River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-06-18
a TRIBUTE
TO THE LIVING VETERANS or THE CIVIL WAN

Washington, June 18.-The dis
missal of union veterans of the
Civil War from the Washington
City post office has brought a
storm of criticism on the Wilson
administration. Senators and Re-
representatives. in Congress have
taken up the veteran fight and a
thorough investigation is promis-
ed. The Honorable Julius Kahn,
Representative from California, in
a recent speech, paid the follow
ing tribute to the living veterans
of the Civil War:
at is well to remember the dead
but let US not forget u duty to
the living. And especially to those
living soldiers and sailors who, in
the years of their youth, e
ready to sacrifice their lives, il
need be, upon the altar of a united
country: Their number is dimin-
ishing rapidly. Most of them have
lived far beyond mans allotted
period of three years and
ten. Comparatively few of them
have been able to draw substantial
prizes in the lottery of life. This
is especially true of the rank and
file. Many of them were mere boys
when they enlisted. But they had
the hearts of men within their
breasts. They were ready to per-
form and often did perform the
valorous deeds of bearded men.
Their age was not deemed an OBJ
stacle to the faithful and honest
performance of duty to their coun-
try. Their services were Welcom-
ed gladly by a great and CRATE
full government. Some of these,
after they had grown to mans
estate, after. they had laid aside
the implements of war, after they
had been h%onorably discharged
from the military service, decided
to serve their country still in it's
civil service. Just as they bad
performed their duty faithfully
and honestly on the tented field,
so they performed their duty
faithfully and honestly in the ex-
ecutive departments of this Gov
eminent.
"True, they have grown weary
and old in that service. Is that
a fault? Has old age grown to be
a crime? Some raen clothed with
a little brief authority would make
it SO. But their actions will be
resented as it should be by the
citizens of this Government. The
proverbial ingratitude Of Republics
must not apply to these men. The
compensation they receive while
in the very heyday of their lives,
while in the fullest vigor Of their
faculties, was not a princely for
tune. Many of them had families
to real Many of them have not
been able to save much from their
meagre compensation for the al
most inevitable rainy day. some
Of them have become superannuat-
ed. To my mind it is a disgrace
to our country that they have
been thus thrust out, at an ad-
vanced age, on the very threshold
of the grave, to fight the battle
of life in competition with their
fellow men. At best, their years
will be few. Even if they were to-
tally incapacitated> which they are
not, it would be a fitting recog-
milton of their past services tic
continue them in the public e
vice until they peacefully close
their eyes in death.
1.-THE few dollars that will b.
saved as the result of the dis
charge of those aged men will be
squandered probably in some less
deserving cause. But how can you
assuage the sorrow, the grief, the
pain, that must come to these old
veterans when they r told that
this great American Common
wealth which they helped to save
must throw them adrift In their
declining days in order to make
room for younger men,"