The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-07
LETTERS FROM TElEPEOPLE
Argument for Admitting Women to the
Minnesota Soldiers Home

To the Editor of the Globe:
In your issue of the Sd inst, under cap
ton "A Change for the Worse you print
an editorial in reference to q proposition
under discussion for the admission of
wives. widows and mothers of veterans Of
the Civil war into the Minnesota Soldiers
nome, OF which the following is the open
ing paragraph:
The G. A. r. committee will not, if
wise, recommend or the legislature ap-
prove the plan of establishing an institu-
ton for the care of the wives and widows
of old soldiers in this state. It is not
really desired we believe by those in
whose interest it is urged, and it would
involve g large expenditure on the part
of the state without corresponding bene-
fit to those who are to be taken care of. -
Permit me space to place the Grand
Army OF the Republic and its committee
arlght. 1t Is not proposed to establish
an institution, but only to authorize the
admission of the sorely needy and desti- e
tute soldiers wives and widows into the
~ cared for, and not sent lover the hill
to the poor house." There are in this
state many such cases-old veterans and
pension of sS or $40 per month, with
probably a pittance of state aid of 81 to
Sc a month. This state aid must be di-
vlded among SO large a number that the
annum. The veteran cannot go to the
home II he has wife, which is a SEEM
ing discrimination against the married:
e
session of the G. A. r. eneampment de-
partment of Minnesota, unanimously
adopted resolutions upon the subject and
appointed the following committee of rep
resentative citizens to Investigate and re-
port: Judge John Day Smith Minneapo-
lis; D. r. Moves, st. Paul; ex-senator L.
Minneapolis, and c.. F. Macdonald,
St. Cloud Messrs. Smith, Longfellow and
Macdonald visited the soldiers home at
Marshalltown on the 29th ult., where SOL
hnI or 11Atxrc oly1,;f
They found the plan working excellently;
they found that there We're 100 soldiers
wives and widows there, and that others
constantly seek admission. Indeed in
Iowa this home for women is regarded
with the greatest favor by the people Of
the commonwealth, who point with pride
to 1t as an evidence of the states esteem
for the Union soldier. Can Minnesota af-
ford to be less generous?
In Iowa. homes for soldiers wives and
widows are really desired" "by those in
interest, and to us they expressed their
thanks to God and the state of Iowa for
providing them homes for their few re-
naming years. But. says 7 he G lob e,
it would involve a large expenditure -
and Minnesota is now expending a large
sum of money in outside aid for the
families of old soldiers" Yes, an aver
% %ags OF ST per capita to the destitute!
how does it compare with the "expendi-
ture" of blood. the "expending'' of AGO.
600 soldiers lives in defense of the Union
remember the 'boys" marching forth lis
tening to the assurance of those behind
that no matter what happened their loved
ones would be cared for-but now we hear
talk OF "a large expenditure of money!"
1t was blood forty years ago-yet it was
expended" voluntarily. freely
There is no thought of another insti-
tuition, nor of another set of officials
building on the present grounds to accom-
medate 100 is all that Is wanted 1t
cost $3.50 in Iowa ito erect a structure
that accommodates 14S One hundred old
people can be supported at the Minnesota
nome for 900 per annum. Is this too
large an expenditure" for the great state
of Minnesota which forty years ago sent
SO per cent of her men of military age to
the war?
'Tis true, such a home will be only
temporary" The Grand Army of the Re
public will soon cease to exist. There
never can in the nature of things, be an
other. Then, why not forget the "mon
ey" idea for this temporary period, and
remember only that if it had not been for
these veterans who turned the tide of
battle southwark there would today be no
great nation here: no world power but
two, and probably three or four weak
and Sickly little republics.
/ do not know what the committee may
recommend. but I will not, I cannot be-
lieve that Minnesota will be less generous
towards her veteran soldiers than the
neighboring state of Iowa.
&C. F. Macdonald.
st. Cloud, Mimi, Dec. S, 1904.