Nicholas
Harris Counsellor-at-Law Belvidere N.J. Nov. 5th 1896
Henry
J. Aten, Esq Hiawatha Kansas,
Dear
Cousin:--
Today is a cold rainy day and I am trying to get up
even again in my correspondence. I
thought I would drop you a few lines to congratulate on the result of the late
election. I think I wrote you that you
would hear in earnest from the eastern States, New Jersey included. I send you along with this a morning paper
showing the result in the East etc. You
will see that old New Jersey
stands
up nobly for sound money and against Populism. As you have always lived in the
west you do not, at least fully, understand the temper of the people, and the
sentiment that prevails here.
Mrs.
Mary Ellen Lease, can now like a good girl return home and weep over the
result. We have no use for her as a
politician out here. All people
(nearly) out here are pleased over the result, and we can now settle down to
business again.
I send you samples of the tickets we use in N.J. at
the election. Our ballots law gives
each party or candidate a ticket and then
pasters
can be put on, or names errased, and others written on with black ink or black
pencil. We had 7 tickets, all
different, handed to each voter as he entered the polling place, at the late
election.
I send you also a slip in reference to the reunion of
the 11th N.J. Regt. of Vol. Infty., recently held. I was invited to
the reunion but did not go. This is one
of the regiments we think a good deal of and several old members live in this
town. Two companies went from Warren county, and it was commanded by our
honored
citizen
Genl. Robert McAllister, now dec’d.
This is also the regiment that was so badly cut to pieces at Gettysburg,
when every officer above the rank of Lieutenant was either killed or wounded,
and the case noted in history where after two color-bearers had been shot down,
the third who seized the colors, was ordered to take the colors 20 yards in the
front of the regt., and plant them, which he did, and there the brave fellow
stood amidst the shower of shot and shell falling around him.
I am aware that I wrote you last but I thought I would congratulate you on the election of McKinley and New Jersey’s distinguished fellow citizen G.A. Hobart—We are all well and Mrs. Hay & family are well and all the others of your distant kinsfolk so far as I have heard. We all send love and kind regards to you all and will be pleased to hear from you at any time.