Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-10
THE SOLDIER AND POLITICS.

When the Democratic Administration
began to make changes in the office
holders, rendered necessary by the
treachery OF Republican appointees, the
official axe fell on several men who had
good war record, and holy howl went
up iron" all parts OF the land at the
ingratitude Of Democrats toward old SOL
diers. Several colored men were also
removed for offensive craftsmanship, and
the cry OF holy horror was repeated
The Cleveland Leader, the organ OF the
celebrated hebitudinous crank whose
writings have disgusted even his own
few friends, on the latter issue has the
following:
The Democratic organs make great
parade of one colored man appointed to a
Federal office by President Cleveland, but
say nothing about the sixty or seventy col
ored men removed from office since March 1 ,
1885.
This is but a repetition OF the cry which
resounded through the land when Fred
Douglass was removed, and another col
ored man named in his stead, and even
the republican Senate refused to confirm
the new appointee, because Douglass was
apowerfnl factor among colored men and
was Il rabd Republican. In the cases
OF the soldiers removed, they were all
Tor offensive partsanship, or to make
room for other soldiers who had equally
good records, but enhanced them by re-
naming true to the old political faith OF
their fathers, and thereby giving the lie
direct to the false preschings OF Republi-
can stump orators. The soldier OF the Re-
bellion should never cut figure in polt-
ical matters, as soldier, yet the Re-
publican party, during the campaign
OF 1884 entered the posts OF the G. A. h.
through some means, and in Chicago
gave birth to two distinct sides, mar
shalling all who favored Blaine and Logan
in one phalanx and calling them the
Union Veteran Association, all members
OF which sported badge with Blaine
emblems, and outshouted all others in
their cries for Blaine and Logan. This
organization spread all over the land, and
the men who joined it threw away any
special rights they had as soldiers to the
conntry's gratitude, and placed them
selves on a par with common politicians
OF the ward order. willing to sink
or swim by their candidates This
move was an outrage on the
G. A. r., aud became 10 strong
that Democrats we're forced in self-de-
tense to combat 1t, and an order went
forth for soldiers OF the war who believed
in the tenets OF the party to assemble
and form an opposition wing. They
came in thousands from all ends OF the
land, and formed, adopting badge, and
called themselves the National Vet
sran Association. AS two wrongs
do not make a right, these men
also forfeited any special rights they had
for the country's gratitude, and took
their chances in the political battle just
as they often did in real war, expecting
to shout gladly at success, and meet de-
feat a. becomes soldiers. They were
successful, and can any reasonable man
ind fault with them that they now
look for reward in offices, from
the party they supported? Have not
Democrats who were good soldiers, equal
rights with Republicans who were good
soldiers? On the same principle, have
not colored men who are staunch Demo-
Gratis, equal rights with colored Republi-
cansP II the ear-tiring howlers who
prate 30 glibly about removing poor
soldiers would only place the foregoing
argument before their outraged con-
stituents, how fiat and stale and untruth-
iul would their mouthings appear? Z?
When the soldier OF the late war enters
into the political arena he forfeits any
special claims he has, and must take his
chances just as other good citizens do, nor
use the services he has given to boost him
into office, and this especially applies to
members of the G. A. X. who are in
honor bound to eschew the subject, even
in the remotest connection with Post mat
ters. Soldiers who are Democrats, all
other things being equal, should and will
have precedence over those who are not
in accord with the Administration, and
the same is true also of colored men.
s