New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-04
CAST OF LOST RIvBl
BRYAN AND HIS REGIMENT.
HOW HE THRUST ASIDE A WEST POINT
OFFICER TO COMMAND AS A
RAW RECRUIT

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: In your leading editorial of this mornings
issue you say: When he (AIr. Bryan wanted to
be colonel of the Nebraska regiment at the out
break of the war with Spain he secured the ap-
pointment by thrusting aside a graduate of the
Military Academy, trained and able soldier whose
experience and military education would have been
OF the greatest value in that emergency
Would you object 10 stating specifically whether
not there did exist candidate for the colonecy
Of that regiment, of military training, who would
have had reasonable expectation of receiving the
command except for the political position and in
f1uence OF Mr. Bryan.
Governor Roosevelts action IN declining the
coonelcy Of his own regiment yielding It to an
officer of military training and demonstrated
military ability, however laudable, after ali
simply patriotism
Jeopardizing the interests of nation at war or
the proper care and handling of a regiment ir the
neIqs even IN the sHghtest degree. that personal
ambition may be gTauded can find no justification
whatever.
Ta &RaR osn fb5P aarraRs ebe fsc and oog
ditions, seem to be characterized by statements
eXgencies Of emergencies than to conform 70 the
The satisfactory POSITION of the Repubica8 partv
both as to issues and the Administrations record
permit on its part, however, campaign of abso-
Understanding this to be The Tribune's policy. I
The charge against Colonel Bryan too serious to
if SO founded it is too serious to ignore Very re-
' NeTeYoorrk. Sept q 1900.
[ A heavy artillery regiment was formed in Ne
braska at the outbreak of the Spanish-American
War Captain Dudley L. s. A. was 10 be its
colonel dinner was given, at which Bryan
promised 10 use his influence to get tcA regiment
accepted Bryan, largely apparently because of
the enthusiasm shown by him at this dinner
was offered the place of Northumberland Be
fore all the details were arranged, however II
became known that the Government did not
want a heavy artillery regiment from Nebraska
or anywhere. The members of the regiment
then offered to go a infantry with Captain
Dudley as colonel. This would have been salts
factory To the Governor and the Government
but by this time Bryan had become ambitious
for military honors He said that he would raise
a regiment himself. and that he might as well
be colonel as Northumberland Accordingly he
did raise a regiment, refusing even TO accept
companies from the artillery regiment, because
he had friends of his own who had raised com
NAMES and wanted TO come in. 1t should be
added that the members of the artillery regi-
raent were for the most part young men who
had been trained at a military school in Ne
braska Bryan thus thrust aside Captain Dud-
lev a trained officer, and his trained men. and
substituted Colonel Bryan and his political
regiment Governor Holcomb of course was IN
huenced by Bryan, and sent the Bryan regiment
The authority for all this is THE Conserva-
tive " published at Nebraska City by MI j.
Sterling Morton An article in The Conserva-
tive" of September 6, pages and 4, gives the
details-Ed