The National tribune., 1885-09-24
VETERANS, RIGHTS.

the conventions of the Republican ant
Democratic parties and plead the cause o
the soldiers. They viii ask each party t,
make such distinct and definite utteranc
upon the subject that no politician will dar'
disregard it openly. The mission will prob
ably be successful, as it emnently deserve.
to be- The conventions are the representa-
tives of the people of New York, and wher
ever the people have direct voice the sol
diers' interests are safe. The people of thi.
country are genuinely grateful to the mer
who saved the Nation, and they are willing
that their gratitude should take the most
practical form. If it were left to a vote OF
the people there would be no disabled sol
diers dying in want and penury; there would
be no crippled veterans sitting shame-faced
In the seat Of the pauper, and laying their
pain -racked frames upon the hard couches Of
the County poorhouses. Nor would any man
who had served his country faithfully be
turned out Of place and Office, merely that
his well-earned position might be used to
reward the sleek and lazy political boss and
heeler. The people desire that every soldier
shall be properly taken care Of They pre-
fer-as we continually see-that every place
in their gift shall be filled by a soldier; they
continually express their wish for pension
sytem so just and liberal that every honor
ably discharged soldier who is disabled from
taking care of himself may have sufficient
to maintain him deccntly through his declin-
ing years.
The obstacle to the carrying out Of this
clearly-manifest will of the people is the
selfishness and greed Of the politicians.
They do not want to give the places to the
soldiers. because they want them to reward
their own henchmen. Congressman Bard
well Slote, for example, does not care rush
for the fact that the Postmaster at Jenkins
Corners was a faithful soldier during the
war, and received injuries that incapacitate
him from holding an even race with other
men in the business of life. Congressman
Slote wants to use the Postmastership to pay
a man who has worked for his nomination
and election, and to hire him to work for his
denomination and reelection. The Col
lector at Buffland does not want to think of
a mans soldier record when he is making
up his list of clerks He wants the places
to reward those who circulated petitions in
his behalf, and who will 60 into the next
convention and work hard for his nomina-
ton for Congress. The tendency of our poll
tics is to make every politician look upon
offices as merely something with which to
reward their friends and punish their enc
mics.
If the politicians were not held in check
by the people, there would not be one Office
in SO held by old soldiers. The only use the
gentlemen who lead our parties have for the
veterans is to pick up an occasional man of
brilliant record with which to head the
ticket, and let score of stay-at-hom slip
into Office under the shadow Of his brilliant
past.
The time is ripe for asking the conven-
ventions of New York to define the posi-
tion Of their parties On the subject. The
recent agitation of the matter of veterans
rights has directed general attention to it.
The people are ready to speak authorita-
lively, and they should be asked to do SO.
The politicians Of both parties are exceed
ingly anxious to have the soldier vote on
their side in the sharp struggle, which will
be begun as soon as the conventions complete
their work and put tickets in the field, and
they should be informed in unmistakable
tones that they cannot have it unless they
are willing to render justice to those who
deserve so much from the State and Nation.
Let us have the question pressed now fairly
and squarely.
CIRCULATION OF THE NATIONAL TEIB-
UNE.
We know that our readers feel proud of