The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-10-18
A Veteran Speaks His Mind.

EDITOR REPUBLICAN:-Our coun try
is now being confronted by a condition
ofthings in the Pension Department of
this great government without precedent
in its history.
The union soldiers are at great disad-
vantage in attempting TO defend them
selves against the TRADE of southern
symathizers of to-day. More than a
quarter century has passed away since
the last armed foe to our Old Glory was
compelled to lay down his weapons OF
war. Many of our old comrades who
passed through that useless and bloody
conflict have passed away. Many of the
noble and patriotic men of the north,
though not identified directly with the
army, who wept with those that did
weep, who with open arms and grateful
hearts welcomed us back to our homes
and antilles, have, like our own
comrades, passed away, and as we to-day
look back over the past, how sad we feel
at the memory of their grateful acts
backed by grateful patriotic hearts. But
the table is turned against the "Boys in
Blue" in this year of our Lord, 1898.
Almost everything possible to do is be-
ing done to place us before the people as
a set of useless vagrants and Government
sappers. These fancy names which are
being applied to us to-day are very fa-
miliar to us; how often the same were
flung at us across the picket line by the
most ignorant of our estranged brethren
DF la p,,E 4
for an instant thought that after aquarter
of a century would pass away, our chill
dren and grandchildren would read the
same degrading slang from so many of
our northern presses. One thing we do
honor the south for to-day: In all the past
years not one item has appeared in a
southern paper that could in any possible
way be construed as rejecting upon the
character of the confederate soldier.
Would it not be we'll for many of our
northern journals to proftably consider
this fact?
We believe that the time has now come
that the old soldier should stand by the
flag as of yore, and defend himself and
the position he occupies.
The Pension Bureau has now become
house of wholesale slaughter of Union
Soldiers their character and good names
are being besmirchod under preteuse of
law by Georgia's son Hoke Smith. That
gentleman appears TO be determined to
make the Union soldier feel anew the
weight of southern hand. Just why
Hoke Smith was put at the head of the
Pension Bureau is problem easily
solved, and we scarcely need add that it
is truly humilating to us to now be COM
PEELED to have our destiny and inst rights
administered by a man, who, having
been tutored under southern impulses
and ideas of State Rights and Southern
schooling, while there are thousands of
Patriotic men of tried union sentiments
and who would have at least reflected
some credit upon the administration, left
at home.
The action of Hoke Smith suspending
pensions without hearing upon the part
of the defendent is without parallel in
our land, without shadow of law, andin
direct violation OF the Constitution,
which guarantees to its citizens the right
of life, liberty and property. A mans
pension is his property in the true sense;
it is not gift or donation from the gov
ernment, as some advocate, but it is
property duly earned by labor done;
those who think or try TO teach the pub
lie mind to the contrary will ere long
have the definition as rendered by the
SuDreme Court of the II 4 Tha Hon
Hoke Smith has no legal right TO brand
pensioner before the world as a fraud,
giving him sixty days in which he is TO
show up TO the gentleman from Georgia
that lac is not fraud. Such course is