The Republican journal., 1888-08-16
Mr.. Cleveland and the Veterans.

The kecne (N. H. Observer publishes the
following extract from a letter, under date of
Washington, July IL:
"Potical excitement runs high here in Wash.
ington. ] was told to-day that | must work and
vote for Cleveland OF resign my office. said my
principles were not for sale, and at once rendered
my resignation, so this will be my last day in the
office after p years Of work. | can't be u Demo
crat and at the same time call myself a man and
veteran soldier III our late rebellion.
The writer of this letter, the Observer states,
is a Cheshire county veteran. who received an
appointment in tho Pension Office shortly after
the war. That he has been competent and
faithful through all these wears is quite con-
vn~iNely shown by the fact that he has held
his position not only under Republican but also
under 50 'nurh of a Democratic administration.
This old soldiers case. we have abundant rea-
son to believe. is by no means an isolated one.
An Administration which has shown no love
for Union veterans even of its own party has
seemed to be inspired with an especial malign-
ity toward those who have chanccd to be Re-
publicans. Since Grover Cleveland entered ill
to power and began selecting unreconStructed
rebels for his foreign Ministers the department
doors at Washington have swung open to let
many a Union soldier 90 forth for the last time.
The man who has appointed criminals to office
has found no opportunity to intervene in be-
half of poor veterans whose places their B0ur
bon superiors wanted, to reward some smart
young relative or ''worker' with. Under any
administration such policy has been pur-
sued toward the Republican oflicehOl,lers with
records for honorable service in the army or
navy against the rcbelliOus South would have
been absolutely scandalOus. Under this Ad-
minstration. which came into power with loud
professions of ''reform," it is difficult to find
words strong enough with which to character
iZe the treatment which Northern veterans
have received
Mr.. Cleveland's friends and supporters NAV
sneer at the Republicans and reformers and
ask them, 'What are you going to do about
itT' From now until election they can turn
Union soldiers and sailors out of Office in bat
taions as freely as they please. But as sure as
the American people love justice and honor
no man who has served his country as this
New Hampshire veteran has done should be
| forced because he stood by his principles from
a position in the Government employ which he
had filled long and faithfully, day of reckon
| ing is coming. When Grover Cleveland stuti-
| fed himself and threw his solemn pledges to
| the winds, and began to use the civil service to
reward his friends and punish his opponents in
| Il manner which even jackson or Buchanan
never dreamed of, he entered upon very dan
gerOus ground. His ill-treatment of Republi-
can civilians in the Federal employ is sufficient
reason to secure for him the earnest opposition
of all real reformers. Such policy toward
Republican veterans as he has allowed to be
pursued, If not actually instituted-a policy Of
which the incident above described is no ull-
common instances awakening resentment
toward him which is liable to lead to some
great surprises when the votes are counted
| next November. Boston journal.
hn soIo nf fupft ,to Ten