The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-04-16

Line rules and regulations governing
/ the army TO the minutest detail were
being made in England and the commits
sioners of foreign commands were obliged
to enforce them. though they had them
selves in nowise been consulted on the
formulating of the same. Some time
previous to our orders to say farewell
two more volumes came to hand. Por-
tons of these volumes we did not ap-
| prove, vet such rules and regulations
we should have had to enforce in some
other countries if not in this one.
"For years we had not been consulted
on the important moves and innovation
OF the army, although supposed to be
TWO of its most prominent and respon-
slDle officers. Great schemes involving
large sums of money had been formulat.
ed and launched by international head
quarters and our first intimation of the
same was through some publication,
though through their policy of change
of commissioners we might in the future
nave the responsibility of the vast bur-
den and debt involved.
Our judgment was not accepted in
matters vitality affecting the welfare of
the work in this country. For example.
some years ago, in counsel with our lead
ing officers, it was decided to enforce
rule against the use of tobacco by our
oihcers. The evils of its use and associa-
tons were so evident and we so fully
shared the opinion of our prominent Off
GERS that the law prohibiting its use, to-
gether with intoXicants and drugs was
SO important that we required abstinence
from this as Il condition of membership.
Some two years since, a book of soldiers
ruleS ana regulations was sent from Eng
land IN which it was distinctly stated
that this was no longer to be rule. We
stopped the sale of the book and wrote,
showing the strong feeling of our people
on the subject. sending copies of promi-
nent staff officers letters and giving our
reasons for our maintenance of the law.
We were told in reply that America must
come III line with other countries and
the law be abandoned. We refused and
crossed out the paragraph in the books
and told London of the harm such n
change would accomplish. They wrote
us the following ultimatum on the sub
ject:
:" You should let it be known i'm
midiately that your own view of the mat
Ter is las though our view had not been
that of our own officers on the question:
IS that you regret very much that you
ISSUED the orders you did, and that they
were issued with n misapprehension of
the subject and without the knowledge
OF the international headquarters. and
that, of course, the general has had far
wider experience than you have
10 this, we replied: we can not pos
slbly do this, as with our present feel
lngs it would be inconsistent, for. in
stead of wishing we had not issued such
rule, on the contrary we wish you
would declare this law to the whole
world
I'VE have since learned that the lead
ers in other countries have had their
Judgment forced on the same subject.
The effect of this issue was not so much
the determining of what happened be-
cause of this particular rule as in evinc-
ing their policy in ignoring the judgment
of responsible officers and the varying
conditions of different countries, and in
endeay0ring to force us to state that
which would have been untrue and an
outrage on our consciences
During his last interview with us in
America the general stated that he
wished us to assist the struggling work
in Canada by giving up certain portion
of the United States to be annexed to
the dominion. We expressed our will
ingness to further assist our comrades
In Canada with money (having already
helped them financially, but that the an
neXation of American territory to Can
ada was quite impracticable and would
damage the work. Our arguments car
ried no weight and the general consid-
cred them unreasonable. When we
spoke of the national feeling, he closed
the controversy by drawing his finger
down the map of North America in three
sections, declaring that ultimately he
intended to cut the country in three,
joining each TO a section of Canada to
break down any national feeling that
existed.
I'VE said such division would ruin the
work i'll this country. where the unbroken
states meant SO much. After the general
returned to England a lengthy correspond
ence followed in which we gave a num-
Der of reasons against the annexation.
They forced us to make the annexation,
and at the present time the army work
in Dakota North Montana and North
Washington is governed from Toronto.
and we have been told that the officers
hardly dare to let the citizens of these
states know that their money goes to
Canadian headquarters.
at was intended upon our removal
from command to divide this country so
we could have built into our headquart-
ers stone from each state to typify the
Union, one and inseparabe.
Though we repeatedly urged after the
resignation of our chief secretary, Will |
liam Evans, that for the sake of advance
and safety of the work in America, it was
absolutely necessary to choose for that
position an officer from the ranks in this |
country who was an American citizen |
and familiar with the thought and SEN
timent of the American people, our re-
quest was ignored by international head |
quarters. We were told that the officer |
holding the position must be some one
trained in England and well known to |
the general and chosen by international |
We had reluctantly to re-
strict our choice to an officer from Eng |
land, and Col. Edy was sent.
IN relation to our going to London for |
conference with the general, we believed |
it was useless, as we had lengthy and |
unsuccessful interview with him here. |
We consider the above sufficient reasons |
for our letter of January 81.
Apart from the above reasons the I'M |
just manifestoes and unchristian asser-
tons made by the leaders of the army |
and their representatives in this country. |
their comparison of our
with the Moore scandal; their |
statement that we fell beneath the weight |
of ffattery and temptation; the unrebuked |
and excused assertion by one of their
trusted staff officers that / (Ballington) |
am insane, and the most abominable re-
Elections upon the private character of |
Mrs. Booth, which have proceeded from
n mot hne fnn -