From The Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., April 30, 1920
Editor Versus Army Officer. . . Two Letters in Which Each Says What He Thinks of the Other
For the delectation and divertissement of its readers, The Independent published the following correspondence of recent dates. Capt. Andrew L. Pendleton, Commandant of the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps of the Georgia School of Technology writes to W.O. Sanders, editor of the Independent, from Atlanta under date of April 21.
Says Pendleton
My dear William O:--
There has always been a gentleman’s agreement between us to the effect that we could always tell each other what we thought of one another with out the other getting peeved. Personally I like you a hell of a lot. The man that you are is self-made. You’ve got plenty of ambition, and except for the narrow confines of your environs and the high cost of travel you could be devilish delightful. I know you, know you so dern well that I like you, and this is certainly strange when you come to think about it. Our views are so entirely different that they hover about the two very extremes of human fancy. In fact, if I held your view of various things I would feel more at home in Russia Your Harney cartoon in the April 9th issue amuses me the same as it has no doubt amused your readers in the First N.C. District. You’ll never get to Congress if you are opposed to feeding your followers on “pork.” They love it as much as a Hebrew hates it. It even pleases the multitude more than did the two loaves and five fishes (or vice versa) that Christ manipulated for his followers. Figuratively speaking that was “pork”. And aren’t you sick of government control of utilities? If people like you don’t stop stirring up discontent we’ll have to control the railroads, mines, etc., but it will be with 100 per cent Americans armed with rifles and machine guns. Mark what I say. In 1910 I told you that we would be mixed up in a world war in less than 10 years and you called me a fool. Your idea of taxing idle land is funny. What are you going to do about the North Pole that belongs to us? Wouldn’t I hate to see you turned loose with Free Speech and Free Press! Why not add Free Silver? There are too many dangerous people in this country now for us to give speech and the press any more freedom than they have now. The vicious and pernicious Hun propaganda would read like Bible stories alongside of some of the stuff that I know you would turn out. The Lord saved the world with one Ark and now the Department of Justice is trying to save the U.S. with another. Do you believe in Free Transportation? What do you know about war/ War Referendum saved Germany and made us the goat. You didn’t know much about War; you missed the best one that we ever had. Just think, without that war Germany would still have the Kaiser. Your friends in Hunland are the “real limburger” now; they have the opportunity of a life time to put your ideas of good government into practice. What’s this about no war without the vote of the people? What are we going to do while the people are voting? I would have to be a voter in Norfolk with an enemy fleet at Hampton Roads. Ten to one you would claim San Francisco as your legal residence. How do you stand on birth control? I would truly welcome what you term Universal Disarmament, but my good sense tells me to let the other fellow do it first.
True indeed is old saying that nothing is so bad that there isn’t some little good in it. And this is true of your shaky old platform; it has one plank that isn’t rotten, “Education.” And in making this admission I am possessed with one fear that were you given the opportunity you would try to legislate education into the noodles of the masses. With your “Independent” you could educate more people than you could by going to Congress. But you don’t even to this; much of the time you feed them the kind of stuff that makes white folks “red.” Sometimes I think that you must have smelled something bad in your cradle and you’ve never gotten over it. Now don’t tell me that you wear a sprig of mistletoe on your coattails for fellows like me.
Just one word more for your platform. I know of one excellent purpose it could serve; your well developed posterior should be spanked forceably and severely with each of its planks.
I know darn well that you believe in Cash Bonuses for ex-service men. Certainly you do because I do not. Wouldn’t you rather see my small pay as an Army officer increased? You might need us of the Regular Army again before your voters finish voting on the next war and before you get Japan to disarm. Think it over.
I could account perhaps for your wild ideas if it were not for the fact that I too have read Hubbard, Brann and the Bible. I would like to read “Bob” Ingersoll too as well as Omar, but there is more in the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians than in all of their discomforting thoughts.
William O. you are a great fellow, and I like you but honest to God I would rather see you in a warmer place than Congress. Wait until we are cursed with a soviet rule in this land of the free before you build your political platform—or reform. Victor Berger is a close neighbor of mine, altho we are separated by iron bars. I hope you‘ll come to Atlanta some time to visit us but not like Victor came. I would certainly like to see you, jolly old Falstaff.
If Congress was in really good shape just now I wouldn’t mind so much seeing you there. Give ‘em a chance “Bill”; they may not need you after all. After a year or two more the investigation of the conduct of the war will be concluded and the conclusion as to whether or not we won the war and should declare peace will be openly arrived at. I am like you, I don’t know what I am in a political way but I want to be something therefore I am going to vote for General Wood for President. Who are you going to vote for? Or hasn’t your party named a prospect yet/ I am 33 years old and I haven’t yet cast a vote—not one. Never before did I see any need of voting. Remember, “Bill” we ae good friends but I do wish that I could cast my vote in the First N.C. District this next election. I’d certainly vote for John H. Small first, Ward second, and nobody third. And since I truly hope that General Wood, a republican, will be our next president my uncle and your friend, Dr. Pendleton, wouldn’t keep the post office anyway. So don’t fling that back at me.
Not that I love you less or Mr. Small more do I say that he is by far the best man that the First District could send to Congress. The only thing that some of you people have against him is the fact that he has been in Congress so long. If you do hold that agin him then you know less about Congress than I give you credit for. Have you any conception of the trials of a Freshman in college? Do you know that most men are valuable on account of their experience rather than their pin-feathered fancies.
Congress is a school. A new Congressman is a Freshman. Mr. Small is a big man in Washington. This I know to be a real fact. He knows the ropes so to speak. His experience—his length of service—makes him a most valuable man. You know this as well as I do so don’t twist it into wormy bait for your own fishing. You might get a few bites but the wise fish will see the hook. I believe however that Ward is harping on this phase of the campaign more than you are. Mr. Small may not always get what he goes after—that would be too much to expect of any one man in this day of political intrigue and trading—but he gets his share and certainly he does know how to go after what he wants. And this I also know to be a fact.
Now “Bill,” read some good books and stay at home for a while longer, where everybody knows you. I would hate to go to Elizabeth City next year and find you out of town and in Washington. I would feel mighty badly.
Here’s wishing you health, happiness and prosperity, and may your shadow never grow less—but for the love of us all don’t leave home.
As ever and sincerely yours,
“Pen.”
Says Saunders
My Dear Pendleton:--
The only surprise about your letter of Apr. 21 was that it didn’t come sooner. From a clean, wholesome, democratic fellow you have graduated into a junker and a snob, the fate of most good fellows who go thru Annapolis or West Point and get an officer’s billet. I say I am surprised that you have read The Independent so long without admitting that the stuff was getting under your skin.
Of course you would “hate to God” to see me in Washington, because I am opposed to militarism, opposed to your murderous profession, opposed to all the arrogance, snobbery, trickery and secret diplomacy of your military caste. You think you and your class are the bloody saviors of civilization. You boast about ridding Germany of the Kaiser. What you do is, you have come pretty near fastening Prussian militarism upon the United States and you will vote for Leonard Wood for President of these United States because he’s the nearest thing to a Kaiser you can pick out of the multitude of monstrosities offered as presidential possibilities.
You did tell me 10 years ago that this country would be involved in a world war in 10 years and I didn’t quite believe you then. I didn’t know how well you military fellows had planned the thing. That is your game. You don’t wait for the next war; you are always planning what the next war shall e. You are planning right now what you would do to Japan. And, Japan, knowing all about your plans, is doing some planning on her own account.
Your class in Russia, France and Great Britain were planning the late world war as far back as 1912. They made secret pacts as far back as that. Russia was going to take Constantinople. That meant war with Germany and a chance for France to grab back Alsace and Lorraine while Russia was keeping Germany busy on the eastern front. Great Britain was drawn into the same scheme. And Germany, Germany with her great spy system, was watching the game and foolish enough to believe that she could anticipate it and beat the Russian Bear, the British Lion and the Froggies to it.
You brag about your great war. I ask you, is the world better or worse to-day as a result of your great war? What have you given us? You talk about Bolshevism and the Soviets. Who gave us Bolshevism and the Soviets? Whoever heard of a Soviet form of government until war had reduced the people of Russia, Hungary, and Italy to such extremities that they were compelled to adopt communism or starve? You gave us Bolshevism; you reduce the world to chaos and poverty and then bite your manicured nails because some one has a plan opposed to yours.
You are opposed to government ownership of things. That’s damned funny. The government owns you; the biggest thing, the most expensive thing the people have to support to-day is your army and navy, both run by the government. I suppose you think however that you are running the government. I must confess that your class comes perilously near it, and I shudder to think of what is due us when you get your General Wood seated in the White House and encase his carcass in the imperial purple.
You talk about 100 per cent Americans running our railroads and mines with rifles and machine guns. That’s the only way you know how to run things. But you won’t run the railroads and the mines of this country that way. You can’t drive a free born American citizen to work at the point of a bayonet. When you try it—and it will not be long before you will be trying it—you are going to meet your Waterloo. Mark what I tell you.
I’ll tell you, Captain Pendleton, the people of this country are going to take over the railroads, mines and other public utilities. They are not going to take these away from anybody. But here is what is going to happen: the owners of these things will presently come to the people and confess that they can no longer run these things with profit. They will beg the people to take them over. And when the people take them over a lot of you arrogant snobs who live on the fat of the land and have your boots blacked by your buck privates will have to get to work. That will be heard on you, Andy.
But don’t worry about me going to Congress. I had planned my withdrawal from the Democratic Primary before you threw your conniption fit. I’m glad you like Mr. Small. I like him too, but not for the same reason that you like him. You like Pork; in fact you are, I believe, one of his porkers; he got you educated for your military career at the government’s expense. We poor civilian jays back here in Pasquotank are still paying the bill, or helping to pay it. Make the most of it Andy while the graft is easy, and don’t lay away nights worrying about Bolsheviks kicking you out of your job; if the American people ever recover their senses after the brainstorm of the past four years they’ll find another job for you.
And this with best wishes, from
Your sincere,
W.O. Saunders
Apr. 22, 1920
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