The Topeka state journal., 1905-10-16
VOICE FROM THE HOME
An Old Soldier Replies to Charges of
Another Inmate.

Department Commander P. H. Coney
has received from Isaac D. McKown,
OF company L. National Military home
at Leavenworth, a letter taking the
other side of the soldiers home con-
troVerSy, and defending the admins
tration of the home.
Capt. Coney is billed to make a
speech in Leavenworth this evening,
and he promises to give the Leaven-
worth old soldiers the straight facts
about the liberation of the low dives
where old soldiers from the home are
able to get into all kinds of trouble.
The letter from Mr.. McKOwn is as
follows:
National Military Home, Kan. Oct.
IA, 1905.
Captain P. H Coney
Dear Sir:-Having read an article
in yesterdays issue of the LeaVen-
worth Times, and copied from the To-
peka State Journal of the 18th inst, I
feel it a duty to my comrades here to
protest strongly against the fragrant,
unjustified and untruthful statements
made gy your Sub Rosa correspondent.
Il think he must be some disgrun-
/ tied member who has probably trans
gressed the rules and regulations hero,
and has been punished for it. and who
takes this method to revenge himself.
In the first place his statement that
! so per cent of the members are drunk
en- buns is false. and so wild that he
could not help knowing that it was not
true. OF course, among so many
members there are some who do not
! properly behave themselves, but they
are very small percentage and We
/ viii compare very favorably with the
same number of men anywhere.
AS for the statement that men get
drunk in the canteen, it is without
any foundation whatever. A member
can only purchase one beer chip at a
4 time and the rule is that no one can
have more than two beers at one sit
/ ting. There is always two of the
! guards on duty in the canteen who
/ watch every thing very closely, and it
I is utterly impossible for man to get
under the influence there. There is no
whisky, or wine sold-nothing but
beer. Another statement, that the
rules of the home are arbitrary, IN
! fair and desDotic' is also without foun-
I dation, and I 90 not think that your
/ correspondent can mention a single
/ one. I have been a member for about
seven years and cannot call to mind
any such orders. on the contrary ey-
erything in that respect IS quite IA
] VOTabla TO US. We al haVo a constant
i pass that allows Us to be gone from
$50 a. m. until $3.50 p. m, and we
can go to Kansas City or anywhere
! else and spend the day without asking
! permission Of anyone, only show your
red pass to the guard by $50 p. IN.
As for mismanag cement and graft
ing I think that his charges are in
/ keeping with his other statements. Ny
own observations have led me to think
that the officers look to and care for
our comfort at all times. When he
says that this home is the biggest
graft and most rotten Institution in
the state he tells a palpable untruth.
4 am sorry 10 have troubled you
with this matter but in justice to our
selves I feel it a duty. and I think
that so per cent Of my comrades here
/ will uphold LIE in what I have said.
4 win also say that I am not per-
sonally acquainted with any of the
/ ruling officers of the home, nor do they
know me from any other member
when they see me. This letter is en-
! tirely disinterested as far as they are
4 concerned.
"A man or set Of men who would be
guilty of maIigning his comrades is
beneath the contempt of honorable
men and can DO US no injury at tbs
home or immediate vicinity, but If
places more distant where we are moi
known, win be likely to give bac
reputation to the members and cause
unjust criticism to the nlanagemeut.
If the Topeka State Journal woulC
publish this in refutation of Sub Rosa:
charges. think it would only be do
ing justice.
'sRespectfuIly your obd't serv't.
ISAAC d. NJ KOWN.' -