Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-09-08
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PEOPLES PULPIT.
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SSNO :
Defends Old Soldiers.

Editor Courier-The following
shameful editorial appears in the Au-
gust %, 1898. number Of Golfers
Weekly, entitled, Patriotism and
Pensions:
Independence, proud and even ag-
gressive, was once the American note.
The old order changes, with mingled
progress and deterioration. The sug-
gestion that every soldier who fought
for the north in the civil war should
by that mere fact be entitled to a PEN
sion reminds us unpleasantly of times
and social orders in which masses liv-
ed willingly on government charity.
An arrangement so contrary to self
reliance and self-reSpect would be
even worse than the present wide
spread pension frauds. There is some
advantage in even the pretense OF vir-
tue. The thousands who now rob the
government with fraudulent pension
claims are merely part of the CRATER
army, vast in extent but not an ac-
cepted principle of our being. To
treat all former soldiers as paupers
would have an effect more deteriorat-
ing than the present cowardly and
immoral system. The enormous sums
taken away from the whole people
to be given to fraudulent claimants
form not only an unjust burden, they
form a widespread school OF Incidence
and depravity. Deserving cases are
one insmany. and the rest is sytematic
theft. Moral is rarer than physical
courage, and Grover Cleveland's ef-
fort to stamp fraud out of the pension
bureau is unique. We know what hap
pened to Mr.. Evans under the present
administration. Courage is rare in
this department, because it has no
spectacular setting and popular ap-
plause. The principle ought to be mil
lions for justice, but not one cent for
tribute to any organization or any IN
dividual. If citizen is held up by
begger with threatening demeanor,
manhood requires that he should re-
fuse to be frightened into charity. In
telligence requires also that he should
refuse the supplicant whose disease
is feigned. What is the effect OF pa
triotism, on manhood, on independence
of never saying no to the club OF the
pension shark. Many man who is
brave when the center OF cameras and
reporters, is coward and knows it.,
when a popular abuse is to be met
! with no other allies than his own
sense of right"
That editorial, in my judgment, de-
serves and should receive the severest
condemnation of every American who
loves the republic whose foundations
are cemented with the blood of it's
people.
AS a union soldier and an Ameri-
can citizen, do not hesitate to de-
nounce it as being an infamous libel
on American soldiers, and deserving
the loathing of every true American
And also declare that Golfers Week
| ly, for promulgating such libel,
should be driven from the homes OF
America, being not only a libeler,
but polluter of true American pa
| triotism
| I blush for shame of my kind, that
man or the semblance of a man,
could be found in all America SO lack
| ing in knowledge and in truth and so
lost to decency as to be willing to
write and publish such sentiments to
| the people of the United States. But
there is at least one of that kind in
New York City.
This is not the first time, however
that Golfers Weekly has been guilty
of publishing such abhorrent senti
ments. 1t is earnestly hoped that the
patriotic editors of our country will
lash it into repentance for its unpa
triotic utterances. And | call upor
all Grand Army posts to scourge it.
Robert Kissick,
/ OSkalooSa, Iowa,