Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-09-13

me hofHlHS JouFHdi yesterday re-
ceiyed the following open letter from
Rev. Or. Thomas HARDWOOD, Of this
city, with the request that II be pub
lished:
An Open Letter 10 Governor Bucltel
of Colorado.
Albuquerque. ". NJ,
September >, 1907.
Governor Henry A.. Buehtel, Denver,
Colorado.
My Dear Sir, Governor and Brother
If the papers here reported you cor
reetly. where they quot you as say
ing in a meeting az the Soldiers home
at Montevista, on the night of the Bird
instant; The complaining veterans of
the civil war are nothing but a lot Of
drunkards and buns" then you are
up against a host of the old veterans
of the civil war, and | am asked. as
chaplain of the Department of New
Mexico and also OF G. X Warren post
No. .. of Albuquerque, 10 reply to said
statement. ! hesitate somewhat to do
SO, for I could not think IL possible
for such a statement TO escape your
lips We're 1t not for the fact that De-
partnlent Commander Millette. tremb-
ling with anger, shook his fist in your
face and made you retract at once
several days have passed since the
above named occurrence took place
ana the above language was said
to have been spoken. and as yet we
IA seen no correction or explana-
lion Of the same, Notwithstanding
Denver papers have reached us, and
proceeding on the ground that the re-
mark was really made, we have the
following to say:
First-It makes a great difference
who says a thing. If some irrespon-
sible person had said what Is accord
ed TO YOU as having said, as II was
often said In an early day down here
I'm New Mexico, il might be much
easier overlooked, but coming from
one In your position, and one in your
ecclesiastical rank. and in%augurated in
a church, as some of our O.. A. Il.
men nave said, we were not prepared
for such an insult.
Second-Ne are not a lot Of
"drunkards and buns" We are not
now. nor never were. and in my own
behalf | resent the statement. In the
company and regiment in which was
ia during the civil wal the whole
Twenty-ffth Wisconsin infantry, there
was hardly a drinking a much less
"a drunkard or a bum, in the entire
regiment of 1.444 soldiers. including
recruits. In behalf of those noble
fellows, with the most Of whom / was
well acquainted and i'm whose ranks /
marched and soldiered for eighteen
months anu WAS lHtn tntlT D
FOR eighteen months. and In behalf of
the 442 of said number who were
killed IN battle or died of sickness in
camp ana on the march. | resent your
statement. In behalf of G.. X. War
rem post and the Department Of New
Mexico, ] resent II. Again in behalf
of G.. X. Warren post and the depart
ment Of New Mexico, I'm which there
are ministers Of the gospel, six preach
fTe nT tho pnNRTnnFfG NUN npnnminD- /
don. including three who ave re-
Gently died, and in which there are
Two United States judges, lawyers,
doctors, teachers, merchants, farmers. /
etc, and In the department | have had
the honor Of serving for twenty-three
years, and among all these there IS
not a ~''drunkard or a bum" Of which
/ am proud. and in behalf of the same, |
we resent the afere named statement.
II has been my privilege to attend
several national n mpments, Boston, l
81, Louis, Denver n Minneapolis last
year and in all these l do not remem-
her seeing a single drunken man.
There might have been many. II
would be strange if there should not
many, for these national encamp-
ments are time OF great rejoicing. hail
fellows well met. but II there were
drunken men | failed to see them. 1t
is true. | never light a candle to go
around to see what the boys are doing,
remembering that "A few drunken
citizens will paint a whole town red,
7 take IL for granted that when YOU
fail To see any n intoxicated there
he much Of u.
At Boston the papers stated that the
l3id in a large supply of the
strong dr3Hk AM. We're disappointed
the sales amounted to 5 o little.
| don't mean to say that there is no
drunkenness among the old soldiers.
/ Know there H.. but after all |
there ~ no other civic organi-
zation Of the same size as that of the
ARMY Of the Republic in which
thercls 81 little drunkenness.
The yea before the war closed. ]
was h home in Wisconsin for a few
weeks during the presidential cam
palgT@ I heard a speaker against Mr..
Iincoin's reelection. say In substance.
put The worst Is Yet to come. II The
rebellion can be put down. which Il