Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-11-02
SOLDIERS PAPER
Tells the Veterans Their Duty
at the Pol s.
OoM'R EVANS Is NOT AN ISSUE


The National Tribune OF Washing
ton, which has been bitterly fighting
Pension ComL.A.-.Jnc.' Evans for the
last three J 2"e. hts in it's last issue
an editorial article on the duty of the
veterans, which Is as follows:
The question of how they shall vote
at the coming election is now urgently
before the veterans and their relatives
and friends for decision.
The present administration seeks in
dorsement and continuance in power
for four years more. A vote for it will
be interpreted and should be interpre-
ted, as an approval of its course since
March 4, 1897, and desire for the con-
tinuance Of the conditions which now
obtain. That is, 1t will be an approval
of the war with Spain, and of the set
tlement made with that country at the
conclusion OF hostilities; of the reten
tion of Hawaii Porto Rico and th'
Philippines; of firm and vigilant poll
cy with regard to our great interests in
the far east; of a strong and consistent
foreign policy; of the maintenance of
the gold standard, and wise finacial
course; of feeling of confidence and
security in the business world; of a ju-
dicious protection to American manu-
factures, agriculture and wage-earners,
and other features of administrative
policy which have been 50 instrument
tai in building up the country to it's
present prosperity and greatness.
These are all things which the mass
of the veterans have deeply at heart
The dearest thing in the world to
them is the well being and progress
of the county, for which they have
sacrificed so much and for which they
have always stood ready to sacrifice
much more In all the great features
of its policy The present administration
has been eminently satisfactory to the
veterans, and has received their hearty
approval. They have been deeply dis
appointed and hurt by the conduct Of
the pension ou"ceu, and the course Of
the commissioner, who has indrs-
triously advertised anu exploited him
self at their expense and the expense
of their reputation. But exasperating
and hmtful as he has been, is and will
probably continue TO be as long as he
is in C-lice, he is, after all, but a
subordinate feature, and should be
temporarily forgotten in the face of
the great issues which the campaign
has developed. At the very worst, we
can endure him far better than we
can endure the manifold and serious
evils which the success of Organism
would bring upon the country. What
influence realms Mr.. Evans in his
present position against the expressed
wishes of the great body of veterans,
against the protests of hundreds of
congressman and other public men,
against his repudiation by the Repub-
lican party in Tennessee, by the Re-
publican national convention, and by
the Republican national committee we
are unable to say definitely Suffice it
to say that ne is only hanging on the
verge of public life, and liable to drop
at any minute. After ALL he is only
a fly in the otherwise savory ointment,
and may be readily eliminated.
Now, we are firmly convinced that
were Evans 10 times worse than he is,
the national issues before us are of
such overwhelming Importance that it
would be still the duty of the veter-
ans to vote for the reelection of Pres
ident Mckinley. No matter how cruel
ly and unjustly Evans has treated us,
no matter how exasperating his peren-
nial "smartness," and Juggling have
been, we cannot be parties to throwing
the country back into the conditions
from which it escaped four years ago;
ing down the flag in Porto Rico, Ha-
waii and the Philippines; we cannot
vote to dishonor the men who died
for our flag in the islands of the sea;
we cannot become coparceners in any
OF the vagaries and destructive soph-
isms with which Mr.. Bryan threatens
the country. Mr.. Bryan is diametri
cally opposed to substantially all-and
the vital part of all-that we have
thought, meditated, planned and done
for the advancement and salvation Of
the country, since we first enlisted in
its service, more than third of CEN
tury ago. He has gathered under his
banner all whom we have been fight
ing in the field and at home during all
these years. His is the camp of our
enemies, and of the enemies to every.
thing that we have held to be vital to
the nations best interests and great"
ness. His success would be the sue
cess of men and ideas whom and which
we have always bitterly opposed, and
whose success would be a national
calamity.
We must not pull down the fair tenn
pie, which we have done to much to
erect, because some janitor or other
is offensive to us. Let us
stay in the edfice, which is as much
ours as any ones, and scourge the Of
tenders out.
Therefore we earnestly counsel ebery
veteran and every Veterans SON and