Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-11-26
THE SOLDIERS HOME.
During the absence of the editor ,


the office entitled "The Mis.manage-
ment of Soldiers Homes-an October
Offering for Thanksgiving" On the
inside of the cover page we're written
these words: 80 the STAR of the Home
City from the Crank of the Gate City
Hop to Stanley, and Keep Hopping"
The author is none other than Albert
G. Hopkins, formerly IL member of the
Soldiers Home of this city. In "a COM
munication to the STAR MIR. Hopkins
says, among other things, that "the
STAR is probably able to see that it is
likely to be practically forced into TAX
Ing part i'll this action, and should be
able to choose the right side of it. 1T
is offered IN unusually favorable OPP
p%ortunity of doing good service here.
and of earning and receiving good
credit for it,"
The Canton News also y s.If the
Hot Springs papers are. and it seemsas
ii they should be, in Il position to give
the public the facts, they ought to
do it."
Now the STAR, as one of the ncwspa-
pers of Hot Springs, isn't so certain
that it will be able to give the public
the facts" for u contemporary has
plunged into the question aud has al
ready tloundered around upon both
sides. MIR. Hopkins gave IAN Editor
ial View" from the Herald in his pam
phlet, which harshly opposed the meth
DDS of Commandment Linn, and that pa
per has said many things against the
management, and encouraged the oppo-
sition by publishing their woes, but
now that the Hopkins "mismanage-
ment" pamphlet is out the Herald gigs
back and declares that 'men blindly
follow the dictates of passion and pre-
judice, and actuated by such feelings
will do and say many things that more
careful study and cool reflection will
decide to be unreasonable" And again
further on in the article the Herald
declares that
"The course he (Commandant LINN
pursued seemed for Il time quite arhi.
trary and perhaps despotic, but the
wisdom of Colonel Linn's course is
now very apparent. The most preju-
diced must finally concede the excel
lence of his management. His corps
OF officers are as good ascan be selected
and the Home is without doubt the
best conducted Home in the entire
country. The time is not far distant
when all the disatfected will return like
the prodigal of old. and with their pre-
judice gone they will he made welcome
as members of one family"
So there you have both sides from
the same source, which certainly should
be ample evidence of the exact condi-
ton.
The STAR has p%ersistently refused to
meddle with the conduct of the Home,
or to pay any attention to the COM
plants that have been made, because
we know how easy it always is to find
fault, and how there are always those
who prefer to kick rather than praise.
Until it was distinctly clear that seri-
Gus wrongs were being perpetrated by
the management we concluded it was
for the best interests of the Homeland
certainly the duty of the people of Hot
Springs to keep their fingers out of
the pie. We think so yet, and we pro-
pose to follow that course just as
closely as practicable. But the publ
cation of this pamphlet, perhaps. calls
for a little attention from "the STAR of
the Home city"
This paper never pretended to know
how the Home should be run. The
board of commissioners, composed of
veterans. is chosen for the purpose of
looking after that, and they, doubtless,
make it a study, and they are clothed
with all the authority as to the Home
management, naming the commandant
and establishing the rules. Unless
there are very grave charges of abuse
of members we believe the less the
public NEEDLES with the affairs the bet
ter it will be for the Home, and even in
that event the veterans who make their
home at that institution are intelligent
enough and bold enough, and are of
sufficient numbers to resent any mis-
management in Il manner that would
quickly ecure a hearing from the CON-
m%issioners, as we'll as from the people
at large. But thus far the complaints
have been confined to so few-in fact
but two discharged members have pre-
tended to make charges that it seems
to us almost purile to pay attention to
them. And in fact the G. A. r. of the
state, the w. r. G. of the state, the
governor, the Deadwood Post and the
press of the state, have evidently
viewed the matter i'll the same light.
All these were addressed by the ag-
grieved. but no attention paid to them.
That of itself is something of an argu-
ment against MIR. Hopkins. The charges
>,lr To-, NJ. TI1.1.,. Al.k " --