Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 October 1908 — WHERE WAS HE THEN. [ARTICLE]

WHERE WAS HE THEN.

In a labored two-column article the military editor of the syndicate organ fires another volley of billingsgate, his chief stock tn the terms “liar” and “coward” constitute the only “argument” he can advance in reply to what The Democrat said about his previous attack. To the intellect of such fellows these terms are sledge-ham-mer blows, but the public generally thinks otherwise, and as the financial backer of that sheet has stated that the military editor must quit his “bully-ragging,” and has no doubt so informed the “editor,” he, too, thinks there is little argument in ; his abuse, which accounts for the former’s statement that the “controversy is now ended so far as that paper is concerned.” The article referred to is not worthy of a reply, but >ere Is a little matter or two we want to call attention to in his “defense of the American soldier:” This tin sword soldier prates about his bravery in assaulting peaceable citizens and says The Democrat ran away from some of the political thugs who have attempted to assault the latter, including old George Marshall, who is now residing in that most appropriately named, for him, Rogue River Valley.. We did laugh at Marshall and walk away after getting our mail from the postoffice where he became Very much excited one morning several years ago because. we had exposed his omission of Important parts of a certain letter that he published that was of considerable interest to the people here at that time. Dogs settle their differences by bitting, chewing and fighting, but the editor of this paper himself of a higher order of intelligence than the canine brute, and has never raised his arm against a human being except In self defense. We have been told that most

every fighter and *bully who enlisted in the civil war, or was drafted in, proved himself the most arrant and abject coward when the actual “smell of powder” came. Bravery does not always consist in making a dog of one's self. But here is one little matter we wish to refer to, to show the hypocrlcy of this “defender of the American soldier:”

It is not so very long ago that one' Theodore Roosevelt, president of the United States and greatly admired by this tin sword soldier, used some very expressive language in condemning some colored soljilers about a little matter that happened at Brownsville, Texas. He even discharged from the army the whole bunch without trial, yet we do not remember seeing a word of criticism in the syndicate organ regarding the president’s action nor was he called a traitor. Where was this “defender of the American soldier” then? But perhaps it was because the skins of these Americas soldiers were black that the “defender” said nothing. A half dozen soldiers in that case “shot up” the town of Brownsville, and the president discharged the whole regiment and used language that was more expressive than elegant.* of the American soldier.” Bah!