Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1902-01-31

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National Home for Hot Springs.

ASd1u Guo soudto Aoo Poooou " OAAA w
establish a branch Sanitarium or
soldiers home at Hot Springs in this
state. Such bill has passed the sen.
ate before, but the house always
knocked it out. It's defeat was almost
entirely due to Congressman Cannon of
Illinois, who stood in the way of the
Hot Springs home until he secured one
for his home town, Danville, Illinois,
where there was not any need for a
national branch, because there are
large and magnificently appointed
national homes at Marion, Indiana, and
Dayton, Ohio, little over one hundred
miles from Danyille. Hot Springs,
South Dakota, is the best location for
national branch in the United States.
The climate is unsurpassed and the
medicinal qualities of the waters sur
pass any other health resort in the
country. If congress desires to make
the closing years of the old veterans
comfortable and free from the torture
of rheumatism it will speedily provide
for the erection of a national branch at
Hot Springs, where thousands could
find relief and cure, and where the
climate is tho finest in the world.
There is practically no winter at Hot
Springs, because the clear pure water
rolls along past the Evans in winter as
in summer, free from ice in the coldest
weather we ever experienced there.
The writer speaks from knowledge
of the Springs, after four years resi-
dence as commandant of the state
home. No one familiar with the stub
born nature of rheumatism could be-
lieve the wonderful rheumatic cures
effected there unless from personal
knowledge. If congress is willing to
do justice to the thousands who are
suffering daily torture, resulting from
army life, it should act promptly, be-
cause in few years the old boys will
have gone to their graves in sorrow
and in suffering. The writer, when
commandant of the home, had letters
from many veterans in state and
national homes and from many states
asking permission to enter the South
Dakota home for the purpose of getting
relief from rheumatism. Being state
home, such a favor could not be grant
ed.
Will the House, with an OVERLOOKING
treasury, continue to ignore the pitiful
appeals of the old veterans who saved
the nation, or will it in a spirit of
patriotism and in pride pass the senate
bill and provide for the immediate
erection of great branch sanitarium
where men from all homes and all
states can enter and find relief and
comfort.
The writer cannot believe that the
house of representatives will longer
refuse to grant this boon to the gallant
old veterans who are powerless to Sc
cure the relief that only congress can
give. Lost to patriotism and to justice
must be the man who would refuse
this last appeal of the remnant Of that
once powerful army Of young men
who preserved the nation and made a
great republic possible.
The South Dakota delegation in con-
gress should ask-nay demand-that as
a final act of JUSTICE to the heroic old
veterans, the nation do its full duty at
this time. All the national homes in
the country are magnificent, costing
millions of dollars, but not one of them
has cure for rheumatism, and seven
tenths of the old soldiers suffer from
this army curse. The writer could
furnish congress with enough proof in
favor of home at Hot Springs to
brush aside every objection of a
penurious statesman or Indifferent
patriot. Let congress do its plain duty
and thousands of old feeble suffering
veterans will bless the men who gave
them home and comfort in the sunset
of a glorious life, the best part of which
was given to save their country.