The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-03-03
28E2alg Jat&lhgeatsr.
OFFlGIAL CITY hND Cuusry pAptR.
CLEVELAND AND The SOLDIERS.
From the New York tar.

Ii''ul the .NtN 10TH quar-.
= persistent attempt tas been made
nv President C~luyc.aud's enemies to
place hun at OdGr with the great soldier
CONSTITUENCY scattered through the land.
No misrepresentation has been too
malignant, 10 argument TOO ihliaciuuS,
no Juggling with the facts at issue too
tricky, 20 attain this md. The partisan
organs hostile TO the administration
have harprd without ccasiug on demo
cratic hatred to the soldier interest.
The ''bloUdy SHIRT" is nailed to the
mast, and every attempt made to idcu-
iity the party with hatred to Justice,
Tree institutions and the results of the
war. For the last six months, i'll pre-
paration tor The coming presidential
campaign, MIR. ClevGiand's action on
the pension bills has been insidiously
ussailed by all the republican news
papers nf the country. Every discharge
Ut an old soldier from office, whatever
might he the cause, has been magnitied
into - gross betrayal of civil service re-
form aS well as of y decent sense of
obligation to the surviving defenders
ut the nation.
This plan of canYa assumes either
that Il eX-suldiers are children MOI
out ut leading strings or that they are
fanatics IN virtue of once having car
rird IA musket. This il an insult TO the
Intelligence und g%allanIry OF the great
masses which rushed like an avalanche
from the iarmg and the workshops TO
the defense of the llag. II the war
educated the passion and enthusiasm oil
the nation, peace has since educated its
sense Of justice and fair play and per-
ceptiOus OF equity. Ii is too late now
to stigmatiEe q conscientious guard
oYer iGe treasury us an aversion TO DO
justice Ia the veterans who fought. The
Time has passed " hen AN occasional
discharge OF II soldier from office, when
made for cause, can be construed into
~ survival Of "Cuppcrhcadism. h
thinking veterans throughout the land,
who do no. look on Uncle Sans money
box as II grab bag, and on his crib as Ii
universal feeding trough, whore those
TOO lazy 20 work for themselves can get
"a living ARE increasing IN Number every
day.
la Ibis connection the report OF the
executive committee OF the Veterans
Rights Union, made To the annual de
partmeut sncaInpmeni of the grand
army at Syracuse this last week, i full
81 SlEnlnCdliCt NOllic account Ol u
may be- found in another column,
though the full report has not vet been
given To the world. This report fully
iudorse5 the Cleveland administration.
IL afirms tia sympathy with the gener-
al methods and policy OF the president
sO far 10 the soldiers ARE concerned. II
shows the same ideal devotion to civlc
duty that the soldiers did to patriotism
when they rushed To face southern bull
leta and bayOuets.
Mr.. Cleveland doe. not need this in
doraemcnt. fl is, nevertheless, highly
gratifying that the men whom his enc.
mics have looked on rs their easiest re-.
,ruit6 should rally To his cOlors. No
president has eyer been more Vindic
lively assaulted none has ever stood ny
mVre unsCatHed under the mercilcsa
frs Of his c]ritics. We look To see The
action OF the New York veterans suS-
tdiued By the official expression OF their
brethren Of other states. II will moi be
the Is spidier6, W6 think, who Will IN
iact venom into the personal a~csrbities
Of tho coming canvass. IN Which MI.
Cleveland is almost sure To be the dem
ocTauc standard bearer.