Bisbee daily review., 1902-05-03


 the interests of harmony and peace,
 I noticed an editorial in your paper of the 27th inst, in which you criticise President Roosevelt for having called General Funston's attention to the fact that he. Funston. was not paid by the United States government to go around the country and fire Kansas hot-air projectiles into the camp of those who are paid to legislate for the people, even though they, the said leg islators, may have said, or done, some thing, that the little general did not like.
 Those who know anything about the army, or army discipline, either iu this country or Europe. know that the army is supposed to carry out the or ders of the government only, and not to dictate to the government, or 10 light with their mouths, or any other dangerous weapon, unless war is de- clared by congress, or other authority oy which the army is controlled.
 President Roosevelt never under takes anything until he is fully ad- vised, and knows that he is right. or thinks he is; of course he is human, and may once in a great while make a mistake, but In Funston's case. he has shown himself to be absolutely lair to both sides, for, when General Miles overstepped his authority, and placed himself in the position of die tator, he was called down; then, the American insurgents claimed that this was done because Miles was a demo- crat. and the president and secretary of war were afraid of Miles populari- ", and wished to turn him down. Now, when Funston Is silenced in the
 anne way, you claim that the president lid it in order to establish a precedent, 90, that in case an administration sen ltor should be attacked by one of these officers (who should belong to a brass band, judging from their wind jower) the president could consistent y call him down; too pity.
 Mir. Editor, you are writing about a nan of whom you know nothing, per ,onaily If you did know the man as know him, I do not believe you would write such trash.
 Now. MT. Editor, let me tell you that know the president much better and more intimately than I do you, and I think I know you pretty well. I do not say it to court notoriety, for if I lad been that kind of hairpin, have aad many opportunities to get my name in the papers; but have left that leld open for those who have none other than a newspaper rd;-but, was going to say. that I messed at he same table with Colonel Roosevelt
 or a period of six weeks, and com handed a troop ip his regiment for nearly three months, and during that lime I became very we'll acquainted with him as a man and as an officer. and l can truthfully say that he is not l man who will stoop to perform any )f the little, mean, low-down political l tricks, of which he is accused by small I politicians.
 President Roosevelt is a man who would not do an injustice. even to an lnsurgent editor of an Arizona news paper, if he was sure that the act would make him president; because ne $ man who would rather be right, han be president.
 In answer to your statement-that Lhe officers and soldiers should be al lowed to tell what they know: would state that any soldier whose word is worth anything, would prefer | charges against any other officer .r soldier. who was guilty of any breach of discipline worthy of notice, and would not wait until he had gotten pack to the United States, and under | he protection of his mothers petit coat, and then tell it to some fool re porter. One of the most blood-curdline accounts of suffering and slaughter, nave ever read, was the published in. terview of the biggest coward in my troop, after he had run away from the battlefield and had returned to the United States, pretending to be sick Another article, given a newspaper Dy a captain of our regiment, on the cam. paign in Cuba, giving the personal ex. periences of said captain, while in tuba, was very sensational, to say the least, and the captain had never been kind of soldiers CD and officers @ you will generally find at the bottom of all these blood-curdling lies. | Army officers and soldiers have am. pie opportunity to tell what they know before the proper committees in con. gress, or before courts martial; and that is the only proper place for . sol dier to talk.
 Mir. Editor, any thinking man knows that these slurs at the president makes votes for him, as such attacks do not constitute, or stand for democracy, or republicanism, Or Americanism, but is directly opposed to all three, and any man or any paper that attempts to be little or injure such, broad-minded and conscientious man as is President Roosevelt, by the tactics now used by many today, will surely fail in the end.
 Hoping that you will be fair enough to publish this letter, I am very truly yours, Geo. B. Wilcox. The communication above afforded MT. Wilcox the opportunity, which no doubt he was looking for, to laud President Roosevelt and his admins tration. As a member of the Roose. welt family, though far removed, no doubt he feels his responsibility. He calls the gallant Funston . hot-air mer- chant, and agrees entirely with the