The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1918-12-20

This Salvation Army head must
have a lurid imagination and she
must have allowed it free rein.
l came home from that war with
the army after having served three
strenuous years. | have lived
through those after years of which
she says, "there can be no question
but that the diverted purpose of the
eX-soldiers caused more misery and
suffering than was caused by the war
itself" / saw none of this, neither
did / hear of any such consequences.
My recollections of those years are
that it was period of joy and
happiness. All the people were glad
that their soldier relatives and friends
were again at home, that the Ameri-
can union had been saved and that
government by the people had not
perished from the earth.
The returning soldiers were absor-
bed in and among the people so easily
and so quietly, as to cause scarcely
ripple on the surface; the soldier of
spring-time was a private citizen by
fall.
Then again, if the purpose of these
lsoldiers became so diverted through
their army experience as to cause all
the misery she mentions, there must
have been some crime committed by
the eX-soldiers whose purpose had
been so perverted.
saw, neither did | hear, of any of
this out of the ordinary, and court
records will show a smaller per cent
of crimes charged against soldiers
than against civilians. The reason
for this | attribute to the discipline
the soldier had received, he respecting
law and order to a greater extent
than before, and being a better citizen
Tramps! A million Of them! That
is about the number of soldiers mus
tered out at the close of the war. |
never have heard this charge before
and | know it is not true. 1t is in
conceivable and unbelievable that the
men composing the grand armies that
carried the flag through victory and
defeat, but in final Triumph, from the
Ohio to the Gulf and from Washing
ton to Appomatox, that saved the
nation-the men who cemented with
their blood the loosely held confeder-
alton of states into a compact nation
and placed it on the safe, sure road to
its present high position-should be-
'come tramps. They did not / brand
the assertion absolutely false.
We have national and a state or
ganization-the Grand Army of the
Republic~-with posts in every city
and town in the country where there
are ex-soldiers. The posts have a
knowledge of all of their jurisdiction,
whether members Of their post or not.
We have kept in close relationship
with our comrades. Then, again,
nearly every regiment has an ex-war
organization which meets yearly.
They have complete records of mem
bership which included originally
nearly, and in most cases, all the sur
vivors Of their units. We know where
all these men are and all about them
And we know that the dead were
not tramps, and that the living are
not, and we know that Eva Booths
charge is false, cruelty false. 1t
makes me white under the collar to
have the good name of my comrades
maligned in such manner. Eva
Booth seems worked up with what
she thinks is great problem in the
rehabilitation of our present army.
| would say to all: Have no fears.
These men are not out of joint with
home affairs; they are soldiers for
the time being only, for a specific pur
pose, and they will come home with
their minds broadened, their intelli-
gence increased, their manhood devel-
oped. They are not to turn tramps or
lawbreakers. They will not cause
misery and suffering, but be better
citizens than ever.