The National tribune., 1903-06-25
A "SQUARE DEAL. -

Among very many sententiOus and elec
! trifying things which President Roosevelt
said in his speeches on his Western toul
was:
"Any man who is good enough to shed
his blood for his country is good enough
to be given a square deal afterward. More
than that no man is entitled to, and less
than that no man should have"
This is a doctrine which not only every
veteran but every true hearted American
will warmly indOrse. Americanism means
giving every man square DEAL" whether
he fought for his country or not, but it is
particularly desirous that men who have
fought to secure this square deaF' for
everybody else should be properly con-
sidered in the general deal. The veterans
believe that they have not had square
deal'' in pensions Eor in public employ
ment. particularly since Cleveland's first
inaugural ation. They were then turned out
of office by the tens of thousands, and the
men who We're put in their places were
covered by a blanket of Civil Service,
while the men who had given their best
years to the Government, and had served
it as faithfully in civil employment as in
the field. were cruelty injured by being de-
prived of their means of support. The
men who were put in their places had no
claim whatever upon the employment or
the Government, as had the men who had
fought for the country and afterwards
made the best of civil servants. The pres
ent troubles in the Post Office are con-
fined almost wholly to men who came into
the Department under Cleveland after the
old soldiers were turned out, and were all
strongly of the opinion that the "old SOL
dier racket was played out" What is true
of the Post Office Department will in all
likelihood be found true of other Depart
ments should an investigation be made.
The men who were good enough to shed
their blood for their country have not had
a square deaT' in pensions in all the long,
dreary years which have followed the in
coming of Mr.. Cleveland. In place of it
they We're made the victims of Commits
sioners Lochren and Evans; in persis-
tent campaign of calumny, such as no
other body of citizens in this country were
ever subjected to. They were held up to
the public reprobation as the viest, the
most INSCRIPTIONS and the greediest of
mortaIs, who would hesitate at absolutely
nothing to get miserable little stipend of
$1.50 per week or more from the Govern
ment They We're denied this meager al
lowance upon the most frivolous and men-
dacious pretexts.
The whole efforts of Messrs. Lochran
and Evans were concentrated upon schemes
to prevent the veterans from having n
square deal"
All that the veterans of the United
States want is square DEAL" nothing
more or nothing less, of which the Pres.-
dent speaks so strongly. They only ask 10
be given public employment where they
are as capable of performing the duties as
other men, and certainly their services and
sacrifices entitle them to this right and this
preference over men who have done moth
ing for the country.
They only ask square dear' in pen
sions. That is, that in their old age and
decreptitude, in the evil days when they
must say there is no pleasure in them, in
the days of their absolute need, the Gov
ernment shall fulfill its promises to them
and without any quibbling or pettifogging,
without any dishonest tergiversation, it
shall execute its solemn contract with
them and pay them the small allowance
promised when they enlisted, and which
the laws grant.
This is simple, plain, unmistakable
square deal" such as always obtains be-
tween man and man in all the relations
of life.
The veterans gave without any hesitat-
ing and quibbling the best of their young
lives, and there was an agreement, both
directly expressed and directly implied,
that the Government would care for them
when they became disabled. They are all
now disabled more or less, and what is
asked for them is simply what every civil
liZed Government ON earth does for the
men who have served it in time of emer-
gency.
BY all means, Mr.. President, let the vet
| Grams have square deaf' first of all.