Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-15
RELY ON THE BALLOT
GEN. DYRENFoRTH's ADVICE TO
THE SOLDIERS.
Urges the Union Veterans Union to
Be Aggressive-Executive
Order Criticised

General Dyrenforth, the COMMUNICATIVE
chief of the Union Veterans Union in the
course or his report made to the recent en-
campment severely criticised the recent ex-
ecutl'e order regarding participation in po-
Htical activity by government employees.
He rema rked
Inc ciVh service Sc ms particularly
equipped to Illustrate just claims of the
men who preserved our beloved country
from destruction and made 1t possible for a
government of the entire country to exist.
BY recent executive order it Is made an
ofense. punishable by dismissal from the
service Tor any one in government employ
10 exercise his right an American cir
zen and advocate political principles with
winch he may be as sincerely imbued as he
would be with his religion, which would Of
course include public utterauces in favor
OF the rights of his comrades. That. is TO
say, SO soon as comrade say In recogni-
ton OF the offer of his life to his country,
becomes a civil servant of the government
he loses his rights as an American citizen
Is browbeaten into silence in behalf of his
rights, Is cowed by an overshadowing
power, and by ukase is deprived OF the
most exalted right of manhood
Cen Dyrenforth quoted the order and
said: "'''
In addition. it is made an offense. with
penalty OF official death to be visited upon
a civil servant. for a friend or any repre-
sentative man to call the attention of any
governmental magnate to his deserts 50
that, II any commander of our order asks
lot promotion of one of our comrades that
comrade may, for the desired attention -
his good qualities. be slain.
Was Not inundated.
Il may say, however that | have not Al
lowed myself TO be ntimidated by this sor;
of loftness. and have in various straight
forward ways and by the exercise of some
diplomacy, been able To secure rho nrou,o
ton of many. many living comrades and
or widows and orphans Of dear departed
comrades even within the last few months.
put 1t seems scandalous that We shout.
nave to live under conditions bearing the
appearance of tyranny.
Il may remark in passing that nv tba
leaving of matters Of promotion to chiefs
OF divisions In the departments. the respon-
slble heads of the government abdicate their
positions or high responsibility and delegate
tnelr powers to mere Subordinates in many
instances, of course. inferior person. of no
knowledge of men, of no experience In life
and Of no scope Of mind whatever. who be-
come mere petty tyrants puffed with a
n, ,, sense OF power and authority. and
who have merely a lot of lickspittles and
fawning sneaks for their favorites
Promises to the Veterans.
ihere are many fictitious suggestions
and promises held out to the veteran, but
when 1t comes to the test he may find that
executive utterances were only intended in
PlckWickian sense, and that senator's and
representatives in Congress- who could not
have been elected without the votes of the
veterans, turn their backs upon the old
heroes and manage their little political
games for themselves. decidedly to the sur
prise of these heroes to their disapnoiut
ment and deep sorrow and most selfshlv
to their disaster