The National tribune., 1911-01-05
The omcers. Retirement RIlI.


Editor National Tribune: win you
kindly grant me space in your paper
to submit to the veterans, officers and
enlisted men OF the civil war, the press
and the public, for their consideration,
the following:
\ bill is before Congress to create a
civil war officers retirement list. and
to authorize placing thereon. with pay,
Second Lieutenants. from s400 to $500
per year. and grading UP according to
rank to $500 per year for q Brigadier-
Geueral and 1t is understood that this
bill will be acted upon Immediately
upon the convening of Congress in De-
cember next.
The great volunteer army of the
civil war was made UP Of men and boys
from all conditions and walks of peace
ful life. They were schoolmates and
playmates, neighbors and fellow-work-
men in all lines-they were citizens.
None of them knew anything about
war; none OF them had any military
training (for the proportion of veterans
of the Mexican war was 30 slight as
TO be negIigible). The officero OF this
great mass OF military ignorance were
of the mass. selected by the mass and
had everything connected with their
duties to learn Just the Same as the
vantage of caste; their blood was OF
the same constituency as that Of the
men that made them officers. They,
officers and enlisted men in like pro-
portion, owned for their ancestors the
best stock of the Mayfowsr enigrants
the Revolutionary fathers and moth
ers, and the cream Of England, Ger
many and other European countries.
All performed their particular duties
with the same loyal devotion, faithful
ness. courage, stubbornneas, and all
other qualities that made that great
army successful. In tho proportion Of
specially valorous and raeritorious
deeds performed. I think all Will ed
nit honors were about even. All are
responsible alike, one as much az the
other, for the successful ending Of that
great strife.
During their service officer and en-
listed man received pay in accordance
with his rank and his supposed respon-
sibiHty. When discharged all digtinc-
ton Of rank was obliterats5 Every
man was reduced to one common level.
Ali were citizens Of the country they
had saved. Then the responsibilities OF
one were no greater than those of the
other. Tho Governments obligation
then to one was no greater than to the
other. And at this late day the passage
Of any Congressional measure discrin-
mating in favor Of or against officer
or enlisted man cannot be justified. The
only defense OF such q measure Is
precedent. It Is claimed that officers
OF other wars were specially recog-
nized by Congress, and that this prece-
dent warrants and justifes similar
action by another Congress. But we
must remember that this IL an age of
advancement and should be ruled by
justice, right, fairness and equity. No
number of wrongs perpetuatsd in years
gone by make right to-day. Precedent
to the windsl Square deal' is the
watohword of to-day.
Col. Roosevelt said IN his great
speech at OsaWatomie, Kan, Aug. 81:
"AE for the veterans OF the Grand Army
Of the Republic, they deserve honor
and recognition such as 10 paid to no
other citizens Of the Republic, for to
them the Republic owes It's all--for to
them it owes It's very existence" No
the Grand Arny-not the officers, not
the enlisted men, but the whole Of the
Grand Army Let me ask you, my read
ers, individually, to whom do y6u give
credit for the victories won In defense
Of the great principles for which the
civil war was fought?
If you believe that the reasoning of
this articls is correct; II you believe
that the man who carried the gun, the
fighting man, was man; that he did
his full duty while in the army, and
that he 10 to-day just as capable of
enjoying IuIi snare OF Uncle sam
generosity az the man who carried the
sword, and is entitled to that full share,
then the man who carried the gun ap-
peals to you, each any evory one. to
use your best efforts to induce Congress
to defeat this retirement bill and pro-
vide equally and indiscriFainateiy for
the reasonable comfort OF every man
who fought in that civil war regardless
Of previous rank. Take Mr., Roose-
velts words for our title to this con-
gideration. We believe in our Congress;
we believe IL our people and our press.
We believe that they believe in justice,
and that they viii see that the man for
whom this plea is made gets Justice. 4
believe that nearly all ex-oflcsrs recoG-
nize the justice of our reasoning and
know many of them are with us for
a square deal We remind those who
are responsible for the Introduction OF
this retirement bill that there would |
havo been no officers had there been
no enlisted men. and we most respect |
fully request the Reconsideration Of |
their action and tho Withdrawal of the |
BILL With duo respect to ell concern |
ed--G. NJ. Eurlingafae, nearly four
years in Co. F, esd Ohio, 1896 North |
Fair Oaks, Pasadena, Cal,
EaaroIed an Accused Veteran.