Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-06-14
srAY.AT.HOMg PEssIxIsrs.

After having been robbed by their
qusrtermssters, stripped by their suit
tiers, paid s1sa month In deprecated
paper currency, losing nearly every
chance of health and success 10 life, IL
is q little hard for the old soldiers Of the
Grand Army 10 be aspersed by the pus.
Unanimous stsy-at-home pessimists OF
journalism.
TbePortlandO OregonIan seeks to create
the impression that IL has been misun-
derstood IN It's recent sarcastic editorial,
Ia which It referred to surviving veter-
ans of the union armies as Romantic
fools.n Unfortunately the entire presf
Of the country has not succeeded In mis-
understanding the Oregonian. The
old soldiers haye not misunderstood the
Oregonian at any time. They have
never particularly ''resoluted" against
It, but have steadily counted 1t against
them.
But at last the Oregonian has found
q newspaper to accept its apology, and
to understand that its sneeriDg para
graphs was "veiled irony" One news
paper has been discovered to come to
It's rescue and 1t bewails the stupid
wooden. headed literalness or the press
in not knowing irony and sarcasm
when they see 1t. or course, people
who will not wade knee deep through
irony and sarcasm about matters as sa-
cred as religion and patriotism are fools
any way you take them. j 'la .F
or course, there may be still more
stupid people who consider such sub
jects entirely improper for jest, irony or
SARCASM. None but wooden headed
ninny can fail to appreciate the plsyfu
mood of Harvey Scott, when he refers
to Grand Aarmy men as romantic fools
whose achievements might as well be
dropped from public memory. Only
such displays of humor and satire are
appropriate, you know, when em.
ployed to ridicule the sentiment Of pa
triotism that saved our country.
But the endorsement Of the one pa
per that the Oregonian has received is
spurious at best. 1t is from the Spok
ane Review, a branch institution Of the
Oregonian The branch endorses the
sentiments Of the vine. But the en-
dorsement was probably dictated by
the Oregonian. The Portland Tele
gram. which many people believe is a
branch Of the Oregonian, but which IL
still a very independent paper, has
alone Of all Portland papers resented
the insult. 1t deserves credit for Its 10y
al and manly sentiments; Copying the
Oregonisn article 1t says;
"A superficial observer might sup.
pose from the character Of our selfish
legislation and the autocratic methods
adopted In the administration of the
government In recent times that, t,the
spirit Of patriotism had fed. But a
mingling with the people will dissipate
that idea. The patriotic sentiment IL
as strong among the masses today AZ II
was In '6l-'65, when million men
offered their lives on the altar OF coun.
try. Then there was no patriotism
with capital which took advantage of
the necessities Of the government to
drive q hard bargain and demand q
gold interest for the use of Its money
when the soldiers were being paid in
paper currency. There 10 no patriot
ism In capital today, and the usurers
who are still driving hard bargains
with the government look upon man
who will offer TO die for country rs
sort of romantic fool. But deep down
In the hearts Of the American people
fires Of patriotism are still burning aud
will burst forth into y flame one Of
these DAYS that will consume the Shy
locks who are preying upon the vitals
IF our N natlansI indnat riaa 10