The Monte Vista journal., 1898-06-04

day morning on "The Memory Of the
Soldier" He said:
l generally find what need In Rus
Kin. He says, "A nations real strength
and happiness do not depend ON prop
critics and territories, nor on machin-
cry for their defense, but on getting
such territory as they have well filled
with none hut respectable people Not
put that In the present stnte Of things,
1t may often te soldiers duty to
seize territory and hold 1t strongly, but
only from banditti or savage and idle
persons" The war against Spain is a
war against Mr.. Ruskin's banditti, av-
age and idle persons, burners OF hospi-
tails, murdererS OF women. l feel one
way and l think another. In my small
way am like Mr. Ruskin, generally he
hates war. On occasion he approves 1t.
There are some disgusting things about
this war. There are lot Of people
plotting how to make money out Of 1t.
Some wise man remarks that the cable
ought to be cut between Washington
and New York
One Fourth of July in GunnisOn l
saw sack race. The racing men got
their legs into bags, and, thus hob
bled. mnde Tor the home stretch. One
could step about nn inch and a half.
The more haste the less speed. There
Is something in this war that tnngles
the legs of the powers that he. There
Is n sack used In bank to carry coin
in. l have seen 1t. but never handled
Il. There is much In any war. even u
just one, that Is vulgar and vile.
! was home on leave In February.
1SiJ. and the first man | met, pursy
mau, with much gold chain on him,
ask .d me when l was goin. back. He
wns In the mule business.
He would take little mule and shoe
him with shoes with thrcc-incli calks
He would bring mule up To the gov
errrlcnt standard. | have rode army
horses that would disgrace a garbage
wagon.
1t will not do to think too long OH the
vulgar side of war. There l. heroism
and there is mcanncss. Both come 10
the front. Mr.. Dewey and Mr.. Hanna
are In plain sight. know how the
young men feel who are leaving us. l
know how they will feel. ! marched
one day behind Il :. lditr Of the Twenty
second Michigan. 1t was day OF rain
and slect and slush. He was on the
thickest knnpsack I ever saw. He had
II Housewife" In 1t. Maybe you do not
know what n housewife" Is: II Is II
thing that rolls up. and has In II pins.
needles. lint. beeswax. photographs.
plasters and ready relief. have not
been divorced from my housewife
now going on thirty.six years. 1t took
up much room. but stayed with 1t.
The knapsack Of 1861 was wicked
The shoulder straps were narrow and
cut and bcnumbod. carried one only
seven miles. l lost my interest in 1t
and had a pack-knlfc. The Michigan
soldier ahead Of me had kept his. He
never turned his head all day. He
kept on saying: Left. left, left Il good
home" II was worsc than the note OF
II dove when you have shot her mate.
l stood until toward evening, and.
among other things. said: shut up
and he shut. l was about ready TO
jam bayone; into him.
There IL Il shady side to war, and n
noble side. All that is hest In a man
comes out. All that Is wors; comes out.
! knew II man who had five sous. He
was Judge Of the Supreme Court Of a
state. Four enlisted. The youngest,
fifteen years old. he sent TO Ann Arbor
TO study. He did not go to Ann Arbor.
He knew Custer. nnd In some way he
got In as an orderly Of ns reckless a
man as ever lived. He did not write
home from Ann Arlor. nor from any.
, where. The first thing his father knew
Of him he came In the gate on crutches.
He got peppcrcd the first inning and
Custer sent him home. He was good
for nothing before the war-he has
been good for OmclhIng ever since.
The war mars men and II makes men.
1t hurts and helps. Abstrac,iy I hate
war. These Spanish soldiers are most
ly boys. They 10 not know what they
nrc fighting for. They are food for
powder. They ARE ignorant and brave.
They did not show nny yellow streak
when u Democrat from Vermont sunk
their ships.
a Democrat from Vermont mus: be a
man. ! do not suppose that n Demo.
crnt WINS ever elected In Vermont or In.
vitcd TO a church social. We had one
In our town and he was heroic enough
TO run for the office Of sclcctmnn. lie
went over nnd got the keeper OF the
village tavern to work for him. When
the ballots were counted he had three
votes.
te Weut ONtT uuu uhktu inc InnuIDftl
to explain. Well. he said: "You voted
for yourself. nnd I voted for you. hut
I swnn don't know who Gus, the other
one"
There IL something nbout the soldier
thnt interests. II IN well 10 know that
the hest soldiers have been ChrIstinns.
not necessarily members Of the cccles.
lnsticnl machine who inquire when n
man Joins the church what he In
worth. but Christians. I mean lovers
Of Jesus Christ. II you can hear the
story of John Brown. or 2toncwnli
jackson. or lInvrlock. or Gordon or
the centurion without crying you have
been drinking too much Of the niknli
water furnished by the nine. m iiiion.
dollar plant of the Denver Water
Company. When n man IL full OF nj.
knli he cannot cry.
] saw u deal steer In the water sun.
ply Of Denver. lie finvors II like the
sock Of nh old soldier. There II n
chance TO bc n soldier at home.
Ono rcnson ! dislike the war IL TINT
II divcrts the attention. 4 burglar
likes circus In town. while you nrc
gnwkIng at tho big elephant he IL cx.
ploring and exploiting the house. II II
q Hrcnt opportunity for thieves.
This wnr will not Inst long. When Il
closes then the old war is on. I shall
turn out tO.morr0w simply lsrnusc of
tue C0nfcsicrntrs under the Nag. Amer.
irnns will bc under onr nnR.
Patrick Henry. vlrgIninn. and fam
Adamu nj Mnnsnrhuux,fts nen nvnls,