Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-05-20
VAN DE VOORT'S YALEDJC7DRy

We herewith publish the letter of
Paul Van De WORT, the G.. A. R. vet
eran, and one of the foremost men of
his state, as it appeared in the Lincoln
(Neb.) World Herald, of March 9th,
To the Editor of the World-Herld:
After many days and nights of thought, of
the most careful elaboration, looking over all
the past and peering into the future, 1 have
determined to close my career in the ranks of
the republican party and cast my vote with
the independents l do this with intense pain
for the hardest thing in life for me to do is to
turn my back upon those with whom I have
labored and toiled ever since my early man
hood. am impellpd to do this for reasons
which are to me vital and with no desire OF
gain and no selfish purpose. Before doing SO
have resigned my government position and
stand free and untrammeled, with no obliga-
ton to party or friends l have not repaid a
thousand times. cast my first vote for Aba
ham Lincoln in the prison pen at Milan, Ga.
have Logged the party and toiled for it's well
fare in sunlight aud in gloom. ! have risked
my life and been mobbed and stoned in the
dark and benghted quinine and fever-strick.
en- districts of southern Indiana. Have always
been in the ranks marching, fighting veter-
grand leaders of the party, including that peer.
less statesman, honest man and matchIess ora
tor, Roscoe COpkling, and the Bayard and
Murat of American politics, and the real
plumed knight, John A. Logan, and last nv
loved uncle, the greatest judge of the age.
Justice Miller, and have seen them all die and
cross the river and join the New Jerusalem of
patriots and heroes on the golden streets in the
IN and och cd onloo Lott I
more on tradition and golden memories are
dust. said In 1888 that if the republican par
ty did not redeem its promises to the soldiers
and pass law that would insure to every man
a free, wh1o-winged ballot, that it was the last
campaign L would ever make for its candi-
dates. declared that In six different states,
in ali the great cities, and stand by that dec
laration.
F had all the pledges, even the party stand
ard bearers. and went out and told my COM
rades that the era of glory was dawning; and
that a president was carrying the flag who
would not weigh the promises in an apothe-
carys scale, yet saw Corporal Tanner, who
spent two months in Indiana and saved the
state stricken down by the hand of the mag
mates of Wall street, simply for doing what we
all pledged. saw the Golden Club, through
the Journals purchased with alien gold cruel
y men wh9se legs were buried on the field
OIL Bull Run, and drive out hero without
crust and leave my comrades in the window
less nuts OF the poor, behind the bars of aims
houses, and widows with gray hairs and starry
ing children crying for bread saw a party
porn amid peril IN the nations hour of agony
ana bapt1sed with the red blood of heroes who
Perished for liberty, go back on the words of
abraham Lincoln, who said. 1--WE will care for
him who bore the burden OF battle, his widow
and orphan am going to leave a party
which IN this state represents a streak of rust
e1udlng from the iron bands of 5000 miles of
railway, and has for its foundation the rotten
ravenous, robbing, matchmaking band of cor
morants and yultures of the penitentiary ring. |
am not going to join the democratic party. |
because there is nothing left of IL bur a rom
ii1scence, a governor from Kilkenny ana the
f.oting, reeking saloon, with their blear-eved |
red-nosed band OF bowling deryishes. / am
going to join party where pious frauds IKE /
John Wanamaker cannot buy a cabinet Office /
with the largest contribution to the campaign /
fund; party of men who will not punish their
friends and reward their enemies, who advo- /
cate every measure L have battIeu for, for