Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-08-19
Trouble AmongThe
Soldiers.
The Officers of 4th Regiment
Compelled to Surrender
Their Pay for Club
House Purposes or
Resign.

According TO military reports in
WATERFOWL papers the officers of the
FOURTH regiment do not dwell to-
sether IN harmony when in camp, and
the troeble is all about supporting
ana paying for a great big useless
club house that cost $ll, 900. 90, so the
report goes. The trouble was serious
enough this year to demand an in
VeStlgatlon by the Governor, because
the held officers are trying to cover
up the deal. Most of the officers of
the ompanies are young men with
out bank accounts and they were COM
PEELED to surrender most of their pay
towards paying two prices for the
club house, and it was either surrend-
er their pay or resign. The Water
town Captain declined to be held up
and demanded his pay. lie got his
pay and resigned. Lieutenant Van
Camp of Highmore demanded his pay
and got it and didn't resign either,
and according to Watertown informal
t1on he made the club house crowd
look like 30 cents a at carnival. Most
or n line officers were opposed to
turning their sadly needed cash into
a club house rathole, but they had an
idea that d refusal compelled a resig-
nation. That's where the line officers
made a mistake. They should have
demanded their pay in full and put it
in their pocket and notified the club
house crowd to shut up or get out of
the regiment.
The surrender of their pay by the
line officers resulted in positive hard
ships to most of them as they were
depending on this money to meet in
cidential expenses while absent from
home, and to be thus held up exposes
a condition thai is in direct violation
of law and army regulations. Half a
dozen VanCamps would have closed
up the club house grab bag and
brought the officers down to discipline
and duty, and compelled the Colonel
of the regiment to read and enforce
the regulations, because the U. S.
government is a partner in paying for
the service of the troops.
The LEADER regrets this condition
among the guardsmen because it
means discord and backbiting, and no
regiment will ever amount to
'Shucks" that is not commanded in a
true military spirit. Club house Of
ticers are no good. Give us officer s
"hn n a ~, ~ ~ifl, tLoi- WAN o~I ,ro{oI
over them and protect them from
grafters and keeps them away from
saloons. Such officers always make
good in camp, on the march or in
battle. The club house officers in
war times were generally seeking fur
loughs about the time trouble was in
sight.
The line officers of the 4th regiment
should refuse to contribute another
dollar to the club house. Let the
state own it or close it up. It's a de-
triment to good order and discipline
and a refuge for temptations that no
good officer should counteEance for a
moment.
Liz LEADES WOulu llkc w IIcdl
from Lieutenant VanCamp and would
be glad to help the officers out of a
disagreeable position and the men in
to a higher trained body of soldiers.
Adjutant General Englesby could
we'll afford to put the whole matter
up to Gov. Wesley before another en-
campment, as we do not believe
another line officer will eve submit
to a club house holdup. The only
mistake the Watertown Captain made
was in resigning, because his company
was shut out of camp duty. He
should have told the club house crowd
to go to Texas.
Miss Mabel Minor is on the sick
list.
J.. P. Hawn departed Wednesday
for Wisconsin points and then goes to
Chicago.
Mrs. A. B. Main and Miss Bertha
Studeman were Sioux Falls visitors
Monday.
Mrs. Montgomery left for st. Paul
Monday to purchase fall Millinery
goods.
Attorney Carlson, Sheriff Quein and
John Roche were 500 Falls visitors
Monday.
MI. and Mrs. Frank Huyck RETURN
ed from Austin, Mimi, where they
| spent a week visiting relatives.
Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Nicholson and
sons" Walter and Leroy were passen-
gers to Sioux Falls last week.
Mrs. J. D. Convey departed Thurs
day for Lockridge, Iowa, after an
extended visit with Mr.. and Mrs.
A. A. Arnold.
Misses Edith and Minnie Goodroad
and cousin, Miss Florence Goodroad,
are visiting relatives in Madison.
Mrs. G. F. Whitehead and son Lo-
raine arrived Saturday evening from
| Omaha where she had been visiting
friends.
Oscar Bye returned to his home in
Minneapolis Wednesday night after
several days visit with his Canton
ri o-S rn1ofiyaC .