The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-12
.DUNN'S TALK ON
THE OLD SOLDIER
CONTROVERSY RACES OVER CAN
DIDATE'S SPEECH TO VETS.
What Was Said-Officers Of League
and Other Witnesses Indorse the
Version Given by The Journal.

There has bene considerable contro-
versy over the speech made last Sat
urday night by Robert G. Dunn, before
the Union Veterans and Sons league.
In The journal Mr.. Dunn was
quoted as saying: Let the old SOL
self that way, let him do It," with
other statements along the same line,
which caused Judge Collins to take
issue with him.
Mr.. Dunn claimed that the Ian
guage used was quoted from the re-
some of his friends contend that the
quotation did him an injustice The
others say The Journal report was
substantially correst. Herewith state
ments are presented giving both sides,
The following statement is made
by several who disagree with the
Journals account:
1--WE, the undersigned, who were
present at the meeting Of the Union
der's hall in this city on Saturday eve
ming, March 5, most emphatically deny
that Mr.. Dunn made use of the re-
marks attributed to him by The Min
neapolis Journal Of March Z. We re-
fer especially to the paragraph In
reads as follows: Let the old soldier
get drunk. If he can enjoy himself
that way, let him do it. If he wants
to spend his pension money that way,
let him. He has only a few years to
live, and he might as we'll enjoy him
self that way as any other while he
can Mr.. Dunn said. in answer to
| inmates of the Soldiers Home are en-
titled to all their pensions:
Most emphatically, do. When
Hon. Jas. A. Peterson introduced a
! bill in the legislature in 1901 requir-
ing the board Of trustees Of the
Soldiers Home to pay to the old
soldier inmates Of the home their full
data obtainable in the auditors Of
flee, and gave him all the assistance
in my power in his efforts to pass the
measure. I know the argument that
is advanced by those who favor the
retention of the rule that the old
soldier shall receive not to exceed a
per month of his pension. It is
drink to excess. There may be a few
who drink to excess, but there is q
comnlandant at the home who is paid
a large salary to look after the in
! terests Of the inmates. and he should
see to it that the inmates who are adj
dicted to the use of Intoxicating
liquors should not receive all Of their
pension money at once, but give it tc
them gradually. But because q few
inmates of the home may drink tc
excess is no reason why all the in.
mates should be penalized. In my
home town Of Princeton there are
many old soldiers. I know of seventy
or eighty, and I never knew Of bu
two or three who drank to excess
The leading citizens, the most inf1uen
tial, and most prosperous business
men Of my home town of Princeton
are old soldiers
Mr.. Dunn then related the story Of
the Buffalo judge, who, when an ole
soldier was brought before him on {
charge Of drunkenness, discharged
him and told him that he had earned
the right to get drunk if he saw fit
Mr.. Dunn further stated that he die
not believe in intemperance, and made
no apology for it. Mr.; Dunn alst
showed that for every dollar of pen
sion money taken from the old sol
der the United States government
subtracted fifty cents from the amour
allowed for the support Of the home
: In other words, that the state did no
save the $4,000 Of pension money re
tanned last year, but only $1,000. B.
no stretch of language could MI
Dunn's remarks be construed as favor
ing intemperance.
1.-The foregoing Is fair statemen
of what was said by Mr.. Dunn on th1
subject on that occasion.
A. F. Mcdonald,
A. E. Allen,
DR.. J. L. Crist,
Geo. M. McGrego1
+ Chas. G.. Horton,
4 Levi Lamson,
- pnhhirS