New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-29
TRIBUNE EMPLOYEES IN THE wax.
A LITTER FROM CLIFFORD THoNsoN-PAYMENTs
TO UNION SOLDIERS.


TO UNION SOLDIERS.
70 the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: In The Tribune Of this Christmas morning
find an article entitled Tribune Employees IN the
War;, and in the list Of names mine Is given ns
having enlisted In the 1st New-York Cavalry. IL Is
trnc that at the breaking ont Of the war was
reporter In the employ OF The Tribune ut regular
weekly salary, and that Lad been In the employ OF
that paper for several years. In compliance with the
first call OF the President for volunteers, ! was on
rolled In the Lincoln Cavalry which subsequently
became the Isl New York Cavalry and was duly
mustered into service. / continued In the military
service for five years, being mustered out IN March,
1866, having received promotion from time 10 time
until reached the grade OF major OF cavalry, ana
had also received two brevets. SO much Tor
tie facts, but here Is what take exception to.
Your article says Of TIE Tribune employees who
enlisted they were not prompted to the cause by
the Inducements Il large bounties, but left TIER
homes and families In the full conviction that IL
was a duty which they owed their country. 1t was
then that The Tribune Association came to their
aid, and assured them that they should receive ~
n week while they remained I'm service The GIT
was entirely voluntary, and not contributed by a
subscription among a tax upon the workngmen
of TIE establishment. Some were In the service for
a year after the close OF the war. ard all regularly
received the 81 weekly through their friends or rela-
tIveS.-
Now once more for facts. When l enlisted. Mr..
Horace Greeley and others OF Tho Tribune Assoca-
ton assured me that il returned my situation on
The Tribune should be open to me again, and that ]
could depend upon being rc-cmpoye1. The agree
ment to pay - a week never heard OF until this
Christmas morning and neither | any ore for
me ever received dollar from The Tribune AS
soclaton by o! any such agreement and
protest against such statement going out to the
world. II there was such an agreement on me
rart OF The Tribune Association, then that asSra-
ton owes the aggregate sum OF ~ n week for
period OF five years. The Tribune has achieved
wcll-carned rcnovn and sufficient good substantial
eO.y that II does not need TO attempt 70 aad
thereto by fictitious assumptions.
SIN more facts: When | returned TO New York.
after five years campaigning desired to return t.
my old calling and at once applied TO The 1rlDune
for employment but Informed that d" there were
no vacancies" Mr.. Henry J. Raymond, OF The
Times" however, very promptly found "a vacancy
for me on that journal. though under no Obligation
direct implied, 10 do so. At later period after
having spent some time in the West. returned TO
ew-York, and being very much in need OF employ
mcnt. | applied by letter to the Hon. Whltelaw ked
Il The Tribune reminding him Of Mr.. Greeeys prom
Sc at the time enlisted and was again informed tat
very much to the regret of Nj. Reid there were "n7
vacanc.." Fortunately for mo The Tribune was
rot the >only journal in NewIork, and SION found
"a vacancy that furnished satisfactory employ
ment fJr many years.
This has been my experience with The lrlpHhe
since the war; and wonder If the others named IN
vour LIST of Tribune EMPLOYEES In the War Jared
Similarly. | sincerely trust they did not. for should
be sorry II anv of nv old comrades. VINO return,N
from the service 10 find q the conditions OF civil
life changed, while they had become soldiers 70 such
an extent to be uncertain as 70 their ability !"
earn a living under those rev conditions; hai re-
ccived from their old employer the same cold sh3uldr:
that was turned 10 ! do not complain, LOT II
hns bcon far hotter for me that The Tribune could
not find "a vacancy" for me when applied for H.
omsiv ~ the statement that I 'hc recipient 81
The Tribune's bounty to the extent o! - week
willie was IN the army during the war go
This communication j. designed for publication,
and / hope TO see 1t in the columns of The Tribune
'N" NNF- ~ lIIEEORD THOMSON