The herald., 1898-02-06
Red-Hot Letter From the Home

| To the Editor of the Los Angeles Herald:
The Los Angeles Record, with malignity
and unscrupulousness apparent in Its ef-
| fort, has recently been engaged In at
tackng the integrity of Col. Smith. COVER
nor of the Soldiers Home. Reckless In Its
statements, it has published lies without
number so gross as not to merit contradic-
ton; yet, that the public may be correctly
informed, it Is we'll to nail this calumny
and brand the paper with the name 1t de-
serves, that of a libelous, irresponsible
sheet, unworthy of recognition at the
hands of decent men everywhere.
The duty OF governing large institution
like the Soldiers Home is an onerous one.
A body of over 1000 MANNED veterans of the
war must contain a number of malcon-
tents. They are to be found in every COM
munity. Among men advanced in years
soured in temper from disappointment and
hardship, as many of them are 1t is not
easy to cater to their every whim: and
therefore government of such an institu-
ton must, perforce, if justice be done to
| the whole, be of such a character as TO
make cleanliness compulsory and drunk
enness and debauchery unpopular Inc
| vicious element must be kept in check III
| order that the good men Of the home may
| be protected and their lives made pleas
ant. They must be protected against the
| vileness and violence of their drunken
| comrades. Good food. clean quarters. COM
| Portable clothing, unlimited freedom, is the
rule. There is no compulsory labor ex-
| cept short terms for bad conduct Thrice
each year the member is required TO per
| form one week of dining-hall duty. ana
he need not do that-he can hire subsu-
| tute. For forty-nine weeks in the year
he need do absolutely nothing in the way
| of labor. Not one man in twenty ar
raigned for infraction of discipline is pun
ished at all. The members are handled
with the utmost leniency. When one does
receive dump sentence" Qabor without
| pay). say for ten, fifteen or thirty days
he has a docket record of from five to ten
and thirty arraignments. Passes are al
ways to be had for the asking, limited To
ten days; furloughs for one to twelve
| months are also granted upon application
and if sick and destitute the member can
return at any time. Out of a membership
Of 2095 at the home. 1903 are pensioners
| some of the pensioners receiving as hlgh
at SIS. $50 and s2i per month.
| When Col. Smith came TO this home he
| found it necessary to have the quarters
| cleaned. Many members were without
| their complement of clothing, and he or
! utTtu tlll tHtN pt at olltc iui ili'i'N' wa -
| a full allowance, and never permitted To
| wear unclean garments. Soiled and tat
tered clothing can now always be ex-
| changed for serviCeable articles Governor
| Smith inspects all supplies received; he
does not delegate this duty to another 1t
| was discovered that certain vicious char
| acters had terrorized their comrades for
years. One had broken the leg of COM
| rade. and was still a member in good
| ia NJ ber brpDE
derous attack upon a defenseless comrade.
| and was promptly recommended for dis
| honorable discharge. The consensus of
opinion is that he ought TO have been dis
| charged years before. He and his con-
| freres of that ilk and certain eX-convicts
| in the home. who are known, are probably
| engaged in this crusade. Another member
who had deserted a wife and family and
| left them in want years ago, because he
was not permitted to keep a big jug of
water at his bunk and spill its contents
| upon the floor also Joined in the howl,
| Another. who made the rounds of the bar
racks and delivered fierce speeches and
| circulated infiammatory petitions to con-
| gressmen. was arraigned before the gov
ernor and counseled to cease his mutinous
conduct He refused. and insolently told
| the governor that he would do as he
pleased Believing he was mentally un-
sound. the governor sent him to the sur
geon for examination a 5 to his sanity, and
| he was pronounced sane. Even then the
governor refrained from Furnishing him.
He was not even confined in the guard
| house, but he persisted in his malevolent
efforts continuing to harangue his fellow
| members and circulate slanderous petit
| tions, and upon being again cautioned
| defied the governor who then, in duty
bound, laid the case before his superiors
| General Barrett, local manager, and Gen
| eral Franklin, president OF the board OF
managers, who directed that he be dis
honorably discharged. This man is one o
| the active conspirators, in close conference
| by mail with congressman. Others or the
| malcontent. malodorous gang are certain
spirits who were refused the use of th
Amusement hall by Governor Rowland fol
orgies and undesirable so-called ENTER
tainments" and pyrotechnic religious eX
ercises." Governor Smith also refused
them the privilege. but this precious Sc
propose to scorch Governor Smith, and ar
trying 10 do II. aided by the others, through
the Record and congress! How do yo
like their photographs?
Allegations have been made by the ire
sponsible Record that towels. hair brushes
. combs, newspapers. clocks, etc, were no
allowed to be kept by members at thei
beds. Governor Smith found a great mas
| of rubbish in the barracks-tomato can:
old bottles half filled with unknown liquids
half-eaten herringS, Sardine boxes opene
and their contents half deVourcd ana a
lowed to remain thus among clothing /
the commodes, piles of old and useles
newspapers, pictures of every conceivab
description upon the walls, among thei
cigarette colorings and outre daubs of at
vertisements. He ordered them removed
because to tolerate them longer would
a menace to health and an offense again:
| decency No orders interfering in an
manner with members subscriptions
u newspapers were ever issued. The men
| bers of the home have always been col
| ceded the right to subscribe for as mar
| newspapers as they wish, and this libert
has never been curtailed. A verbal orde
| reiterating an order of long standing, VIZ
S recently given to several captains of con
| panies to prohibit the accumulations of o
| newspapers in the lockers and about II
\ beds of members, as such afforded refut
| for Vermin and was Objectionable in eVel
way. The order was a necessary measur
in the interest of sanitation and good o
der but it was readily seized upon by II
malcontents and twisted into a story
great wrong, the Record boldly statii
that members We're deprived of the rig
to subscribe for newspapers. So far
| towels, brushes and combs are concerne
no member has been deprived of thel
The governor is not responsible for scar
ity of home towels; there is not enou,
money left to buy more before the 1st
| JULY 1898, commencement of new fisc
year
The attack upon Colonel Brown w
. Scandalous libelOuS-a living foul and I,