Nicholas
Harris Counsellor-at-Law Belvidere N.J. Oct. 15th 1896
Henry
J. Aten, Esq. Hiawatha Kansas
My
Dear Cousin:--
Your kind and welcome letter of the 7th
inst. was duly received by me, and read with pleasure. And while I do not have any thing new to
inform you of at this time, I wish to thank you for your kindness in sending to
me copies of the Dallas Texas, paper, and also copies of the proceedings of The
Sovereign Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows, at its recent Session, at Dallas Texas.
The papers and reports were very interesting and were
enjoyed
by me, and by others to whom I loaned them.
I am pleased to learn that you enjoyed reading the paper containing an
account of the battle of Monmouth.
We,
that is the people of New Jersey, are proud of our Revolutionary history.
Also
we are proud of the part, the brave soldier boys of 1861-5 from the little
State of New Jersey, did!—
Let me quote from an authentic history of our State,
regarding the matter. “New Jersey out
of 98,806 men liable to do military duty, furnished 88,305 men during the Civil
War, being 10,057 in excess of the number called for by the General Government,
and within 10,501 of her entire Militia at that time. Of this number 79,348 served with State organizations, and
“the
remainder in regiments of other states.
The naval and marine enlistments from New Jersey numbered 4,853.
“The
entire expense to the State for organizing, subsisting, supplying and
transporting her troops was $2,894,384.99.”
I am not bold in asserting that no state treated her
soldiers and their families better than ours did, and that no State since the
war, has treated her old veterans better than this. Among many things, our laws provide respectable burial and
headstone.—and expressly forbids any to be buried as paupers, or in a pauper
grave.
I
send you a little slip cut out of a county paper, in reference to one Milton
Aten. He is a Grand son of old Uncle Peter Aten and Sarah (Coates) Aten, being
a son of Andrew Aten who lived and died in Easton Penna. I also send to you a letter I received from
the Rev. Wm. Aten of Skillman N.J.. You
stated that you had written to him and had received no answer. I thank you also
for the clipping in reference to the State of Kansas.
We of the east are hearing a great deal these days
about the Chicago platform and the free and unlimited coinage of silver. I got a glimpse of Hon. W.J. Bryan the
candidate, when he
passed
through this place. He’s a smooth
talker, but I don’t think his ideas will be swallowed down the throats of the
eastern people. I am sure I know of one
voter who will not vote for such foolish doctrine, as he and Mrs. Mary Ellen
Lease proclaim.
I
feel safe in saying that New Jersey will give a good substantial majority for
good sound currency (money) and for the safety of the country, and, for the
perpetuation of good government.
Ms.
Lease has spoken at three places in this county
viz. Belvidere,
Phillipsburg and Washington. And while she is a strong voiced, strong lunged
talker, we have heard enough of her balder-dash. We say let her go back to Kansas where she
claims to belong. As I read the papers there is some doubt about
who will carry your State. I hope it
will be otherwise. As I told the
audience over in Penna. the other evening—This is a government of the people—by
the people, and for the people.—The people elect the President—the ruler, by
the votes of each one added together— —if they make a mistake and put in power
a party that will bring on a financial crisis, and we get a debased
currency, with all the other attendant
evils,--each
individual voter must blame himself.
Do not be surprised if on the morning of Nov. 4th
1896 the telegraph tells the people of Kansas that New Jersey by 25 or
30,000 majority says, Save our iron furnaces and industries, save our farming
industry—save our marine interests; and if old Pennsylvania speaks out in
thunder tones, to the tune of from 200 to 250,000 plurality, we will protect
our mining and manufacturing industries, and then when New York State swings
into line with, well, any
where from 150,000 plurality up, saying to Mrs. Lease and to Tillman and his company we of the Empire State will uphold our commercial standing among nations, we will protect our great industries.—We feel sure that the whole six New England States will greet us with an unbroken chain of six states for McKinley and good sound money. I might go right on in this strain but our fears are about the South and West—what will they do about the case. We must hope for the best.—
By articles I see in different papers, I form the
opinion that the people called, the Populists, are greatly injuring
the
state of Kansas, yes are going still further and trying to ruin that State.
The
article you sent to me seems like a picture of real life. I have no doubt but that it fully represents
the situation there.
No!
Mrs. Prentiss will not come to New Jersey this fall. She and her sister talked
of coming but will not be able to come.
I
send to you along with this some papers showing the situation in the East.
I am going up to the Water Gap next Sunday afternoon
to see the autumn foliage
which
is a grand sight. To one who never saw
our eastern hard wood autumn leaves, the sight would be one of rare
beauty. A great many go up to the Gap
for an afternoon drive and outing. We
call it 12 miles.
Mrs.
Hay and husband and son and daughter-in-law are all usually well.
We are all well at my home and many who are your distant kinsfolk are usually well. I hope that all are well with you. We will be pleased to hear from you again at any time. I send love and kind regards to you all and in conclusion I remain Sincerely Your Cousin Nicholas Harris