in the church and political slavery to the senior senator entitle him to such recognition. It is considered more than likely, however, that the position of brigadier general will not again be filled during the present administration, administra-tion, and that the duties of that position will now devolve upon Colonel Lund, whose extreme popularity popu-larity with the Guard had much to do with the many resignations of officers which have been submitted sub-mitted to his excellency. With practically all of the Gentiles now removed re-moved from his staff, everything should now look quite rosy hued to the governor. He is in a position posi-tion to make of the Guard a powerful wing of the Smoot-Callister-Anderson machine, and it is safe to predict that his subsequent appointments will indicate that he has no intention of overlooking the opportunity. In whatever he does in the future he will, of course, be undismayed by the fact that scarcely a man on his staff has any knowledge of National Guard or military affairs, and that at an encampment their performances will necessarily neces-sarily be nothing short of grotesque. The main issue was to get rid of the Gentiles and the political recalcitrants, and in that respect he has achieved a pronounced success. He has dropped the Gentile members about as fast as he is in the habit of dropping his H's down at the gubernatorial guberna-torial sanctum. But the Guard is to be built up. This will be done by extensive recruiting. People who do not belong to the dominant church will, of course, not be expected to join, anc' are not wanted, but his excellency has given out the word that the Guard is to be "built up," and the faithful Saints will, of course, adequately respond. If a bulletin to the faithful from Brother Cutler is not sufficient, suffi-cient, Apostle Smoot will issue one, and then there will be no doubt of tremendous reinforcements. As stated before, everything looks propitious, and it will not be at all surprising if the next encampment encamp-ment will be opened with prayer and closed with benediction by one of the brethren. As announced by Governor Cutler, everything is well in the Guard. It may become, and in reality has, an absolute burlesque as a military organization, organiza-tion, but when reorganized under the careful supervision of Apostle Smoot, there be absolutely abso-lutely no doubt regarding its politic , utility. As stated by the prophets of old, and reiterated a few I times in the tabernacle, we are indeed "a peculiar I people." I |