Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-02-23
Hundreds of Old and Infirm Gov
eminent Employees.
PLAN IS WARMLY OPPOSED
Hard Fight Certain Before Any Re-
tirement Law 10 Passed by Con-
gress--FiIbuster Of James Burke
In 1873 Recalled.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

y
deeply interested in a movement to
secure legislation from congress which
will enable them when they have
grown old In 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
q 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 or men,
and women, too, in Washington who
would be eligible for civil pensions IL
the law We're to be enacted. In the
daily procession to the departments at
the hour for beginning work there are
many men and women moving along
laboriously on crutches. Hundreds OF
others need canes to aid the hating
steps and hundreds of others who
need them get along without them.
fearing that the use of them would be
an open confession OF weakness.
TWO Sides to the Question.
There is plan to retire every man
and woman who has reached the age
of seventy years. If this bill should
become law some of these men and
women who have reached the Psalm
lists allotted span of life will not have
TO take the trail that leads from Cap
itoi 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 it 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
a hard fight before any civil pension
law Is passed by congress.
Roosevelt and the Murch:e Baby.
The United States marshal for the
district OF Massachusetts is Guy
Murchie. Harvard man, who was a
sergeant in Roosevelt's regiment OF
Roug sIders. Marshal Murchie is
well kncxn In Washington and the
city heard not long ago with sorrow
of the death OF Mrs. Murchie. the
marshafs wife There are four chill
dren in the Murchie family, all under
six years of age.
When Theodore Roosevelt was pres
ident he paid a visit to Harvard uni
versity, where his son was to join
club to which his father had belonged
before him and was to Join 1t with
certain ceremonies in which the grad
uate 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
Just 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-
ceived a message. Instantly he en-
tered carriage and was whirled away
to Mount Vernon street residence.
1t was the home of Guy Murchie and
in the parlor of the home were Mr..
and Mrs. Murchie, number OF friends
and relatives and Bishop Lawrence OF
the Episcopal church. There was also
a baby, and the possible future Rough
Rider was to be baptized.
1t 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 Ibid promise and
VOW three things" in the name OF the
babe at the font, a good Episcopalian
babe and the grandchild OF one OF the
greatest clergymen that the Episcopal
church has held In it's communion, Dr..
e. Winchester Donald, who died some
time ago and who was chosen unani.
mousIy as a successor to Philips
Brooks by the people OF Trinity
church. Boston Mrs Murchie was a
daughter OF DR.. Donald
FlIibuster Of Long Ago.
The other day in the house
OF representatives there was q
filibuster on the passage OF the steel
tariff bill. The Republicans held that
there was too much haste in enacting
the legislation and they tried by ey-
cry known parliamentary means. and
by some which perhaps were not par
liamentary, to secure prolonging of
the debate. The Democrats during the
attempted filibusteT called attention to
the fact that when the Republicans
were In the majority in the house they
would cut of debate by the power
which numbers gave them, and that
today they had no rightful cause to
object to being done by as they had
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