Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-04-17
Senator Sargent to General Logan.
THE SHIELDS BILL.

"ASHiNGTON, April IL, 1910.
My Dear GenerG:-I read with interest
your letter addressed to me in the morning
papers, referring to an amendment proposed
by me to the House bill placing Gen. James
Shields on the retired list of the army. As you
did not take pains to communicate the letter
to me by any other medium, you VIII excuse
any attention to such mere fOrmalitles in this
substitute for the post office that the tempta-
ton to use 1t is very great especially if the OBJ
lect is to gain public attention rather than
convince the person nOminally addressed
You seem to be under the impression that
my bill is intended as an argument against the
Kind OF legislation contemplated by the House
olll: l frankly confess that that was prin
clpal object. object to exceptional legiSla-
tiOn Of that character, the effect of which is to
heavily burden the treasury. But the Objec-
tion would not perhaps be fully appreciated
unless the Senate and country could be made
clearly to see, by grouping names on a paper.
that there are a very large number of gallant
men, many of whom fought admirably in both
the Mexican and secession war ;many of whom
have lost limbs or been wounded i'm this haZ-
ardOuS service; some of whom are aged some
lmpecunlOuS; all of whom have equal claim to
recognition in this mannertO the beneficiary OF
theHouse bill. 1t is true none of these gentlemen
have been recently brought forward without
thelr knoWledge, as candidates for Congress
sl0nal offices, by party, the principles of
circumstance not justly to be considered i'm
determining their merit as soldiers. You are
quite in error in supposing that intended to
rldicule either of the gentlemen named in my
amendment; On the contrary meant to in
dlcate thereby that IN my judgment each of
them is entitled to this recognition by the ma
llon ana recompenSe from the treasury if any
one OF them is. On the presentation of the
amendment other Senators gave other names
and have no doubt the list should be largely
extended.
But, my dear General, the retired list of the
army is not intended for any such uses, and
should not be- 1t is provision for the old
lives to the military service, renOunced and
become Incapable of all other business, and be-
coming old or disabled, are given an eXcep-
tlonal bounty that cannot be claimed by volun-
teer soldiers who leave their business for a
Drle1 period to resume it at the close of their
service. To extend these provisions to one
volunteer oiflcer IS departure from the rea-
son OF just rule, that may not much burden
the Treasury. But its extension to one leads
in justice to its extension to many destroys
the rule, and cuts deep into the public funds.
AS the people all over the country are reason
ably complaining of onerous taxation it well
becomes legislators to ScrutinZe objects of ex
penditure and not be hurried with extrava-
gance however the measures promoting itmay
De disguised as generous and charitable.
l know that you and 1 are not i'm accord
upon such topics. You favored on several oc-
casions in the Senate, and | resisted, an
eaualizatlon aal IN bounty bill which, by the esti-
trolleT OF the Treasury. would take at least
$lOO,OOO,oO0 from the Treasury. | know you
contend that the effect of the bill would be to
take out several millions less, but in any event
the drain was to be enormous Your
ideas upon such matters, as you well
knew, were radically opposed to mine
though unquestionably honestly entertain
ed, and for this reason you may have
intended, in sending your letter to the press,
instead of to me. to gain the public eye rather
than mine; OF that do not complain, for you
have right to publish your views to convince
others, ii not me, and my name is at your ser
vice at any time on which to hang your dis
courses. With much respect,
A. A. SARGENT.
Gen. John A. Logan, Washington DC
7. S-Since the above was written. the mail
brings to me your letter, and gives to me the
pleasure OF reading in your familiar hand
what had SO much enjoyed in print.