Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-09-14
An Open Letter.

the defects OF the former managers OF
the S. ID. Soldiers Home and point
with seeming pride to the present
Commandant as model who has no
superior and few equals of any Sol
diers' Home in the United States. The
fact of the matter is, as far as the
management of the Home goes, it is
no better nor worse than under former
managements. Nor will it be any
better under those who are to follow
until the Home management is taken
out of politics, for it is we'll known
that in every public institution, S. d.
Soldiers Home not excepted, that it
is the man who seeks the Office and
not the Office that seeks the man.
And the one who has the strongest
pull gets there and accepts the office
for what there is in it, and makes up
his mind to have good time while the
job lasts and to snake hay" while the
sun shines and there is not a member
in the Home but that knows it, and
do not care how much hay they make
or take, so long as they divide some
what fairly with the members and all
that is asked of them when they go
out of office, to not take the Home
with them, SO that the next fellow who
comes in may also makesome "fodder."
And the ridiculous and non-sensical
talk which one hears every day in the
home about the scare and anxiety of
mind" and the "loss of rest"-"laying
awake nights thinking and planning
the comfort of the dear old boys' goes
in one ear and out the other, for talk
is cheap and actions speak louder
than words. The very fact that the
managers of a home during the time
of year when the Home is crowded,
when there are from sixteen to eight
cen sleeping in room, which, during
the winter months are poorly venti-
lated and the Comandant and his wife
and child occupying at least five rooms
and public parlor. They sshould
know enough to keep still for the
"Dear old boys get so sick and tired
and disgusted in seeing and hearing
SO much hypocrisy. Where the diff
ference lies is not the management
but in the managers The former
managers of the Home we're in touch
and sympathy with the old soldiers
and their families The present man.
ayers are not an1 never we're. 1t was
"Mother.' Lucas who justly deserves
to be called the Mother of the Home,
who although dead, still lives in the
hearts left behind who love and cher
ish her memory for her many deeds
of kindness and words of sympathy
and encouragement to the veterans of
weave garland of flowers to place on
, the casket of a departed comrade, her
tribute of respect to his memory. And
was in the front seat of the Chapel
not in the back seat in the parlor
during the Memorial Services of the
: dead, realizing what might have been
his faults and mistakes, there was
: one mistake he did not make, he had
given his services and risked his life
1 that the nation might live. No ianitor
of the home chapel would have dared
to forbid comrade decorating on the
the occasion of funeral, under form.
er managers. 1t was never known O
i, Comrades Lucas or Magrew to be ou
on the Home grounds, planting tree
6 or laying stone side walk during funer
e al services at the Home, and the,
never considered it beneath thei
n dignity to march in ranks with thei
comrades to the cemetery and TAX
part in the Post services at the grave
4 The G. n. r.. knows no politics. Al
% that has been asked of our Governo
Il of South Dakota is to appoint a CON
a mandant of the Soldiers Home of hi
=. own political faith who would be il
II tonch and sympathy with his comrades
5 Since having ignored this request, b
~ too will be ignored at the ballot bo,
- - The old soldiers will see that after tn,
n first of next January Andrew LIE
~ will be retired to private life, whic
h will be the beginning of the end {
~ populist rule in S. ID. Soldiers Hon
-. for while it is true there are few oil
nc soldiers in the Home who will 81
courage the antics by telling thel
n they are, their way of thinking an
W will vote accordingly, the write
10 knows with out being told they wi
~, do no such thing, thanks to til
~, secret ballot that tells no tales out
school, but tells when counted ths
the old soldier has been true to hi
self, true to his comrades living, trr
or to the memory of the dead, true
ne the principles that he and they fougl
bc for. has "voted as he shot, and will d
of SO every time the occasion requires.