The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-03
SCORED BY "A DEMOCRAT
ALTGELD ARRAIGNED FOR HIS At
TACK ON ROOSEVELT,
N linus of the Illinois VfIiHer shown
to Be POIitical-RecOrds Of the
Two Me;a Compared

CHICAGO, Sept. 2.-Henry l.. Turner, a
Democrat and colonel of the First Illinois
Regiment during the war with Spain, and
in command of the Second Brigade, Third
Division of the Fifth Army Corps, i'm the
Santiago campaign, has written open
letter to Ex-Governor John p. Altgeld, in
which he takes the latter to task for the
attack he made on the military record of
Governor Roosevelt i'm speech at Toledo.
O., recently Colonel Turner not only shows
that Governor Roosevelt's course at San
tiago was deserving of all the praise which
has been given it, but that the attacks
made on him by Democrats are all utterly
without foundation.
The letter is headed, WAS Colonel
Roosevelt Tin-plate Hero?" and at the
start Colonel Turner says to Governor
Altgeld: You challenged his patritism. his
manliness, his truthfulness and his right
to place i'm history as a real soldier and
a brave man." The colonel comments on
the fact that when the Democrats nomi-
mated Mcclellan and Hancock for the presi-
dency they recognized the fact that a sol
der was not necessarily jebarred from po-
litical honors, and their candidate now,
like Colonel Roosevelt, was also colonel
of volunteers in the Spanish war.
rs William ]. Bryan a tin-pate soldier.
also?" asks the writer. lis the man who
saw real fighting to be condemned, while
the man who saw none is to be exalted?
Was Colonel Bryan's service more valu-
able to the country than Colonel Roose-
velts. that you would exalt the one and
decry the other?
Then taking up the cry of Governor Alt
geld that Roosevelts desire TO enter the
army was a case of ''pompous posing and
strenuous strutting," Colonel Turner says:
''Why did the boys of Illinois crowd our
regiments to overlooking? Why did any of
US go? Why did Colonel Bryan go? For the
same reason that Colonel Roosevelt went.
1t was genuine, devoted love of country
and sense of duty that actuated all alike.
If there were mingled with our thoughts
any visions of glory. they were common
alike to all, and gilded the sleep of the
dreamer of Nebraska just as often as they
did that of Colonel Roosevelt"
Continuing, the letter draws attention to
the fact that Colonel Roosevelt at the
start refused the command of the regiment,
insisting that 1t be given to a trained SOL
der, like General Wood, and then, in refu-
tation of the charge that he saw no fight
ing. the letter says that at Las Guasimas
Colonel Roosevelt was at the head of his
troops, which there saw seyerer fighting
than any other regiment engaged. Its loss
was 16l per cent, the heaviest of any of
the regiments engaged, and, says Colonel
Turner: mo tin-plate hero ever stood i'm
the front line when death was rolling up
1871 per cent. loss. In the entire war the
heaviest loss of any regiment was of the
Sixth regular infantry, 24.9 per cent, and
Colonel Roosevelt's Rough Riders come
second. with 22.2 per cent.
The charge that Roosevelt was blood
iGn isAA ftaa Hon.
that he had shot Spaniard I'm the back is
denied in toto. Says the letter: Here are
the facts: In the charge on San Juan Hill.
as Colonel Roosevelt rushed on the
trenches, two Spanish SOLDIERS, armed with
Mauser rifles, leaped up. fired at ten yards
distance, and then, still armed and uncon-
quered. started for the rear. AS they fired
and were turning, the Colonel, armed only
with revolver, shot one in the left breast
and killed him. Under such circumstances
neither Colonel Roosevelt nor any other
soldier could do anything else and do his
duty There was an active, unwounded,
unsurrendered enemy, driven from his first
line. hurrying 10 find new point of de-
Tense from which to renew the fight
In reply TO Altgeld's charge that Gov
ernor Roosevelt was guilty of untruth when
he said at st. Paul that the Democratic
party is the party of lawlessness and dis
order, Colonel Turner asserts If he made
such an assertion he told the exact truth
and he calls Altgelds recollection TO the
scenes In Chicago In 1894, when the latter
was Governor of Illinois and mobs were
loose in Chicago during the Debs insurrec-
ton. Colonel Turner, with other Demo-
Gratis, appealed to Aitgeld 10 preserve law
and order, but. he now writes. Can YOU
hot also recall how you hesitated and pal
tered and delayed until a Democratic
President stepped In with United States
troops?'
In conclusion the letter says: mo. no.
sir; you are all astray ia this matter
Colonel Roosevelt Is just as brave a man
and true soldier any of those heroic
men who fought side by side with you and
me In the great war of the rebellion. III he
is much in evidence before the public il is
through no desire for 'pompous posing or
strenuous strutting. but because the
American people would have il so IL you
have any fault 10 find. blame the people
They made him "A candidate against his
will. They are clamorous TO see and hear
him. not he TO be seen or heard. Not be-
cause he is the Republican candidate for
the vice presidency-but because he was my
good comrade In the Cuban war and is my
cherished friend to-day. l am glad 10 be
allie 10 say TO you. sir, to the people OF
Chicago and OF my State. that Colonel