The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1914-06-16
KAnNS TRIBUTE
TO old SOLDIERS


missal of union veterans of the Civil
war from the Washington City post.
Office has brought storm of criticism
on the Wilson administration. Sen
ators and representatives in congress
have taken up the veterans fight
and thorough investigation is prom
ised. The Honorable Julius Kahn,
representative from California, in q
recent speech, paid the following
beautiful tribute to the living veter-
ans of the Civil war:
cit is well to remembers the dead,
but let us not forget our duty to the
living. And especially to those living
soldiers and sailors who, in the years
of their youth, were ready to sacri-
fee their lives, if need be, upon the
number is diminishing rapidly. Most
of them have lived far beyond man s
allotted period Of three score 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 perform and often
did perform the valorous deeds Of
bearded men. Their age was not
deemed an obstacle to the faithful
and honest performance of duty to
their country. Their services we're
welcomed gladly by great and CRATE
full government Some of these, af-
ter they had grown to mans estate,
after they had laid aside the imple-
ments of war, after they had been
honorably discharged from the mill
tary service, decided to serve their
country still in it's civil service. just
as they had performed their duty
faithfully and honestly On the tented
field, so they performed their duty
faithfully and honestly in the execu-
tive departments of this government.
sfTrue, they have grown weary and
old in that service. Is that faultf
Has old age grown to be crime :
Some men 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 Repub-
lies must not apply to their lives,
while IN the fullest vigor of their
faculties, was not prineely fortune.
Many of them had families to rear.
Many of them have not been able to
save much from their meagre eom-
penshtion for the almost inevitable
rainy day. Some of them have be-
come superanuated. 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 totally incapieated,
which they are not, it would be a
fitting recognition of their past SER
vices to continue them in the public
service until they peacefully close
their eyes in death.
sThe few dollars that will be saw
ed as the result of, the discharge of
these aged men will be squandered
probably in some less deserving cause.
But how can you assnage the sorrow,
the grief, the pain, that must come to
these old veterans when they are told
that this great American common
wealth which they helped to save
must throw them adrift in their de-
elining days in order to make room
for younger men,