The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-02
HERTZ WRITES A LETTER
THAT IS HIS NAME APPEARS TO
A COMMUNICATION

Which Bears No Particular Evidence
OF Having Been Prepared or Re-
vised by Judge SteeIe---The Ad-
jutant Was Sick Ten Days, While
1t Took His Typewriter Fifteen
More to Prepare the Document.
The good ship Eustis fired a thir-
teen-inch gun yesterday. 1t took some
time to work the gun. A G 10 b re-
porter was in Minneapolis Wednes-
day, and was notified that there was
being prepared Illumination that
would silence The c. b e. 1t was
even intimated that Judge Steele,
chairman of the Republican state CEN
trail committee, was experimenting the
working Of the gun himself. This must
nave been an error, for, when the full
mlnatiOn reached The G l o b e, it bore
the signature of J. K. Mertz, depart
ment adjutant of the c.. A. r. There
is nothing about the Illumination to
show that it was cOncOcted in the Of
hce Of Judge Steele-even the fact that
it is signed by Jacob Mertz proves
nothing in this direction. To be sure,
1t is evident that, when Mr.. Mertz
Cook his typewriter in hand, he didn't
happen to have any of his own letter
with a couple of pages Of what is
known in newspaper circles as film
sy' over these two pages he has
spread a few reasons for standing by
Eustis, and going down with the ship,
If need be. The thirteen-inch gun did
not do much harm.
1t lost much Of it's force because
most of the small politicians in Min
neapolis knew that The G 10 b was
going to be made the object OF an as
sault. The G. | o b might have an
nounced yesterday morning, had it
been inclined, that it was in hourly
expectation of receiving from J. K.
Mertz communication calculated to
put Eustis straight before the mem
hers of the G.. A r. That would have
been taking an unfair advantage of
the gallant old soldier, and he was Civ
Ell time to fire his gun. That Mertz
may not feel that he wasted any time
in his careful revision Of the dOcu-
ment; that he may further lay to him
self the flattering JUNCTION that he
done" his duty when he seen" it,
the Illumination is printed in full. 1t
would scarcely be fair to print it with
out some sort of explanatory accom-
paniment Here is the communication
as it came from the hands Of Mr..
Mertz, signature, reVisions and all:
To TIE ST. Paul Globe:
in your columns an article entitled mo
Friend to the Old Soldiers which did very
great injustice to me personally, and had a
tendency to misle3d the public in e.ation to
the attitude of the Grand Army CT the Re-
pubic OF Minnesota, one of whose officers !
am.
At the time that article appeared, and for
ten days or two weeks thereafter l was suf-
fering from a severe illness, otherwise l
should have taken an earlier opportunity to
request you to rec1fy the errors therein
| no tai e
newspaper desires, or can afford to. indulge
in untrue statements, even during a heated
political campaign. Therefore l request most
respectfully that you will insert this article.
During the incumbency of Hon. william Y.
Eustis as mayor of Minneapolis, upon one
occasion-and one only visited that gen
tleman to request the retention on the police
force Of a veteran Union solder of the Civil
War, whom | considered to be entirely COM
petent and worthy of such employment
My conversation with Mayer Eustis that
occasion was purely informal and entirely
friendly. | thought then that Mayor Eustis
was a gentleman, and neither that nor any
other interview / had with him has ever per
suaded me to think otherwise. Therefore
Mayor EuStis did not 'cOarsely rebuff me
nor order me out of his office, as your re-
porter sensatiOnally puts it. On the contra
/ ry, he received me with perfect courtesy and
listened patiently to my plea for my COM
| rade.
told him of the necessities of the veteran
and Of his dependent family, and gave him
| such facts at the time I was possessed OF
10 lnuuce MIN 10 retain the comrade in the
city's employ.
In reply Mayor Eustis spoke to me of the
arduous character of the duties devolVng
upon police officers. and spoke generally oil
the unftness of the veterans of the Civil Wal
! to perform those duties because of age and
! infirmities incident to their military serv.
! ices.
In concluding his review of the reasons
! which might compel him to decline to give
! police patronage to some of the veterans
| Of the Civil war, he said in substance. that
! the police department during his incumbency
| would not be conducted on lines of philan.
! thropy; that the national government had
| provided a system of pensions for old sol
! diers who are unfortunate enough to be pool
! and disabled; and IL they had no pension
in their need was provided for them goot
| soldiers home.
! This terminated the interview and I freel,
| gave the substance Of said interview to thu
| members Of the Veteran Union league at tn,
regular meeting which followed.
The statement in your paper that cur in
| terview was a stormy one'' is not true
The further statement that I was an a6pli
can't at any time for an appointment a
| the hands Of Mayor Eustis is unuualiiedT,
false: And the assertion that the veterani
| of Hennepin county, or any Of them eve
| called upon me with the request to see tn,
| mayor and try to stem the current agains
them is without the slightest foundation II
| fact.
Mr. Editor ii Is well known that am bolS