Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1900-12-21

sertions, cut heads, black eyes, deaths
from freezing, and from drowning in
the Missouri and other streams. Those
were the days when the soldier lived
on what we termed government
and the ration of bread
was so THU that you could read a fine
print newspaper through It. At pres
ent the profit from the post exchange
(canteen) goes to the soldiers collective
ly, at a post, and enables them to add
many comforts and luxuries to what
the government furnishes them, and
which, with their small wages, they
cd>ld not otherwise obtain. 1 have
often told young soldiers here how
times in the army have; changed for
the better. How, in years gone by,
the first thing man did after he
drew his pay was to hasten TO the post
treasurer and put about ane.third Of
his wages in bread checks and then
spend the remainder for some kind of
a stimulant which would help him to
forget what fool he made Of himself
when lie made a contract with his
Uncle Samuel under the provisions Of
which the soldier bound himself to go
through the three-years shrinking
process.
II these aggressive ladies Of the w.
Z. T. U. are anxious to do real good in
the world, why don't they devote their
attention to the bettermsnt Of the
condition OF the intemperate poor OF
thejr'respective home cities, where 1t
is an everyday occurrence to witness
ill-clad and half-starved little children
s.rusiaing the growler" for their
drunken parents? 1t would be more
Christianlike for these ladies to ex.
pend all their reform energies In the
vast city fields than to attempt to de.
priyc of the means Of procuring bet
ter conditions and more comfortable
surroundings the men who went tt
the front and did more for humanity
and civilization than any other army
ever accomplished in soshort q time
and many Of whom today are suffering
from the effects OF Spanish and Fill
pino bullets or the tropical climate d
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines
It is a poor recompense the faithful
soldier gets Nhen.an effort is made tt
deprive hini Of the post exchange,
that enables him to place a few extras
on his table. Yet these reformers whit
want the soldier to live on sow-belly
lembalmen beef, hard tack and "edu
seJsegstable" soup have noshing t
say about raising his wages above TIN
paltry s13 month.
The couptry needs soldiers; but, j
army regulations are to be dictated b.
la lot Of scmi-sahctimonious old hais
pins who know nothing Of the condi
tions which they seek to regulate, an,
who would better. be 'at home carini
for their families instead Of making
spectacle of themselves at Washing
ton, I fear that enlistments will b
few and far between.
| The more / think about this matte
the madder ] get.
In conclusion will say that / sin
cerely wish that all the members Q
congress could come out here and Sc
for themselves how, under the careful
discipline of a perfect soldier and tru
gentleman-Capt. Sargent, post con-
mander, whose name is familiar to al
ld.timers Of the Missouri valley-th
! post exchange is conducted. The
would find the present system t
be the best that has ever been trie
In the interest Of sobriety at militar
p0sta. Among other things it woul
be shown that the percentage I
guard-house prisoners is much les
than formerly. In fact, at present til
guard-house hasn't an inmate.
Hoping that the senate will nc
agree with the house In passing til
anti-canteen bill, will close by sui
scrlbing myself
Yours, truly, CHAs. WELSH,
Ex.Eirst.SerRt Co. TX :" 18th Infty.