The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-02

ing. position of responsibility in the organi-
cation OF the Grand Army Of the Republic.
II is also well known that the laws and CT
FINANCES OF this association of veteran SOL
dlers forbid the Introduction of partisan po-
lltlca' questions within their organization
Every veteran soldier OF, the Civil war should
be as well entitled TO possess and and eXer-
else his political choice as any other citi-
zen. ! personally claim this right and privi-
lege. But 1 respectfully protest against the
right or newspaper placing any man in a
false position before his fellow citizens, and
this l am compelled to say The G ! o e did
to myself in the article referred to.
rms interview with Mayor Eustis occurred
before became officially connected with the
Grand Army OF the Republic and while
was secretary Of the Union Veterans league
Inc Importance Of this statement will be
understood when it is recalled that the Grand
Army Is non-political organization while
the league was purely political and partisan
in its aims and tendencies. j. B. Mertz
Mr.. Mertz takes life altogether too
seriously for a practical politician. If
he could borrow some Of that cheering
Maine humOr that bubbles from the
swelling breast Of William Henry Eus-
us he would not write so very much, or
If he didn't write 1t he would not ap-
pend his name to such an exceedingly
long and very dry article No wonder
he was III. He was evidently not only
Ill for couple Of weeks, but in a
trance for couple of weeks more, in
asmuch as he haS,nOt hitherto seen fit
to make reply to The G. | O e's pub
LEGATION OF Aug. 6. Mr. Mertz says that
he was Ill for week or ten days after
the article appeared. Is it possible that
ii has taken him twenty days in which
TO prepare his answer? For a gentleman
VINO handles typewriter with such
FACILITY as is evidenced in the COPY re-
ceived by The G 0 b e, he has been an
uncorscionable time in making ready
his reply. There is nothing in that
same reply that would require two
weeks OF such Thoughtful thought as
NJ. Mertz could apply to a given pro-
position. Or, is it possible that the re-
tulns from the comrades who read The
I'll e article are just beginning to
come in, and that Judge Steele-or
rather Mr.. Mertz-finds that in Justice
to his friend William Henry, something
has to be done.
Mr.. Mertz is frank to a degree that
IS calculated to alarm when it is con-
S!dered that he is a partisan. in stating
the length, breadth and depth Of his
interview with Eustis. He goes so far
as to admit that William Henry would
regard the placing of veteran of the
civil war on the police force as ap-
piled philanthropy. Some OF Mr..
Mertz's comrades here in ST. Paul.
would be likely to resent that on the
ground that they are pretty ablebodiei
young fellows yet Mr. Meytz condones
1T, however. He also qualities a state
nent made in his letter. in a revision Of
that letter. The qualified phrase is in
black face type. The letter was origi-
nally written so that the phrase read:
VETERANS OF the Civil War" When
Mr.. MertZ put his Typewriter aside and
took his pen in hand, he inserted the
words: Some Of" before the sentence
quoted. Mr.. Mertz is inclined to split
hairs about small things But "some
of is certainly better.
That frank admission that Eustis
declared that old soldiers without
means ought to behave themselves
and go to the soldiers home is evil
dence that there is much truth in what
The b e said CT the interview that
took place between Mr.. Mertz and
Mayor Eustis. 1t will not be clear TO
people who do not examine things TOO
closely what difference there is be-
tween that statement blandIy. as Mr..
Eustis could, or "brutally." as Mr..
Eustis might. It might even be COM
planned that the idea, quite as much
as the expression of it, was brutal
And there are old soldiers in these
parts who, If they had been told that
! the appointment of an old soldier to
the police force would be an act of
philanthropy, and that the place for
| INDECENT old soldiers was the soldiers
| home, would have proceeded to make
the interview a stormy one without
further ado. That it was not stormy
interview is due entirely to the pacific
Character of Mr.. MertZ. He is enti-
! tied to what credit he can get for his
meek and lowly attitude before the
mayor, and, inasmuch as it takes two
to make an interview stormy. the in
formant of The G o b may have
| been wrong. ~
That informant, however, was a.
member Of that same Veterans league,
Of which Mr.. MertZ was the president.
and his information appeared to be
very good. Perhaps the other old SOL
dierS only knew what had been said
by Mayor Eustis, and took it for grant
ed that MertZ did what he would do
start storm or something like it. Mr..
Mertz says that he gave the substance
! Of the interview to the members Of
! the league and a member of that
! league may not have been able to re-
! member as clearly as Mr.. Mertz what
/ Mr. Merit said took place. If Mr..
! MertZ wants to quarrel about express
! ed brutality and that which Is brutally
expressed, he will have to take his
! typewriter in hand again.
If Merits typewriter at too tired.
it might not be amiss TOR Mr.. Mertz
to send a copy of his letter to each
Of the 500 Anti-Eustis Old Soldiers
| Of Minneapolis. Perhaps the club
would dishand and save hall rent.
Then, again. perhaps it might not.
If You Hovo