Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-01-09
Capt. kuIp is ReprImanded.

SdPt. Nutp 10
Des Moines.-G Governor Cummins on
the 4th administered the reprimand
coming to Capt. oliver w. Kuip OF
the Davenport company Of the nation
al guard for not preventing the prize
fight OF Nov. q.
Governor Cummins severely criti-
cised the court martial for Its remark
able finding In the reprimand admins
tered to Captain Kulp In accordance
with that recommendation.
In this connection the governors
order says:
with the foregoing record and SEN
tence the courtmartial submitted Ger.
tain suggestions and recommended
lions. Among them are the follow
Ing:
"First-That the accused had. un.
I'll this occurrence. an excellent rec.
ord as an officer of the Iowa National
guard.
Second-That he was to some ex-
tent affected by local sentiment and
Influence.
"Third--That he was frank wit
ness and his apparent effort to carry
out the letter Of the order, even
though he erred In Interpreting IT,
are worthy Of note: but the court
adds that he did not do all he should
have done pursuant TO the order,l and
II calls attention to the fact that obed
ience to orders Is the first duty OF q
soldier, regardless OF personal conse
quences, and that the accused In fall
ing to observe this duty had marred
an otherwise excellent record as u
soldier.
1.-The court further suggests to me
that while the accused did not wilfully
disobey the order given him, yet
either through Ignorance or negligence
he failed to carry II out; that the
| order was not so specific but that he
might have been led to believe that
| a discretionary power was granted him
to determine whether the exhibition
| which took place by his permission
while II might have lacked some OF
| the elements OF prize fight, was GER
tainly one that should have been pre-
vented under the order received and
| In his failure to prevent the same the
accused erred; that though he thought
he had discretionary power, he should
have communicated with the com
mander-in-chief. and advised him Of
the proposed change In the exhibition
and that In falling to do so he clearly
violated the military rule that en-
! Joins upon all subordinates the dut,
OF advising commanders whenever
possible OF changed situations.
"The above IL the substance OF the
paper accompanying the record ant
sentence, In so far as 1t Is materia
! to the matter In hand, and II Is du'
! to the people of the state, TO thu
| guard, and 20 Captain Kulp, that ]
be given publication.
II have implicit confidence In thu
members Of the court martial, ant
have no doubt that they gave to thu
case the most faithful and honest con
sideration but inasmuch as | mus
determine the character OF the repri
mand to be administered to Captain
| Kulp, | am compelled to say that a.
| view the matter, the order was a
specific as II could have been made
and that Captain Kulp disobeyed !
without any excuse whatever. Hi
conduct has impaired the faith tina
the people OF the state have had II
the national guard, and every OF
flcer and all its men will suffer TO
his failure to perform a plain duty
II may be that he was not consciou
that he was violating the order giyei
to him but when he allowed himsel
to be persuaded into unconsciousnesI
of duty he was guilty OF as grave al
offense as an officer can commit
what | have said constitutes tn
reprimand imposed by the court mar
tial upon Capt. oliver W. Kulp, Com
pany b, Fifty-fourth infantry, lows
National Guard, and earnestly hop,
that never again will an officer o
man OF the Iowa National Guard b.
unfaithful to the trust reposed N him
albert B. Cumrlins."