Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1899-07-14
THE VOLUNTEERS.

AASA~AAAAv~ AASASAOSs i
After having succeeded by trickery
in inducing the volunteers to choose
San Francisco as the mastering out
place the administration now purposes
indulging in further trickery to satisfy
the demand of the friends of the
volunteers. The dispatches annouce
that the administration has agreed with
the Pennsylvania people who are like
all friends of the volunteers, anxious
to have them returned home in a body,
to coax the Pennsylvania volunteers
into special train after they have
been mustered out and to pay them on
the train after it has started out of San
Francisco and thus to have the regi-
meut at least started home in body.
Such a course would be piece of petty
t1ickery that will surely be resented by
the high spirited volunteers. The ad-
aninistration treatment of the volun-
teers and their friends has been shame
full all along. Members of the cabinet
now admit that it was the duty of the
government 70 send the volunteer regi-
ments home on ratification of the treaty
OF peace, but various excuses were in
vented for not doing 80. It was equal
ly the duty Of the government to
send the volunteer regiments all the
way home and not part way, but the
administration sent word to the boys
that if they insisted on coming to their
own states to be musteted out it would
cost them hundred apiece, in other
words, that they would be virtually
fined for insisting on their rights. Of
course they chose to not come all the
way home in a body. There was moth
ing else to do. That was plainly the
desire of the administration. To do
otherwise would have been costly to
the boys and they might have been sub.
jected to other annoyances
There was no excuse for tricking the
into choosing not to come
noHe in body. If the administration
aad desired to give the boys the larg-
'st possible sum of money on muster
ng oelt it should have notified them
hat Manila is the best place to be paid |
If. 1t would have been just as proper !
IS to have fixed the camp at San Fran
isco. The administration had no diff
culty arranging that volunteers who
you'd consent to remain in the service
hould receive travel and ration pay
, the amount of about $500 each. We
ave pointed out before that if the
has discretionary power
Efficient to do that it has power to
md the volunteers to their homes
nd muster them out in their own
ates and not fine them for refusing to
3 dispersed in San Francisco. In.
cad OF sending word by cable to the
'ys that it would be worth $1OO less
each one to be mustered out at
'me the war department ought to
I'VE sent word that arrangements
ould be made so that the regiments
light be mustered out at home with
It expense to the boys. The admins
alton sought to have the muster out
San Francisco professedly that the
VS. might receive more money. If it
80 generous with the peoples cash it
uld have provided for paying the
rs without subjecting them to the
initiation Of being mustered out in
Itant city.
The Press is now and has been all
ing in favor of bringing the South
kota volunteers home in body and
wing them mustered out in their
me state. The war department has
ted that they will be given a chance
San, Francisco to vote again wheath-