The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-05-26
NATIONAL WASHINGTON D. O. THURSDAY g. 1904


At a recent meeting of Jas A. Garfield
Post, Washington. D. c.. the following
resolutions opposing the Gillett Bill. which
proposes to summarily retire all Govern
ment employees upon reaching the age of
70, were unanimously adopted:
Whereas age is no bar to service in the
Supreme Court of the United States. the
United States Senate, the House of Rep
resentatlves, or to service in elective or
appointive positions. secured as reward
for political service or for political influ-
ence: Therefore be it
Resolved, That James A. Garfield Post,
No. {, Department of the Potomac, Grand
Army of the Republic. condemns the pros
posed bill as an effort to secure class legis-
ation. which. if made a law, would dis
crilnnate against veterans of the war of
the rebellion now holding positions in the
classified service of the Departments of
the Government Offices by making their re-
tlrement compulsory when 20 years of age.
regardless of their ability to perform the
duties of their respective positions.
Resolved. That the legislation proposed
by the Gillett bill is offensive to the mem
bers of the Grand Army of the Republic
holding positions in the classified service
of the Government, and should be opposed
by every influence and power of the Or
der. which is composed of men who, by a
sacrifice of every other than patriotic
ambition. made it possible for the author
OF the bill to hold seat in Congress and
TO profit by the emoluments of his office.
The proposed legislation is absolutely
lndefensible from many points of view.
In the first place. it will arbitrarily de-
prive the Government of the services of
very many men Of the highest value to it.
A very large part of clerks value is his
experience. and there are hundreds of men
in Government employ now near or past
~ who are in the very ripeness of their
powers, and whose worth to the Govern
ment can not be over-estimatcd. How well
they are performing their duties may be
readily understood by rejecting how active
and efficient are Speaker Cannon, Repre-
sentative Hit, Senator Depew and scores
of others, who are the foremost men in
Congress, in the Cabinet, and on the Su-
preme Bench. They are leaders because
to their original strong mental powers they
have added the riches Of long study and
experience.
The Departmental examinations, GER
tainly conducted with no show of parti-
atty for the old men, show that frequently
men of 20 and upward make ratings
higher than their younger associates.
Next, it is a vicious public policy to ar
bitrarily turn men out at certain age.
No railroad, mercantile house, manufac-
tory or other great establishment would
do such a thing. 1t would be so discour-
aging as to demoralize their service They
know that if they want to get the best
service out of their people they must give
them security in the positions as long as
they are capable and faithful. The United
States should have the highest and best
service that can be procured. 1t can not
have this unless it makes all the condi-
tions at least equal to those found outside.
What the Government should do is to
provide for the retirement Of all it's EN-
ployees, when they shall be incapacitate.,
from future service by reason of age or
disability. This has been strongly urged.
but has so far failed, mainly on account
of the petty selfishness Of the younger
classes of employees, who simply want to
crowd the older ones out to get promotion
for themselves, without thought that in
few years still younger class will be
selfishness.