The Saint Paul globe., 1898-10-16
The Passing of the OLD Soldier.

1he OLD soldier is tramping over rOu-h
ground in these fast flying last years
Of his career. From being petted and
coddled, from having political parties
and congresses dancing attendance on
MIN, obSequiouS to his demands, from
haVlng pension commissioners appoint
ed to assist in converting treasury sur
plus into deficit. and from being whore
the resolutions of his Grand Army en-
campments were made into law by con-
gress, he is being ignored, sighted,
buifeted, ridiculed and scorned LUIS
clous promises turn to ashes on his
lips and tempting pie becomes the
hardest of tack when it reaches his
outstretched hand.
Even the administration, with a COM
rade at it's head and comrades officer
Ing it, installed largely by his vote that
1t might contrast its loving with the
hating of its predecessor, follows dis
appointingly in the footsteps of that
predecessor. The commissioner Of pen
sions adheres to the policy of the alb
horred Lochren and refuses to restore
the latitudinous orders of the beloved
Raum. The Grand army, in it's en-
Tanner he of God help the surplus
thunders at Evans, and no echo rolls
back from Washington. The feet of
the pension bureau are as tortoise
paced as ever. Those pending cases."
that formed one of the several points
Of horror with which the Cleveland ad-
ministratiOn Of the bureau bristled.
have increased in number Evans is
also discovering frauds on the rolls.
In fact, all that was damnable in
Lochren reappears in Evans.
And then came Judge Kelly and took
all the sweetening out of Gen. Pope's
preference act that was intended to
give to the old soldier a lead over the
mere civilian politician in appointments
to civil position. Spellbinders have
pointed with pride to this act as One
Of the hundred proofs the Republican
party has given of it's love of and ten
der provision for the old soldier. It
was a Snaff1e bit in the mouth Of the
politician to prevent him from passing
by the old soldier and giving preference
to his heelers. And now, at the first
pull, the bit breaks and leaves the
NAo@NNAA cO0 IL &C ~ I'LL II a COIu SIlOul-
der to the old soldier applicant as ever
Eustis did when, as mayor of Mime
apolis, he had a little pie to cut and
serve.
The old soldier must be preferred if
he is qualified, or, as the court reads
the law, when all other things as to
qualification and fitness are equal" but,
and here is where the knife rips the
act UP the back. "the appointing power
has the right to the honest use of it's
discretion in determining such mat
ters." The appointing power determines
for itself, absolutely and without re-
view, in its prerogative Of discretion.
the fact of qualification and of equality
in all other things" and the courts
will not question either the accuracy
or the honesty Of use Of its discretion.
1t will be always the sufficient answer
to any old soldiers complaint In
mandamus that, in the discretion" Of
the appointing officer, the Telator was
unfit, or unqualified, or, Sin other
things" unequal to the person select
ed. Poor old soldier! Obdurate to fact
as he has been, even he must begin
to realize that, politically, he is a suck
ed orange, a banana peel, a busted foot
ball, a cold potato, a faded flower a
played-Out pack-mule.