The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-14
NJ PLEADS |. : !. /
FOR AGED CLERKS
Head Of G. A. R. Writes to Taw-
ney About Proposed ousting
Of Federal Employees.

Washington, March IL Corporal
Tanner, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the
Grand Army of the Republic, has writ
ten a letter to Representative James A.
Tawney Of Minnesota, chairman OF the
house committee on appropriations, pro-
testing vigorously against the action of
Mr.. TaWney s committee in recommend
ing the enactment of a law reducing the
compensation Of government clerks
after they have attained the age Of 65
years. q Corporal Tanner writes par
ticnlarly in behalf of his comrades of
the civil war, many OF whom. now en-
ployed in the government service, would
be affected seriously by the proposed re-,
ductinn in compensation. 4
sertion TO Mr.. Tawney that Hyou won It
find a confederate soldier behind your
bill, 2 and, incidentally, pays tribuate
to a confederate brigadier who refused
to permit a single one OF the union vet.
Grams to be disturbed when he had the
power to remove them.
Tanner to Tawney.
The letter in part is as follows:
'sTo proposition that shall provide
for a fair reduction when, in Individual
cases, by the deterioration Of his mental
or physical faculties, a man, is incapaci-
quirements of the service, have NO OBJ
lection to present; but that condition is
as amply provided for by existing law
as you can make it. The departments
now have power to denote or discharge
for incapacity,s or for any other cause,
or for no cause, a powersrevieWable by
no tribunal, that for century and a
quarter has been absolute. Under it
old men and, young are daily being as
signed both by promotion and reduction
propose that the almshouse alone shall
be the veterans refuge in life, and per-
haps after you we kicked him out to
rattle his bones over the stones will
deny him burial in consecrated ground,
close against him the gates of Airing
ton. -
"According to the best estimate we
can make, 100000 Of the union army
are now living. Providence has blessed
these men with a vast aggregation Of
sons and sons-in-law, and I cannot be
far out Of the way when | assert that
and their allied, domestic relations. az
gregate nearly or quite 100000 adults
in this land. Few of this number but
directly or indir ectIy would be ahected
by the proposed legislation
Saviors of Nation.
"My dear chairman, there is a dead
line in legislation respecting the sa-
viors of the nation as perfectly marked
as at Andersonville, beyond which no
enemy may go. Let me beg you to pause
belief that the sentry is asleep, and to
have only words Of praise for the bridge
that many times and oft has carried
you to safety, and, Like the belfry in
the market. place of Bruges, thrice
burned. down and thrice rebuilded, still
watches o FER the town: W
You may pass this unjust, cruel,
the flag and the memories Of men and
women are not !, stricken with paresis
but before you do5l hope you hea,
Whitcomb Riley ree9te ! Goodby, jim;
TEX Keer Yourself. ss 5zs
EThis letter is, Of course, YOU under
stand, wholly, impersonal; happen .tc
be the, official representative Of my
comrades, as are you of the powerful
committee that, like the hand that
Of the nation. I write not in anger
but in deep sorrow, for it is my country
and my comrades with whom I've. sc
long touched elbows in whose name this
great wrong is being done. They count
ed not. the cost in the days Of theil
! youth, health and strength; now they 'rt
almost at the turn of the tide, nearly
all in - For years they have given t.
the government in civil life the sam,
earnest, hard working, faithful loya
service that they gave in time Of war
for years. and years to come their yer.
experience will be of incalculable value
Your bill makes their superior com
potency an absolute disqualification be
cause of the years taken to acquire it
Man Behind the Gun.
elm the civil service, as in the army
or navy, it is 'the man behind the gun
upon whom we lean most heavily; VIII,
fights the battle; who does the things
that getainto general orders under some
one else s name, but what would we d.
without him9'
"This subject is one which, by thu
very emphasis of our declining years
stands closer to the representatives O
the vanishing army than any othe1
obligation on earth except to our Coz
and country shall be pardoned
therefore, ] am sure, for speaking LONG
and feelingly.
"Our comrades in the government
service are, by the circumstances o:
their positions, powerless to- defent
! themselves. | beg you to speak for, in
stead of against, if you cannot leave
them alone.''