CORRESPONDENCE. 
517 
pass which will injure any army veterinarian.” I may add 
that this gentleman is a prominent member on the Committee 
on Military Affairs. Whilst I am willing to make any rea¬ 
sonable sacrifice for the elevation of the profession, say of 
one or more month’s pay, under the new regime, it is alto¬ 
gether another affair to snatch the bread directly out of my 
mouth. Our stipend is so small that it is impossible for any of 
us to live decently on it, therefore, the proverbial “ rainy day ” 
is unprovided for. “ Self-preservation is the first law of na¬ 
ture,” and “a worm will turn on the foot which crushes it.” 
I know one or more army worms, who have friends in Wash¬ 
ington, who will not fail to turn when any bill presents 
itself to their detriment or injury, and I question the policy 
of presenting any bill of the form now under discussion. It 
is all very well to theorize, but I certainly am candid enough 
to state my preference for my present position, (bad as some 
people think it) to that of commencing private practice with¬ 
out sufficient means to pay my railroad fare to the scene of 
my proposed private endeavors. I am forcibly reminded of 
the old rhyme: 
God bless me and my wife, 
My son John, and his wife, 
Us four and no more. 
That highly?' interesting process known popularly as 
u feathering one’s own nest” is perfectly legitimate, laudable 
and human, provided the “ down ” is not obtained by strip¬ 
ping the feathers from other fowl who are unfortunate enough 
to be placed in a poor position for self-defense. 
There is such a thing recognized as vested rights, and for 
which there is no greater advocate than our own War De¬ 
partment, (I have given some examples). An attempt at in¬ 
fringement of those, amongst even the North American 
Indians, is followed by the direst punishments. It is strange 
that there are civilized people whose selfishness will not 
allow them to get to the level of the untutored savage. Fortu¬ 
nately however, those gentlemen (save the mark) cannot be 
very dictatorial, as every bill has to pass two commitees, and 
the poor fowl, whose feathers are thought necessary for 
