The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-09-02
DOUBLE POSITIONS
Occupied by Many Retired Army
and Navy Officers.
DESERVING UNION VETERANS
Kept Out Of Places by II System
Which should bu Aboilshcd-A
Worthy Precedent Set by
Congrcss-washinaton News.
Special DipSieh 10 Me lnteRlgtnca.

WAsnlSoToH, D. o., Sept. Lone
thing which the uonse OF Representa-.
lives did short time since has received
very little notice, while 1t is deserving OF
good deal; tha. was in refusing to per.
,uit Lieutenant Colonel Corbin, Of the
regular army, to accept civil position
under the Chicago Worlds Fair man.
ayers. Similar TO this decision was one
which was tackled on to the act increas.
ing The pension force 10 meet tho re.
qniremsn,s OF tho new pension law, a
provision by which no retired officer
Of tho urmy, navy or marine corps
should bo eligible 10 benefits under the
new law.
These two enactments are doubtless
intended as m initiation toward correct.
ing an abuse OF the governments civil
service, which has long demanded cor.
tection, namely, the occupying OF a
double position, and, therefore, the
drawing Of a double salary by retired
officers OF tho army and navy. These
men receive the retiring pay OF their
grade, whatever it was, which Ia all
right and proper. They have earned an
honorable retirement and are entitled 10
all its privileges. But many OF them urc
not content with that. They 20 to work
to obtain government clerkships and
other offices; and, baing possessed of
more or leas official and family influence
here, arc almoat Invariably successful,
the consequence is that they draw double
pay from Uncle Sam while many an old
veteran, needy or in actual want, not on
the retired list, is unable to obtain any
kind OF place.
Numerous Instances OF such q state OF
Affairs have been brought to your cor.
respondents Eotice lately. There are
many conspicuous examples here with.
out seeking further. Officers who were
retired OH pay OF from 81 OG0 per year
upwards are at pfesent holding goverh-
lnenL positions paying as much per year
more. They have obtained these places
largely through bureau influence, not
through conspicuous merit, and can well
atlord an elegant style OF living, while
at the same time many all old soldier of
the Rebellion has been turned away be-
cause there was nothing left to offer
him.
This is inanifestly unjust. Men who
are already the charges of tho govern
men,, and properly 80, have no right to
seek further benefits at the governments
hands to the detriinent OF their needy
fellow citizens who are not cared for as
they are. This condition OF things has
already gone too far. 1t has become al
most scandal. Congress should 80 fur
ther than it has. Letit call on the Ad.
infant General OF the Army for list OF
the retired officers now holding Govern.
ment positions, and after perusing the
formidable list which would be return.
ed, pass some very stringent legislation
on the subject, calculated to put stop
to the evil for all time. 1t would bs as
generally popular n thing as Congress
could do, and at the same time be moth
ing more than m act OF justice to those
who need the Governments patronage,
which is now Improperly bestowed.
1t is not necessary now 10 mention by
name any OF the examples OF the double
pay imposition, but in case no active
measures are taken by Congress 1t might
serve good purpose for the press OF the
country TO name few OF the more prom.
inPnt ones juat by way OF warning 10 the
others. Some rather lofty heads would
fall