The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-06-07
PUBLIC OPINION
. 9 . o o . o o . . o 9 o o
Reply to "The Old Veteran"

nCpty 10 ne OlO veteran
To the Editor of The Gate City:
was more amused than surprised
to read the article Mr.. L.. A. Berry
hill placed in Sundays Gate City. Mr..
Berryhill said it was with great re-
luctance' that he felt called upon to
write as he did. l do not wonder in
the least about his extreme hesitancy
since l have carefully analysed his
statements. 1t reminded me of the
noise that those oriental animals
made when the walls OF Jerusalem
were going up. The animals came to
the gate and brayed and brayed, but
the wall went up just the same.
had a hard time figuring out the
argument of Mr.. Berryhill, but at
last, | found it was, as near as
could make it:
Some Of the old soldiers are drunk
is better off dead than alive" are un.
pardonable and unpatriotic."
Second premise-Rev. McAllister
made such statements.
Conclusion-Rev McAllister there
fore is, "An insult to the men of the
civil war in general, has no concep-
IAOA u uSSShSy VI SOhtAOL4oAly SoA.
duct, heaps abuse upon gray heads,
is malicious and reasonable, and will
ever impair the high standing which
every patriotic citizen has placed up
on the heads of the soldiers of Ameri-
ca
The argument reminds me of the
argument OF the little school boy, Who
said, Bricks are made of clay; men
are made of clay. Therefore, mans
brick" | wonder if he was thinking
of Mr.. Berryhill?
But gray hairs have always COM
head they are on, and / would moi
have answered this note but for the
fact that / sincerely believe this gen
tleman was urged to write by au-
other
Let me state here that this was the
only lemon received for the sincere
work tried to do for the old COM
rades. Not only did more than fifty
per cent of them the next day, come
and thank me for what ! said, but n
great number of business and profess
sional men spoke and wrote me about
the address with comm endatior.
Mr.. Berryhill stated. among other
things. that Twas sunpatriotic. Let
me ask, who is patriotic, the man who
advocates the use of. intoxicants as
did this gentleman. or one who strives
to point mem to the error, OF it? The
statesmen OF England are continually
saying that the greatest enemy theft
vast empire has is not Germany, but
booze. He who advocates its use IS
then more disIoyal to the British
cause than the man who advocates
the cause of Germany. And what Is
true in England is true in America.
Russia has long since seen the Gun
patriotism" OF booze drinking, SO has
Germany. vEet me ask, is he unpatri-
otto that condemns the practice that
has caused $4,000 deformed children
in the United States has been
the chief cause OF our 100000 men.
tally deficient, that has made home
hell. children begSars and women
slaves?
Il wish the gentleman would read
carefully the rest of the address and
see if my patriotism wanes in any re-
spect. / do demand a new patriotism,
and this patriotism demands that we
fight to the finish the present enemies
of our nation, including the one MIR.
Berryhill supports so weakly. Go and
ask one of the soldiers that were
present If | insulted them, If they
were not treated with the reverence
and respect due to them. Did l say
parasite was better off dead than
alive? Yes, l believe | did. and | still
content the same. whether that para
site is a mosquito, a robber. among
the idle rich, or man that con-
tends TO be among the noble G. A. R.
who stands about the saloon voracious-
" waiting for some one to come and
.'set them up and spends every cent
the government gives him on bocze
when his wife is in need.
But Mr.. Berryhill is l1terallst.