Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-10-31
aancaster fntelligeacer.
TUespAY EVENING, OCT. 81. 1881.
A Harmless Boomerang.

A Harmless Boomerang.
We print elsewhere an address pur-
porting to be issued by the Pensioners
League, located in this city and rejoic-
ing in John A. Walters as its secretary.
We have not heretofore heard Of this
association and we incline to think that
it is nothing more than name. Nor
have we the pleasure of the acquaintance
of Mr.. John A. Walters nor any knowl.
edge of him. John, too, may be a myth,
but we sincerely trust not, 1or
IL he is the scribe who pre-
pared the address of the Pensioners
League and who invented the institu-
tion, we would like to meet him, If ior
no other reason than to urge upon him
the propriety of going to school to stud y
the English language. John is too bright
afellow to be SO ignorant of the proper
way of expressing his ideas John has
ideas, as his address shows. lie has an
idea that Democrat is a very bad man,
and another that an Independent Re-
publican is not any better. He conceives
that the issue in this campaign Is
as to whether men should he bought
and sold, or whether the better plan of
obtaining their labor is not to hire it..
1t also strikes John that General Beaver
is entitled to the vote Of the government
pensioners, because he is one himself.
To create a political party out of the
pensioners, is the particular idea which
marks Mr.. Walters as great man, who
should he furnished with a first class ed
ucation that his brilliant mind may have
its proper effect in moulding the public
opinion of the time. Few men would
have thought of erecting the pensioners
into q party. 1t is rather a risky busi-
ness for the pensioners, for naturally if
they set up for themselves and fail to
carry the election, they will try the gen.
erosity of the people they have tried and
failed to keep out Of power. Ona super
fetal view of the matter it would seem
to he a matter of prudence for
the pensioners, who have profited so
greatly by the generosity of all parties in
Congress, to keep their hands off in the
contention of the parties whose friend
ship they have had. But if they are not
satisfied with what they have receiv-
ed and are inclined to take from the
government and divide up all its income
among themselves, they will do right
enough to follow the bold banner of
Walters and form an alliance with the
regular Republican organization, which
has fully demonstrated its aptitude for
using the national treasury for individ-
ual profit. When the Republican spOils.
men and the pensioners join together
with the purpose of helping themselves
to what they want, there will, moreover,
he full notice given to the rest of the peo.
pie of the division line upon which parties
are formed, and all the people who are
not spOilsmen or pensioners will get
upon the other side of the line from
them. As there are big majority of
the voters we doubt whether the divi
sion line is one that would he advanta.
geOus to Mr.. Walters and the Pensioners
League and SO probably will the
pensioners think to whom Mr.. Walter ,:
address comes, and it will hardly turn
many Of their votes to Beaver nOtwith.
standing its forcible presentation of the
reason why every pensi0ner should favor
him. OF course we understand that
there is no Pensioners League and that
it las been created on paper by the ma
chine Republican managers to help
them to catch the pension vote. Like
most of their devices it is 4 boomerang
which will hurt those who use it, fal
more than those it is aimed ut. The
citizens of the country, who are taxed to
pay the pensions which the liberality OF
the country provides, are not likely to
relish the idea of those who enjoy tlieil
bounty assuming TO be their masters. II
is this very idea which public sentiment
is now in revolt against. 1t has been
justly outraged by the undertaking OF
its public servants to use their places for
their own benefit to the general injury
and the word now is that public office
must be administered for the general
good and the pensioners, no more than
the ofiiceholders, can be permitted to
run the country for their own benefit.
1t Should Not BE Necessary.
EckleyB. Coke representing the Luzerne