The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-12-18
civil service and the soldier.

subject on which | have been invited to
make few remarks this evening is eX-
actly fitting for this occasion or at this
time and place. realize fully that
shall be held liable TO the charge of
trenching somewhat on the domain of
politics 10y those who do not coincide
with my views. | hope, however, no
one will accuse me of partisanship. My
excuse must be the love and respect
have for old friends. BY friends, 4"
used in this connection, do not mean
family or kindred, close acquaintances,
or those with whom we meet and min
Gle daily and while away "A few idle
moments i'm social chat and converse.
| prize all these, and who does noty
Next TO ties of blood and kinShip, those
formed and cemented i'm the fiery forge
of battle are the strongest and most en-
during The true friendships there
formed are never broken while reason
holds sway or life lasts. The friends of
whom | speak now are those who stood
shoulder to shoulder, and gave touch of
elbow, and as one marched many time
into the valley OF death, contending for
liberty, union and the sacred rights of
man.
| love these men and would plead for
their rights Who dare chide me for il?
There are those in most every commu.
nifty who profess to believe the old vet
eran should be placed on the same plane
as other men, so far rs places of honor,
trust or emOlument under our govern
ment are concerned. This might be
proper view to take were the race of
soldiers to be perpetuated. But when
we consider the fact that the race will
soon become extinct through the oper-
alton of natures statute of limitation, it
seems to me that view is narrow and
prejudicial one.
1t is my deliberate opinion, openly
expressed, that any American citizen
who prizes liberty, the union of these
states and the manifold blessings of IA
good and stable government, and who
grudges the war-worn or crippled vet
eran reasonable pension, OF would in
any way abridge his right To positions
of honor, trust or profit under govern
ment preserved rs a heritage for future
generations by his heroic valor, is de-
void of patriotism, is ungrateful, and
possessed of a soul so small it is hardly
worth saving.
We hear and read a great deal in
these latter days about civil service re-
form. Without stopping here 10 discuss
its merits or dcmerits / will say ! am "a
believer i'm It's efficiency if properly adj
ministered. ! believe that every rascal
should be turned out of Office and kept
out, no matter to what party he may
belong-not even Sparing "A soldier ii he
Is rascal, ! believe all Offices, from
president 10 constable, should be filled
with honest, capable men; but, other
things being equal, or nearly So,
would give the old veteran a chance
regardless of his ability To answer few
set questions. Most of them were hon
est, active, vigilant and brave i'm the
performance of military duty They
were subservient 10 discipline, obedient
To orders, and at the same time retain
ed their manhood and self-respect. In
civil life most of them obey the laws of
the land, and, in point of intelligence
and business qualifications, are the
peers OF your best citizens. I'm civil
service examination the most of them
might not be able to answer questions
put to them as readily rs some young
man just graduated from some high
school or college on money made per
haps by his father on government
contract or some fortunate speculation
while the soldier was at the front, man
fully fighting for the preservation of the
nation at Sl3 per month in depreci-
ated currency. In Il competitive exam
ination the soldier might not be able to
give the exact length of the Mississippi,
Cumberland, Tennessee, ChattahOOche
or the RappahannOck; but he can point
out places along all those rivers made
forever famous by his invincibe cour-
age, such rs Belmont, Island No. 10.
Vicksburg, Port Hudson, Baton Rouge,
New Orleans, Forts jackson and st.
Phillip, on the Mississippi; Fort Donel-
son and Nashville, on the Cumberland;
Shiloh, Fort Henry, Florence and Chat
tanooga, on the Tennessee; the bridg-
ing and crossing of the deep and rapid
ChattahoOche in the face of powerful
enemy whom he drove back and cooped
up in 1.-THE last ditch" before Atlanta:
Fredericksburg, on the Rappahannock.
where the gallant old eth Michigan led
the way across, amid the volleyed thun-
ders of artillery and the deadly din of
musketry, and where terrible fighting
was done from time to time UP and
down the whole length of that stream
and all of its tributaries Perhaps he
could not name the highest peak in the
Alleghanies or White mountains; but he
can tell the height of Old Lookout, for
he climbed its rocky and PERCEPTIONS
SIDES through q ufenchlng shower OF
leaden rain and iron hail and drove the
enemy i'm tumultuous rout from his for
titled eyrie above the clouds; of bold
and rugged Kenesaw, whose foothills
and slopes were drenched i'm the blood
of his fallen comrades; of Little and Big
Roundtop, at Gettysburg, where the
future destiny of a continent hung
trembling in the scales of war through
three days of as terrible carnage as the
world has ever seen, and from whose
heights he hurled back the broken and
bleeding ranks of the desperate invader
while the nation held its bated breath
in an agony of suspense Possibly he
could not tell i'm what states the Okefe-
mckee and Dismal swamps are located;
but he can tell you all about the Cypress
swamps and the cane brakes of Louis
lana and Mississippi, and the pestilen-
tial, fever-breeding White Oak swamps
along the Chickahominy. Dartmoor
prison and the prison ships i'm New
York harbor where the patriots of the
revolution were confined by the British.
may be a myth to him; but he can paint
i'm characters of living light-in words