Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-11-01
Democratic Misrepresentation.

b. +. Neble, editor of democratic
Dane paper published at Omaha, spoke
at Kimballton last Friday. During
his speech, trying to excite his country
men against our small standing army
he said that out at Valentine in his
state at the fort there the commanding
officer demanded to know of Mr..
Christensen who worked ut the fort
what his politics were'and on being |
told he was democrat he (the com
mandanD advised Christentensen to
change his politics or ne might soon
lose his job and that he soon did
lose his job; that he commanding Off
Ger let all contracts to republican con-
tractors at Omaha thus preventing Val
entine people from securing the work;
and that the soldiers at the point of the
bayonet drove the farmers off the pub
lie highway about the fort, making
them drive two miles around because
the farm wagons ratified and made
noise giving headache to the com
manding officer. The editor of this
paper wrote the commanding officer
of these charges and received the fol-
lowing reply:
Fort NIoBRARA, NEB
October 30, 1900
Mr.. ID. @. Mott, Chairman Republi-
can Central Committee, Audubon.
ir:-In reply to your communica-
ton of the Doth inst. relative to certain
charges made against the post by a
democratic speaker at Kimballton, Ia,
on October 26, 1900: | have the hon
or to state that they are entire fabrica-
tons, and l enclose herewith in sup
port of my statement, the certificates
of twenty-one CD civilians, the total
number employed at this post fifteen
of VIII om are democrats, three populists
and only three republicans.
| The Mr.. Christensen mentioned in
your communication, is Well known
here; he has been employed at this
post as painter, and the character of
his work has been so poor that / was
compelled, as a matter of duty, to re-
port on it to the chief quartermaster of
the department, so that if he, knowing
| the qualifications of Mr.. Christensen,
should award him other contracts /
would be free from accepting his work,
as / am responsible to the government
and to the public for the proper per-
Torrance of work done at this post.
/ have mt yer asked Mr.. Christensen
his politics, nor have / cared to know,
although have been reliably informed
that he has been seeking republican in
huence in the direction of getting further
employment here, and consequently l
was under the impression that he was
a republican. 1t is not because he is
Mr.. Christensen, however, or because
he lives in Valentine have no ine-
mical feeling toward either-my duty
would have been just the same had he
been a Mr.. Smith or Mr.. Jones, q
| democrat or republican and lived in
| New York or San Francisco.
In regard to the matter of driving
| farmers and others two miles around
at the point of the bayonet. / will say
that we have not had occasion to use
our bayonets since we have been here,
and so far as know, only the kindliest
feeling exists between the soldiers and
civilians. / have, however, had
occasion to compel heavy wagons,
government as we'll as civilian
to use road in rear of line of quarters,
instead of one in front, as we were re-
pairing the latter and did not want it
cut up-the difference in length be-
| tween the two roads, measured since
receipt of your communication, was
found to have been but twenty yards,
which wagons were required to pass.
As precautionary measure and pre-
tentative against smallpox which is
prevalent in Valentine, il has become
necessary within the last few days to
compel all people passing through to
take a road outside of the post all I'M
derstand the occasion for it, and do it
| cheerfully.
1t is unfortunate that the people are
so misinformed, that many of them be-
lieve the fabrications and distortions so
promiscuously dealt out to them, and
that they lose sight of the fact that an
army officer is only public servant,
| doing his whole duty toward the pub
lie at large while thwarting the designs
of the interested few, with whom he
would he good fellow if he
neglect that duty which is incum-
bent upon him. Very respectfully
JOHN +. STEPHENS,
LIST Lieut. 10th Inf, Commanding