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Show BOWMAN AND THE GUARD. Governor Cutler has made an awful mess of the National Guard through unpopular and ill-advised ill-advised appointments, suggested by political expediency ex-pediency and consummated at the instigation of the sinister sycophants who compose the executive's execu-tive's advisory board. As has already been stated in these columns, the trouble has now reached so acute a stage that the existence of the guard as an effective organization is menaced unless the resignation of the adjutant general of the state malitia is immediately asked for. During the week a meeting of officers of the Guard, representing all the organizations of the militia, was held, at which the sentiment was general that the leadership of Adjuntant General Bowman in the Guard was no longer tolerable. It developed that there was disaffection in all departments de-partments of the malitia, and all the officers agreed that a crisis had been reached which would result in the complete crippling of the Guard unless un-less Bowman's resignation was forthcoming. A committee was consequently appointed to wait on the governor and urge the executive to evade the threatened collapse by asking for Bowman's resignation. By this time the whole affair has been laid before the governor, and Guard officers are awaiting anxiously to see whether the executive execu-tive will stubbornly retain the unpopular official or relieve the situation by the general's early retirement. retire-ment. The first overt evidence that the Guard was in a state of debilitation came when several of the organizations failed to appear, in response to the adjutant general's order, at the Memorial Day parade. In the absence of Brigadier General Park, the adjutant placed Colonel Lund in command of the brigade, over the heads of officers more l competent and higher in rank. In addition to this, j many of the men were shabbily uniformed and I should never have been asked to appear on that occasion. Still it is more than probable that they would have obeyed the order, even under such adverse ad-verse conditions, had it not been for the general and adult opposition to the adjutant general. There are other serious causes of complaint against the adjutant. It is claimed that he disregards disre-gards the most ordinary military etiquette and procedure, that subordinate officers are snubbed without provocation, and that commnuications to his office are either ignored or given the most I scant consideration. The difficulty is not one which can be smoothed over by diplomatic overtures. It is doubtful if even those renowned strategists, Callister and Anderson, could disentagle the muddle. The only remedy to be applied is the resignation or removal of Adjutant General Bowmah. It is up to the governor. If he doesn't retire Bowman he will practically retire the Guard, and his grave and austere excellency can take his choice. |