For The Good Of The Service

The Adrián Times and Congressman Allen concocted a boomerang last week. They had an old letter from the war department revamped, u fac simde made of it and copies sent to the republican papers of the district. The Courier had the honor of publish'mg it here. The Adnan Press, of which paper Mr. 'Stearns is the propr.etor has this all sufficient answer to make in its last issue. The editor of the Times reviews the war record ot Mr. Stearns, and publishes a fac simile of a letter received in 1876 from the war department relative to his resignation. In 1876 a correspondent charged that Mr. Stearns "resigned for the good of the service" and dare not deny it. Mr. Stearns made an emphatic denial, and Applegate wrote to the war department through Zach Chandler. A reply was received stating that the files shovved that Lieut. Stearns resigned at the request of the Col. commanding and that the resignation was accepted "for the good of the service." ' This is correct. Mr Stearns resigned at the request of Col. Brown. It is well known that the reason for the request was a personal quarrel. Stearns had been given a sick furlough, but it reached him just as he was ahle to join his company. He carne home and requested permission to do recruiting service, but was refused the request and ordered to return on expiration ot his furlough. He devoted his time, however, to recruiting and at his own expense. He was assisted ably by Baker Cole, a corporal of the company. They induced a large number of new recruits fïom Rome and Franklin to join the iith Cavalry, and many wished to go in Co. H, Mr. Stearns company, as the Franklin recruits had nearly all been former pupils, and the Rome boys wished to be with Lt. Clark W. Decker. Capt. H. Bowen was in poor health and contemplated resigning. The company had been reduced by death and sickness, until there were iiot the requisite number left to warrant the muster of a captain. It was with a vew of getting a full company that Lt. Stearns induced the new recruits to join Co. H On ai living in camp with the men 16 Rome boys entered Co. A. The balance, something like 35, joined Co. H. The next day they started on a march for Saltville. They were put upon the role of Co. H, furnished arms and accoutrements by Capt. Bowen and went upon the raid. They participated in the battles of Bowen's farm and of Saltville, at thei latter place Co. H and Co. L being under command of Lieut. Stearns, Capt. Bowen having one detail and Lt, Decker another, doing other service. Lt. Stearns had command of the company on the retreat at the time ot the fight in the mountains and was specially detailed by Col. Mason then commanding the regiment, to command the rear baitallion, with orderly W. H. Flemming, of Co. H to assist, and he was by the side of the gallant Col. Mason when he was killed, on the final charge on the mountain. When the regiment reached Lexington sorae six weeks after, an order was issued, assigning those new recruits of Co. H to other companies. Brothers were separated, and friends and tentmates parted. Their indignation was great, and they charged W. Stearns vvith selling them. He took the boys in charge, went directly to headquarters and laid the case before Col. Brown and pleaded for a revocation of the order, but was imperiously ordered back to his quarters and informed that the Col. commanding did not desire any of his interference. This convinced the boys that Lt. Stearns had not consented to the work, but that the Col. had done it to prevent his muster as captain. Lt. Stearns appealed to Gen. Burbridge for redress, but was advised that while he admitted the justice of the request, he did not wish to revoke the Colonel's order. Lt. Stearns, subsequently made use of some very bitter language regarding the Col. He had been a warm supporter of Gen. McClellan, and as war correspondent ot the Free Press, had scored Brown and the iatter was bound to ruin him if possible. Stearns was summond to headquarters and questioned as to whether he had reported the Col. as being too full of whiskey, to do his duty. Mr. Stearns said he made that statement. Then carne a war of words in which Lt. Stearns denounced Brown as a coward, drunkard. liar and dirty dog, and dared him to take off his eagles, and settle the matter then and there. This gave.Brown the opportunity he desired. He gave Stearns the choice of resigning or being courtmartialed. Mr. Stearns at first refused to resign, but there was no alternative. When asked to give a reason, he replied he had none. It was finally agreed that the reason be "at the request of the Colonel commanding." The colonel, of course, could accept it for just such a reason as he chose. Mr. Stearns never regretted his action. It was a fight then for his boys and his rights. No one but a brutal, c.owardly officer would have so insulted Co. 11, and the insult could not go unnoticed. Mr. Stearns now regards his denunciation of Brown, as an act that he would again repeat, and he is proud of the part he played in defence of the private soldier. If the Times has no stronger claim against his war record, it better not repeat the stoiy to the nth Cavalry boys, many of whom live in this campaign. The way to break up trusts is to take off the tariff.- Geo. S.Wheeler. Our farmer readers will remember that the Argus published an article at the time wool buying began this season telling them that if they held on to their wool, they would find it bringing thirty cents. The facts of the case were, as we staeed, the eastern wool buyers were taking advantage of the farmers to buy their wool at as low a price as possible. They wanted to make what money was to be made out of wool. The article which was first published in the Adrián Press was vigorously cnticised by the republican press, notably by the Michigan Farmer. These republican papers were interested in having the price of wool low, so that they might gain the votes of the farmers who could have the wool pulled over their eyes. Behold the result. According to the Michigan Farmer of last Saturday, No. i Michigan wool has sold at 36 @ 37 cents in the eastern market and Michigan x at 27 @ 28 cents, and the Farmer further says: "The eastern markets are decidedly firm in the basis of present quotations and an advance in values seems more probable than a decline at present." And further on, it says that "prlces are likely to be higher." All 01 which goes to show that the Adrián Press knew what it was writing about and that if the farmers of this county had taken the advice given in these columns, it would have been money in their pockets. Washtenaw farmers can thank the care, which the republican party attempted to raise, for the temporary low price of wool, and they can best show that party what they think of the loss of their money by voting for Cleveland and Thurman. As has been proven beyond dispute in these columns, the price of wool has been higher under free wool than it has under a protective tariff. Wool has fallen below thirty cents only undt-r such a high tariff. It is to the interest of farmers to keep t above thirty cents. And therefore they should vote for Cleveland and Thurman.