The Sunday globe., 1901-07-14
HIS BLOOD COUSIN
Redfield Proctor Gay, an Old Sol
der Relative
OF RICH SANATOR PROCTOR.
His Treatment al the Dayton Soldiers Home
and His Mission 10 WashngiOn-How
Cleveland Regarded the Inmates Of The
Humes-A Novel PrOpOSiilOn-A Startling
Chapter Narrated 10 The Globe.

with q red head, entered Inc GlODe
office the past week and introduced
himself as Proctor Redfeld Gay, full
cousin of Senator Proctor, of Vermont.
He said;
81 am from the Soldiers Home at
Dayton. Ohio, and | would like the
Sunday Globe to state my case to the
public in the absence Of Senator Proc
tor who is out Of town, attending to
has quarries in Vermont"
"Well, Mr.. Gay" said The Globe,
what is your particular grievance?
my grievance is personal as well as
public. l have discussed the matter
on a former occasion with Senator
Proctor, and during the Cleveland Ad-
ministration | induced him to place
my ideas touching the Soldiers Homes
of which there are seven, before the
President My idea was that the abol-
ition of the Soldiers Homes and the
payment to the inmates of the money
expended for their keep, the salaries
of officers. and the other incidental eX-
penses. which cost the Government Of
the United States would be the proper
solution Of the old-soldier problem
Glow much do you figure, Mr. Gay,
each soldier would receive per month"
well sir the Senator and l figured
il out and we showed Mr.. Cleveland
that each soldier would receive $25 per
month"
what did Dir. Cleveland say to that
propostion?"
Senator Proctor told me that he
hung his head upon his breast for
few minutes and then answered,
There are three reasons why / Will.
not recommend to Congress your sug-
gestion Senator. The first is, that 80
per cent Of the inmates of our Soldiers
Homes are low, degraded foreigners,
who came over here during the war,
attracted by the big bounties, and,
since its close, have been a charge
upon the taxpayers in these homes
The second reason is that it would de-
prive a large number Of officers Of
these homes of the salaries and emolu-
ments they now enjoy The third rea-
son is the most potent of all, and that
is that two days after they received
their monthly stipend of S25, they
would be without a cent and become
charges on the poor-house, and taXpay-
ers would again have to support them
until the next payday"
We'll Mr.. Gay, what do you think
of Mr.. Cleveland's ideas. Does your
experience corroborate his state
ments?"
Partly so, sir; partly 80. The Sol
diers' Homes are heathenish places,
where men are more like heathens
than Christians. am myself a Chris
ton man, and when / pray | am sub
-. 10
at the table, with a piece of meat 60
ing to my mouth on fork, the man
next to me reaches across, knocks the
meat off of my fork, dips the sleeve
of his coat in my coffee and grabs the
piece of meat off the dish which he
tears like an animal ! mildly remoD'
strate with him for sticking his sleeve
in my coffee and knocking the meat
OH of my fork, and, for answer ] re-
ceive a vlow on the mouth which cuts
my lip. | visit the doctor of our con
valescent ward and report the facts
The doctor tells me the man was an
cry for me reproaching him. ! spit
blood on the floor, and the doctor calls
me down. After telling him the cause
why | spit blood, he tells me to get
out. and | ask is there no protection
here against heathens, and he says
take that man to the guard-house fol
two DAYS. The man who cut my lip
dipped his sleeve in my coffee, knocked
the meat off my fork has nothing done
with him. Another day | am coming
from the town. l meet one Of the
home officials, and he says, come in
and have a glass of beer, and politely
answer and say do not drink liquors
or beer and he gets mad, and he says
to one Of the policemen, Arrest thai
fellow and take him before the gov
ernor.' The governor, being in hur
ry. will not listen to my part Of the
story, sends me to the guard-house
and there lie on a blanket on the colo
floor all night The next morning
prove the statement that I had made
to the governor, and he says the OF
ficer was too hasty, and I reply, II
there no other redress for me- and h'
saws. That's ALL then / reply, GIVE
me my discharge from this heather
place and he orders the discharge
made out by the doctor However, tn
next morning he sends for me anC
SAYS: Now, Gay, | will give you
red pass which no man in the conva
lescent ward has but yourself. Thi
red pass entities you to go out in th'
morning at 6 and come back at ever!
day. so you need not write to Senator
Proctor. It will be all right ! tool
the pass and things went alonl
until an order came, stopping one-hal
of the pensions of the inmates of tn
convalescent ward and hospital TN
kicked against and demanded m!
discharge. which they refused TO CIV
me so | have come on to Washington
on the red pass, and here ! am
"Weu. now. Mr.. Gay, what do yo'
want The Globe to do for you 49,.
"Weu sir: they have retained m
,onsion I am without means. ! Nlsl
he Secretary of War and the Depar'
ments and | am referred from one U
the other | simply want my pension
and I want no more to do with sol
diers' Homes
"Have you tried any other of tn
Soldiers Homes-there are seven
eyes. sir: | have been in six of then
and thev are all alike, They are tn
lowest places on earth Tor Wnit
American to try to live in, ! served i
Co. K, 9th N. II. negiment. am a ful
cousin of Senator Proctor and al
rived here on the 23d Of June
Suppose you try, Mr.. Gay, Commi'
sioner Evans. He will transfer you
pension to Washington, where you ca
obtain it yourself"
We'll, sir, | propose to do so and
thank you for the suggestion an
a gentleman and a religious man.
read the bible and ! believe in Goo
and the Soldiers Homes are no place
for snch q man as | am. IL Presiden