Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-06-07
HARVEY scorr ON PENSIONS.



forgotten IL, aud care little OF nothing
for those who fought II through. The
time has been reached when those who
would be glad 10 stop all pensions er.
csed the number OF those who are yet
governed by any sentimental nonsense
about "wbat In due to the old soldiers"
The admi inistration would gain Infinite
Iy more by cutting down the pension
rolls two. thirds or tbree-qusrters than
Il would lose In the estimation Of the
people at large, an immense majority
" whom have forgotten the days VI '6l
IS, or consider any mention of them n
bore, or perhaps an act unworthy OF
patriot and gentleman, Ono thing is
certain: the spirit Of the county has %
changed that no war like that would
be fought through now. The man who
died for his country, or offered TO die
for IL, Is thought Of now as sort OF
romantic fool.
[Orsgonian, June61
The Oregonian learns, quite to its as
tonishmeet, that y sarcastic paragraph
ia It's columns about the indifference Of
the present generation TO the heroic
period OF our history, from '61 to '85,
and to the old soldier as q relic Of II,
has been taken In some quarters TO be
merely literal and stupidly earnest. In
a case like this, apology becomes ex-
ceedingly difficult.
Apology Is difficult. Readers Of the
above two paragraphs from OregoD's
leading daily newspaper will hardly
know whether to smile or swear. If
the first is TO be taken as sarcasm the
latter fs hardly serious enough to be ac-
cepted as an apology, tho for the sake
Of the Oregonian We trust 1t may be.
1t will be recalled that for levity Of
lesser offensive character than the
above papers like the Chicago Times,
Keokuk Constitution, Dubuque Herald
and others OF the union soldier hating
class In time Of war, or In the days OF
1861 IS bad their offices mobbed and
their types and machinery thrown into
the river. For applauding too vocifer-
ously the offensive language Ia Cleve-
lands pension vetoes the Chicago Times
a few years ago was driven out Of cir
culation In Iowa and virtually out Of
existence, until recently revived again
by Carter Harrison. The apology OF
the Oregonisn is timely. 1t came none
to soon. We can understand what an
imates the soul Of the man who for po-
litical ends cries down the recipients Of
pensions. II he ever had soul It Is
long since buried under the unscrupu-
lana In Ananaa.. Of Aasnannnv
We can grasp the spirit that animates
man who fought on the other side
and opposes pensioning the victorious
armies out of the treasury Of common
country.
We can even arrive at the frame of
mind Of the man who opposes pensions
as he would oppose any other large
drain upon the treasury, for purely
economic reasons.
Each OF these lines Of reasoning il
sufficient unto itself aud II honestly en-.
tertained, whether mercenary, or pa.
trIotic, is entitled to respect as the opin.
i'm Of any individual is entitled to re.
spect, but no farther.
But who can fathom the miserable
littleness Of soul or the infinitesmal
smallness OF mind that opposes pen.
sions for disabled Union soldiers or
their widows on the ground because he
imagines IAN immense majority have
forgotten the days Of '6i-65, or consider
any mention Of them bore or perhaps
an act unworthy ofa patriot and gen
tleman."
No one with q drop Of American
blood In his veins, looking through q
magnifying glass that would enlarge a
louise to million times the diameter OF
the sun, could ever discover the soul OF
being capable Of writing such a
thought. His soul Is displaced by a
foul malignant emanation Of nothing
ness. IL would be unfair TO attribute
such thought to the instigation Of the
devil. The devil, II the reader will ex.
cuse the idea, would jump out of hell
and hide himself II he thought he were
the father Of such thought AS that
quoted.
II will DO news to learn, even Ia the
language Of veiled sarcasm, that q ma
joriiy Of people have forgotten the days
Of 'ei-65. or that they consider any
mention OF them bore; or that Il 10 an
act unworthy patriot to refer 10 them;
or that tit is ungentlemanly to speak Of
the war. These would be novel ideas
even TO those who fought ON the other
side. IL must be remembered that all
this Is said In opposition to the pension-
Ing OF Union soldiers and their widows
and depeudenls II is said Ia adul-
tion OF Cleveland for his pension
hating pToclivities. II is said to
psnder TO y thoughtiess political mob
composed II unamsrican elenaents
aud place seekers aud hesrtless shy
locks thriving Ia peace In . country
which Was saved that their unapprs-
ciatvs carcasses might fsttep Ia the