Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-06-18
Send Us Back to Loved Ones.
(Literary Digest.)

rlOm IHe dominican Republic
arises sound like homesickness, and
large general disgust with the vari-
ETY. Of foreign travel now being en-
joyed by the Marines down there.
The Dominican Marines had a griey-
ance to start with: They expected
to be sent cover There" and, in
stead, they landed in a nearby coun-
try, where there was no particular
glory, excitement, nor excuse for
staying away from home. All Of
these arguments, and more. move
Rev. Robert Fl. Perry, Baptist
minister who enlisted in the Ma
rines, and is now private down
there, to recommend that he be dis
charged at once from further SER
vice. He writes from San Pedro Ma
coris, under date Of April 5:
'Few words are ever spoken Of
the Marine in the tropics who ell
listed for Over There and came
Down Here Having read some Of
the many good columns in the Di-
gest, can't help telling you how we
feel about it down here
We enlisted in the corps to be dis
charged six months after all hostili-
ties ceased. We came here last
July, and have gone through our in
tensiye training here, and although
they hiked lis and drilled us, and
sent us over the top till we nearly
dropped, ! always wrote home that
night: Having the best time of my
life Now it is all over, we are tired
OF this God-forsaken country. TIL ere's
nothing here but ruin, wine, negroes.
disease, and bad women. A four-year
man stays here thirty months unless
he does like one Of the men in our
company did a few days ago-com-
mits suicide and goes home in
wooden kimona,' or, in other words,
In coffin. We dream Of home, but
the dreams fade into mirages upon
waking the next morning.
1.-THE Marines Magazine says, NO
Marines being discharged now,' and
yet single fellow in our company
went back some days ago because
he had a rich uncle and a political
pull. There are men in our company
whose families need them, and need
them badly, having only the SIS per
month as support. ask you, rs that
just? Is that the kind Of dem ocracy
we enlisted to defend?'
And the men and women who
have had charge Of our papers in
Washington that we might be here
were discharged because Congress
failed to pass funds for their sal
airy. That is certainly compliment
to the soldier who enlisted to fight
for his beloved land It must have
been an accident that LaFollette
Kept the floor with his associates the
last day Of Congress that funds for
roads and Washington employees
might not be passed. A few grafters
-Germany's right-handed men-as
last blow to Old Glory have foug ght
President Wilson all through, and at
last succeeded in causing the failure
OF important bills that mean much.
to our country's welfare, and the
rest stood looking on, doing nothing.
ask you again. gentlemen is this
the democracy we enlisted to fight
for?
Before | enlisted in the Marine
Corps | was pastor Of a Baptist
church in Texas. My congregation
gave me permission to join for the
period Of the war. They are plea ding
with me to return now, for the
church is in need Of me. They are q
'hock without shepherd and nv
heart is breaking TO return. but nv
hands are tied. ] received a recon-
mchdhfl0n from our commanding
oiliccr for early discharge. but
don't think that this means ANYTHING
but six months more to stay here
am poor young man. making my
own way in the world, and i'm an
other month ] will not be able to
hold my church. which cannot wait
longer. This means that cannot
continue my education in Baylor Uni
Vcrsity, Waco. Texas. Is that JUS
tice?
was ordained year before the
United States entered the war, and
was 20 years old when ] enlisted, be-
coming Fl this month. wanted to
40 my bit. I have my hands tied
now. I appeal to the people Of the