Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-16
PRESIDENT, NOT CoMRADE.
Pointed Criticism of Grand Army
Resolution.
New York Tribune.

New York Tribune.
The Grand Army Of the Republic, which
has just been holding an encampment in
Cincinnati adopted long series of resolu.
tols concerning pensions which demanded
changes in the rules enforced by the pension
bureau in the examining of claims. De-
nouncing one Of the orders made by the
last administration and still continued In
force, it declared:
This iniquitous rule Is maintained UP to
this hour, and we submit that it is not
such treatment as we had right to expect
from Comrade William Mckinley. And we
are confident that when he is once relieved
from the mighty matters of national and
worldwide importance which now command
his attention he will see that justice is
done"
Now, as to the right of the Grand Army
of the Republic to critcise the conduct OF
the pension bureau and petition for changes
in its policy there can be no doubt. Every
patriotic citizen recalls with gratitude the
services to their country of the men who
form that organization, and even those who
fear that enthusiasm to help old companions
may lead the Grand Army men at times to
shut their eyes to real abuses and regard
as enemies OF the soldiers officials who de-
sire to keep swinders from using the
honored name of veteran to defraud the
government wish every soldier to obtain
everythin to which he is entitled under the
law and have every proper facility to prove
his claim. How far the complaint of the
Grand Army in the present instance is
| Justified we have no means of knowing. II
| injustice is being done 1t certainly should
| be corrected Nevertheless, we think the
| appeal for correction is not one to be COM
| mended as a model Of petition to the head
| Of republican government. 1t Is one that
asks favor, not judgment; that appeals to
| personal ties not official duty; that sug-
gests obligations other than those to the
whole people. Doubtless this is without in
| tenton. 1t is not to be presumed that the
| Grand Army has any sinister purpose, but
| the wording OF its resolution is unfortunate
| To pass it over without notice is to invite
all sorts of interests to make it precedent
| for appeals to favoritism.
| The person to whom the Grand Army
should present it's grievance is William Nc
| Kinley, president OF the United States, not
| Comrade William Mckinley. However loyal
\ member of the order Mr.. Mckinley may
| be, he executes the laws of the United
States as president of the United States,
| and not as a member Of Grand Army post
| That is a distinction that cannot be made
| too positive in this republic, and no amount
| of gratitude to any body of men must be
| allowed to blind our eyes to the evil OF
| even tacit assumption that some official
| action should be taken because of their rela
| tionship to some official. AS chief magis-
! rate Mr.. Mckinley can no more be Com
| rade Mckinley than he can be Uncle Nc
| Kinley or Cousin Mckinley or the Right
Worshipful Brother Mckinley OF secret
! society. 1t needs no special activity of
imagination to picture the storm of indgna
| ton which would be let loose If some
| nephew or cousin of the president should
| hint that the executive powers were en-
ployed differently with regard to him than
| with regard to some other person, that he
| could obtain things from the government
because he appealed to Uncle Mckinley. We
| believe Mr.. Mckinley is a devout member
| Of the Methodist Episcopal church. What
| would happen II Methodist convention re-
| minded Brother Mckinley that he belonged
| to that denomination and ought to give 1t
| more army chaplaincies? Yet the Metho-
dist Episcopal church and Mr.. McKinleys
| relatives and the lodge, II he belongs to
\ one, have Just as much right to ask the
president Of the United States to do some
official act because of the tie that binds him
| TO them as has the Grand Army OF the Re-
public to suggest that the government does
| not give 1t the treatment 1t has "a right to
| expect from Comrade William Mckinley"