The Washington critic., 1886-12-28
WASHINGTON, DEcEMnEn 2s, 1886.
THINNING OUT TUE RANKS.

mental powers, adds another to the
many startling reminders furnished by
the neurology Of the past two years,
that to the great majority of the sur
viving officers aud soldiers Of the late
war the blessing of long life is in all
probability not 10 be vouchsafed.
Reference Is particularly made to
those who bore the fun brunt Of that
tremendous conflict and took such part
in its campaigns from year to yer ns
Put their capacity for endurance To the
sCvercst tests.
1t may be stated as safe propo,i-
tion lhatthdr fourto five yoTs' con.
tinuous service in thg iyid, with all rs
exposures, irregularities nnd privations,
itsnoxious climatic influences aud CON.
pulsory defiance OF the normal rules Of
htalth, were equivalent in wear and
tear upon the human system TO at least
fifteen years of ordinary life. Hence,
il need not surprise u, to ilud so many
OF the veterans, though crippled by no
wounds, and 1t may be. unconscious
of any serious ailment, dropping sud.
denly Off even When giving reasonable
promise OF ripe old age.
Every day and on every handare
brave men falling out Of the ranks at
fifty, at sixty, at sixty Eve, who with.
out the extraordinary strain TO which
hard experience in the army subject
ed them, might have had fair expecta.
tion of passing far beyond the allotted
term of three score years and ten.
In poisonous swamps, by the banks
of pestilence. breeding rivers, on forced
marches with short ratons and those
unfit to eat, in drenching rains, in
freezing SHOWS, In sweltering heats, in
long protracted vigils with neither food
nor rest, in days of sanguinary battle,
and nights among the putrefying dead,
were sown the insidious and slowly
terminating seeds of disease that were
destined long afterwards to startle us
with the suddenness and fatality of
their development.
Thousands of the old heroes, simi.
larly affected, still live upon the same
dangerous ground thousands among
them, too, who are quite aware of their
condition-men who have never been
in hospital perhaps, yet have sacrl-
feed quite as much for their country
as many others who are drawing lib.
eral pensions from the Government for
partial disability.
And what Il thinning out of their
numbers the next ten years will wit
ness. People who stand In amazement
at the millions annually paid upon the
pension rolls, may find ghasny consola'
ton, If they will, in the thought that
it cannot be for any greatly extended
period. The lis, will sooner or latei
diminish at a mach more rapid pace
Than it accumulated. Whenever the
falling Off begins the syiflness of it,
acceleration Will be the wonder aud
sorrow of the closing century.
THE charge is frequently made II
the newspapers away from Wash
inglon that the opposition TO the ap
pointment Of Mr. Matthews for II.
corder of Deeds, 50 far as the people ot
this District, ahd especially the Dlstric
Democrats, are concerned, is baset
solely upon race prejudice. No greater
misrepresentation of facts could pos
sibly be made The prejudice referred
TO may have more or less weight OF
both sides of the Senate Chamber, bu
among the citizens of the District it i
rarely If ever heard Of. The point tha
the latter are most tenacious about /
that an Office in which OF all othe
offices they are most Immediately in
terested, and in filling which they con
slider their wishes as being peculiarl
entitled 10 recognition, should not b
disposed Of by the President with tn
same unconcern and Indifference to II
local propriety as though 1t were
second class consulship or territorial
land office. Here is where the DistriC
Democrats have taken their positio
and intend TO stand. They insist thc
the Recordership of Deeds should NJ
only be given to a man who is compt
tent and honest, but to some reputabl
resident Of the District, identified wit
the interests Of the District, As to h
color or race they make no objectlc
and enter no protest
MANY Of the Knights of Labor a,
pear 70 be dissatisfied because OF II
five thousand dollars salary paid to Il
General Master Workman; but the
fault-fnding on this account Is not a
together just. If Mr.. Powderly is Il