The National tribune., 1900-09-20
A RELIGIOUS PApEws TRIBUTE.

The Northwestern Christian Adrocate, of
Chicago, paper of wide circulation and
influence, had an admirable editorial on
the National Encampnent in that city,
which we wish we could reproduce in full,
but space forbids. We take one especially
strong, well-put paragraph:
mo living man can duly estimate the
greater than golden value of these yearly
gatherings, SO far as their direct moral in
tiuence upon men who may never have
discharged gun is concerned. When ma
lions hastily increase their fresh ieyies of
men for service in the field they place
about dozen old soldiers in each com
1any with the raw recruits and thus OBJ
ain the valuable benefits of that which
IS technically called 'stiffening.' During
the third Of a century SINCE the civil war
tie old soldiers of that conflict have
served as social, political, moral and other
stitfening for life at home II they have
delighted TO talk about their old cam
palgns, and often have wildly illustrated
the contest just then under discussion BIZ
use of diagram drawn in the dust with
some old cane or crutch, thousands of
boys and youth have stood in the back
ground to hear, while the real lessons Of
the glowing narrative have trickled down
INTO the souls of those who heard The
Repubilc has been and will remain all the
safer because the lessons were not lost
Contractors, party hacks, purchasabe
scamps and throngs of election hangers-on
have not sufiiced TO ruin human faith, and
the Old soldier must be reckoned as one
of the qualities of saving salt upon which
younger citizens have relied not in vain.
The veteran of the civil war is not ant to
be rich. lie invested some of the best
years during which the average citizen
educates himself as a man.. in following
the flag, in order that he might be sure
that it returned home agajn in sacred
safety. Thank God, he did so, and that
the fragment Of the century eiapspd
since those days has not awaited to LET
us forget him. The mass Of old soldiers
are paid their cheap little pensions in
winch each penny counts for more than
4 dollar morally. We wish it could SO
count also in fact, for some of the aged
men need more and more as their wears
increase: We care not if a few pensions
are paid TO n few unworthy men. Better
that many should receive that TO which
they are not entitled than that a single
old soldier who deserved well of his coun-
try should be overlooked"
This shows not only generous remem-
brance of what the veterans once did for
the country, but wise perception of their
excellent influence on the country and the
rising generation since the war. 1t shows
a perception and a depth of thought uuite
unusual in modern editorials, and it is
grateful contrast to the tone of some of
the smaller religious neutrality-suspicious.
larry the CongregationaIisf, of Boston,
which goes out of its way to sheer at VET
Grams and their services, and especially at
pensions. The CongrcgationaIist will eng.
erly seize any misrepresentation sct aeoot
ny enemies OF veterans, and refuse cor
rection of its most obvious errors.
The Northwestern Christian Advocate,s
words are timely, sensible and inst, and
the veterans everywhere will thank If for
them.