The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-17

mortal day
On the 9Th of the present month the
sorroWing wires bore to our ears their
burden of grief, announcing the death
of Comrade James 4. Sexton, com
manderin -chief of the Grand Army of
the Republic. As seemed fitting a
message was at once sent to the aff1ict-
ed family of our dead chief expressive
of the sympathy of the comrades of
this department and of the hope that
He who holds the issues of life in His
hands might breathe His peace into
their bereaved hearts By the death of
COmrade Sexton earth loses one of her
manifest sons, the country a patriot
tried and true and the members of our
order a comrade trusted and beloved.
1t is doubtless true that some school
histories" are controlled and inspired
by commercial spirit" Moreover,
publishers are not always scrupulous
in methods of pushing their books.
The pamphlet entitled THE issues of
the war for the Union" published by
Mcpherson post 70 of Abingdon, has
been Endorsed by the council of admin
isTation as a good presentation of
those issues as the people of the loyal
states understood them, and as such
is worthy of a wide circulation. 1 am
inclined to believe that the omission
from this pamphlet OF references to the
north and south as parties to the con-
fict would increase its value as an
historical review.
To secure by all the means. in our
power fair consideration of the claims
OF veterans to appointments to and just
continuance in the public service is
our plain duty. 1t may seem strange
that any Massachusetts official should
seek to evade the laws of the common
wealth for the protection of the rights
of veterans in office, yet such is the
fact. The following cases have recently
been brought to the attention of the de-
partment:
IA veteran having passed the civil
service examination and having been
duly and legally certified as qualified
for a certain office, was refused APP
pointment, and a civilian, alleged to be
unqualified, appointed in his stead. At
tention of the proper legal authorities
was called to this case, and an indict-
ment of the appointing board for Vio-
lation of the law is now pending.
A board Of trustees deprived a vet
eran of his position by the indirect me-
thod of abolishing his office. That the
office was abolished in name rather
than in fact, seemed evident because of
the immediate appointment of another
person to perform the same duties. A
tration was appointed to inquire into
the facts of this case, and to do what
ever in their Judgment and within the
limits of their power, could be done to
secure justice to the comrade. This
committee has the case now in hand.
S-The most recent and apparently
the most fragrant case of injustice was
the peremptory removal of a veteran
from city office by the mayor, without
a hearing and without definite cause
assigned.
recommend the appointment by this
encampment or the council of admins
tration of a committee, whose duty it
shall be to investigate all cases of al
legged injustice, to secure a just recog-
milton of the claims of veterans under
the law, and to protect them in their
rights by all available means.
The yearly pension roll of $3.50, 900 900
seems enormous, but is in keeping with
the magnitude of the war that caused
It. and but logical sequel thereto.
That the present generation should pay
an annual pension tax of two dollars
per capita, is but slight sacrifice in
addition to the awful sacrifices of the
generation that fought the great war
for union and liberty
The soldiers of the Mexican war have
for IL years received a pension of $12
per month, on reaching the age of 81
years. 1t cannot be the purpose of the
patriotic people of this country To treat
with less generosity those who fought
in the civil war
In accordance with the vote of the
last department encamDment. the fol-
lowing question was submitted To +ha
vote Of the members of the several
posts at the last regular meeting in
May:
Shall the rules and regulations he 50
amended that no past commandment
chief. past senior or Junior yice-com-
mander- in chief or past department
seouentIv to such amend,nent sbali b,,
virtue of such position. be entitled TO
seat in any national or department
encampment?"
The ballot resulted as follows. Whole
number of votes, 5122. yeas 342O. NAYS
1892 -
BY the advice of the council of adj
ministration, the commander directed
that a vote be taken at the same time
on the foregoing question. with the
words who shall be elected subsa-
quently to such amendment STRICKEN
ont. - The result of tba ballet ~, +tis
question was as follows: Whole nun0-
Der of votes, $3.50; yeas. 1851: nays. 1899
In further pursuance of the instr1lc-
lions Of the encampment The com
mander, on behalf of the department of
Massachusetts, memorializes the ma
tional encampment for amendments to
the rules and regulations, in accordance
with the desire Of the comrades, as ex
pressed by their vote on the first cues
ton. The matter was referred to the
committee on resolutions of that body,
who reported adversely. with the sim
pie observation that the present rule
constituting past department com
manders members of their department