The Washington herald., 1909-08-15

myself for the artillery. Mr.. Lamont.
Secretary OF War. refused my application
on the narrow ground that 1t would es-
tablish a bad precedent. On the con-
trary. I think 80 would have established
a mighty good precedent. I resigned in
stantly But for Daniel Lamont.
fancy 7 should now be an officer out
West or In the Philippines. After COM
pleting my education at the Institute Of
Technology. / became connected with the
Wamesit Power Company at Lowell IN
which my family is still interested. and
which leases power and mills 10 manu-
facturers"
What caused YOU TO enter politics2"
"Oh. II was my blood. I suppose. Ny
grandfather. Gen. Butler, had been gov
ernor Of Massachusetts. end my father
had been governor Of Mississippi during
the period Of reconstruction. I had a
natural inclination toward politics. and.
aside from that. 7 thought il was my
duty willingly to assume all the obliga-
tons Of a citizen. So I was elected to
the common council OF Lowell in 1896
although opposed by the machine, and for
three years. Notwithstanding the machine.
was member OF the Massachusetts leg
stature. l ran for Congress in 1902 and
have been elected three times since"
Served I'm Spanish War.
Tell me about your experiences IN the
Spanish war"
Il was lieutenant in Light Battery A.
Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, a we'll
disciplined and serious organization, made
up. for the most part, Of college men.
When war seemed probable with Spain
I naturally made an effort TO get into
the army After some difficulty I was
made a Lieutenant and the a1iutant OF
the Sixth Massachusetts Infantry and
came with the regiment to Camp Alger.
near the city OF Washington Gen. era
ham detailed me as acting engineer OF the
Second Army Corps. and I drove wells
for the camp and built number of
bridges.
AT Charleston, s. c., where We had
gone TO take passage on the Yale for
Cuba. I became involved in an incident
that nearly ended my career as a soldier.
The Yale couldn't get Up the river. and
the regiment was taken thirteen miles to
its anchorage in a Side-wheel steamer.
on the last trip Of the steamer an officer.
superior 10 me In rank, ordered me into
the city on a matter Of business. I ran
all the way and hack, only TO find the
vessel, with the last of the regiment, in
the middle Of the river, heading for the
sea under a full head OF steam. I saw
at once that g deliberate attempt had
been made 20 leave me behind.
My training at West Point and my
service IN the Light Battery had shown
me. Of course. that discipline is abso-
lutely necessary among soldiers. I had
done all I could to prepare the Sixth
Regiment for actual fighting in Cuba, 20
the loss OF my personal popularity among
some OF the officers and men. Albert
West. who had been Gen. Buffers body
servant during the civil war and had al
ways remained In our family, accom-
panied me when I entered the army He
told me that at least four members OF
the Sixth Regiment meant TO shoot me
at the first opportunity. II any Of the
men really purposed to kill me they soon
changed their minds. The regiment rap
idly learned the lesson Of efficient mill
tary service, and when the old Sixth
came back from Porto Rico 1 as lieuten-
ant colonel, there wasn't a better organi-
cation Of fighting men In the whole army
Some Army Experiences.
We'll as I stood on the dock and saw
the side-wheel steamer churning out to
sea was the maddest man In America.
Before left home my father sewed 500
in the lining Of my clothing. saying that
the money might be OF great use 10 me
under certain contingencies. I hunted
for a boat In which to follow the side
wheel steamer. Finally found an ocean
tug with banked fires. ] paid the cap