The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1912-03-01
Hundreds of Old and infirm Gov
eminent Employees.
PLAN Is WARMLY OPPOSED
Hard Fight Certain Before Any Re-
tirement Law ls Passed by Con-
oress-Filibuster of James Burke
In 1873 Recalled.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

the Washington departments still are
deeply interested IN movement TO
secure legislation FROM congress which
will enable them when they have
grown old III the service to retire on
pensions. There is a good deal OF
opposition in congress to any scheme
for civil pensions. but England has
old age pensions and civil pensions OF
kind which recently seems TO have
appealed to many OF the American
lawmakers. and 1t is predicted freely
In Washington that before many years
the government employees will in the
age retirement matter be put ON a
footing with the army and navy.
There are some hundreds OF men.
and women, too. in Washington who
would be eligible for civil pensions II
the law were to be enacted. In the
daily procession to the departments at
the hour for beginning work there are
many men and women moving along
taboriously on crutches. Hundreds OF
others need canes to aid the hating
steps and hundreds of others who
need them get along without them,
an open confession of weakness.
i Two Sides to the Question.
There is a plan to retire every man
and woman who has reached the age
OF seventy years. Ii this bin should
become law some of these men and
women who have reached the Psalm
ist's allotted span of life will not have
to take the trail that leads from Cap
itol Hill to the poor house.
There are two sides to this civil
pension question. There are men who
say that there is no reason why the
government employees should not have
saved enough to provide against old
age just as other men and women are
compelled to take care against the
future. The other side OF 1t is that
the cost of living is very high in Wash
ington and that government pay is
none too generous. One thing is to
be taken for granted, there will be
hard fight before any civil pension
law is passed by congress.
Roosevelt and the Murchie Baby.
The United States marshal for the I
district of Massachusetts is Guy
Murchie. a Harvard man. who was
sergeant in Roosevelt's regiment OF
Rough Riders. Marshal Murchie is
well known in Washington and the
city heard not long ago with sorrow
of the death of Mrs. Murchie, the
marshals wife. There are four chill
dren In the Murchie family. all under
six years of age.
>fo
ident he paid visit to Harvard uni
versity, where his son was to join a
club to which his father had belonged
before him and was TO join II with
certain ceremonies in which the grad
nate members were TO take part. The
president also was TO make a speech
TO the Harvard students and the time |
allotted for his Boston and Cambridge |
visit was SO brief that everything he |
was to do was timed and tabulated |
and there were to be no Interruptions
TO the program.
The president reached Boston and
fust after the mayor and the governor
had greeted him and the presidential
thought was turning TO the next affair
on the program. Mr.. Roosevelt re-
.ceiyed a message. Instantly he en-
tered a carriage and was whirled away
TO a Mount Vernon street residence.
1t was. the home OF Guy Murchie and
in thesparlor of the home were Mr.
and Mrs. Murchie. number of friends
. and relatives and Bishop Lawrence OF
Sthe Episcopal church. There was also
a baby. and the possible future Rough
Rider was TO be baptized
Ii was the news of the baptism that
took President Roosevelt to the
Murchie home and there. good Dutch
Reformed churchman that he is. he
stood godfather and did promise and
Wv three things" in the name OF the |
Ne at the font a good Episcopaian |
and the grandchild of one OF the |
vt clergymen that the Episcopal |
0as Hld in its communion. DR.
sster Donald, who died some |
nd who was chosen unani |
q successor TO Philips |
ne people OF Trinity |
Mrs. Murchie was a
0onald.
Long Ago.
in the house
here was a
of the steel
y held that
enacting
4 by ev.
s, and
par.
of