The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-05-14
Keepers of National Cemeteries.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Sometime
ago he Quartermaster-Genera OF the Army
Issued an order prohibiting Superintendents
OF National Cemeteries keeping private do
nestle animals at CT near the cemeteries.
This order evidently pinched someone where
it hurt, for it has resulted in Congressional
interference, and bill permitting Superin-
tendents 10 keep a private horse and cow has
been presented. Had the gentleman who
prepared the bill been aware of the actual
needs and wants of the Superintendents, it
is thought that different bill would have
been presented that would have benefited
the superintendent In more substantial
way. For instance, to grant him sufficient
salary to live as becomes his position, and
TO enable him 10 purchase milk, etc, and
not have to rely upon his own res )urces for
n horse, or TO be troubled breaking in horses
every time the grass needs cutting. The
committee who prepared this bill were
clearly in the dark; for if they had read the
law, rules and regulations laid down for the
appointment and government of Saperin-
tendent-, they would have discovered that,
as the Quartermaster- General Informed them,
great responsibility was placed upon them,
and that they were under good discipline,
and that they were taught to realize their
esponsibiity-rules and regulations must
be observed. The Superintendent has been
appointed for meritorious services he is en-
Joined to be genteel ard courteous; he is
supposed TO work; he can't have u garden;
he must devote his entire time to his GENE
terry. Now, how can a man be genteei, re-
alize his responsibility, keep a nice, neat
house as it ought to be kept on the salary
received? Where can he look to for a rainy
day? Where can he borrow money TO pay
his family's transportation when he is sent
from one side of the continent to the other?
1t takes money, too, to keep one of the lodges
respectable. An old soldier don't like bare
floors any better than anyone else, and he
likes to be genteel. But he can't on $50, or
if in charge OF a first class cemetery, SIS per
month; he can't realize much RESPONSE
bility; he cunt be very genteel on the
amount received and pay his debts. The
committee in their remarks on the COW ques-
ton say the SuperintendentS are old and
infrm. Then he don't need COW give him
money to buy milk and butter, for it's too
hard work for the old man to take care of a
COW. But give him good Government
horse one that can be relied on to pull the
lawn-mowers and TO do other necessary
work, but don't give the old fellow mule;
they don't look any better in a National
cemetery than chcken-coop.
Then, again, give the Quartermaster's De-
partment little more money to maintain
National Cemeteries. Then the Quartermas-
ter-General could do something in the way
of improvement, and would not be bothered
with such trifles. He does tie best he can
do with the means at hand, and it is GER
taiuty that someone abused a privilege,
otherwise the order never would have been
issued. The Quartermaster deserves credit
for the fact that is contained in rules and
regulations adopted by the War Depart
ment when that distinguished officer, M. G.
Meigs, was Quartermaster-G General:
Article z. No Superintendent will be
allowed to keep pigs or cows in National
Cemetery, nor will any Superintendent be
allowed TO keep such animals housed or
penned within so feet of the Enclosure of such
cemeteries"
We wills venture the assertion that if
bill was to be presented to increase the sala-
ries of these responsible servants that it
would meet the hearty approval of the
Quartermaster-General and the Hon. Secre-
tary of War. No one has ever advanced the
idea that the old man should be on the re-
tired list; the responsibility of Superiu-
tendent in charge of third and fourth-elass
cemeteries being equal to that of the first
and second classes, and the manual labor
being greater in the third and fourth for the
simple reason that the allowance for labor is
the smallest, which fact compels him to
work that much harder to keep the ceme-
terry as it should be kept. 1t seems strange
that our lawmakers don't see to these mat
tiers, instead of bullying the Quartermaster-
General for doing his duty.-JUsrICE.