The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-06-19

hapS "tuffed them, tlckled them uIl-
der the chin. somewhat like the poll
tician does "the dear people. Pa
triotisb is great and essential virtue
is like the specific love for ones own
home compared with other homes.
And this is one developed feature
visible at Washington. The old
sparks were there. Embers sleeping
in ashes ready to be blown into
flame for Old Glory and our United
country, facing one foe-Yes. | re-
peat to emphasize the just asserted
sentence. Sleeping embers under
ashes from Washington camp fires
were everywhere being blown into a
flame of patriotic demonstration As
AS Americans, all. No North, no
South. no East, no West Americans,
all uncovered their heads passing in
review before our second Washing
ton. Woodrow Wilson. And yet, there
at Washington with the Old Vet boys
all merged into one common call and
response to our Commanding Chief
tain's call, there fioated on the social
surface at camp specifically, and
more or less everywhere. painful
proofs and exhibitions of faults and
failures, even vices, fungus. or para
site like, fastened upon and feeding
from the otherwise grand patriotic
Confederate survivors. 1t was my
hope and prayer for many days pre-
ceding this Reunion that |. first. il
permitted to attend and all others
also would at least keep cool and
sober and shall | say it2 must de-
cent, while putting our best foot fore
most among Washington 400 big
bugs" AS for myself, | claim, and
can prove. if required, | was there
myself simple and plain just the
Tip Top Man, as seen in Lakeland.
Others must Judge and classify when
this would rate me-
AS to Others-one thing | do know,
and could weep over, coupled with
other infirmities and weaknesses such
as lame, hating step. hard of hear
ing and lettering wax, those near
and past three score and ten Veter
ans in sad pitiable weakness added
the unnatural man babe infirmity. in
temperance or drunkenness, to their
other infirmities. But this you and
all know seems to be so in all stages
of social life. And like all forms of
sin SENS incurable because "Ephram
is joined to his IDOLS. And yet as |
have entered into the social touchings
faults and failures of my brotherman
exhibited at Washington and other
reunions, all of which are plain and
raiaful. to dwell upon them must be
OILY useless il in any way they are
mcurable. But as believe thete are
few, If any. incurable vices. and
man. not God, is source of such vices.
| must think. In an aggregated camp
of Old Vets such selfishness and par
aste passions and outgrowths ivy
like. feeding upon Patriotic Veterans
cand and should be cut off and eradi
Gated. | think it is my duty. as well
as all Old Veterans duty to do ali
we can to aid General Harrison and
our head commanders i'm making our
annual reunions a perpetuated me.
mortal custom of simple proprietary
continuance, an heirloom to be trans
mitted from "son to son" of which
they will be proud of and custom in
itself forbidding and defying any de-
rogating criticisms. | must say. in
all candor, from my standpoint as
much as would deplore and try to
prevent such. yet unless we can re-
deem our convention halls as well as
camps from being a pow-wow of self
lsh N ise and confusion such as at
Richmond. Birmingham and Washing
ton we had better far discontinue
Reuni IS. Even in the convention
halls, especially at delegates voting
time. when electing new officers and
select ,% of next place for the Reun-
In point. even there. to a critical
OF der. foreigner or even brother
Yankee these noisy "pow.wows" are
a disgrace and reflection on our Old
Veterans annual social gatherings
In actual camp the strong grip of
martial law" arrest. and even guard
house confinement was effectual
when common sense, patriotism and