That's because the remake was done by the Coen brothers. Their goal was to stick to the original book, not the original movie. I suspect that in the original, some things were changed because viewers didn't want to see Rooster Cogburn (and by association, John Wayne) being such a big scoundrel, and the Coen brothers didn't have those reservations with Jeff Bridges (who did an amazing job playing that character).
I will say something here that is hard for me to quantify...
It's all about the storytelling.
There is something ancient in it... In the telling.
I'll give you say, 'Old Yeller'. That is a story imbued in Americana. Everyone, at least everyone from my generation, knows Old Yeller. And everyone is wrecked by that story.
But it is SUPPOSED to wreck you. It is part of what it teaches.
Now, you could remake Ol Yeller... And I guess the writers could make it cleaner... make Old Yeller live on... and save everyone the shock... but that would remove that teaching, you know?
I dunno. I can't exactly put my finger on it. It is something that has my attention these days... The way they have taken the storytelling away from the true storytellers in favor of indoctrination. There is something big in that.