Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-04-16
NUMBER 10.
The Difference between Senator and SOL
-is-


In the United States Senate, on Wednes-
day, a bill which gives non-commissioned
officers who have served ihirty-five years
three-quarters Of their pay as pension for
the remainder of their lives was taken up.
Mr.. Beck of Kentucky opposed the bill,
taking the ground that civil officers
should be pcnsioncd if military OIL
GERS are. lie said that there was NJ
more srduous service in the world
than to serve in the Senate Of the United
States, and that Senator Anthony was as de-
serving Of pension as the soldiers who have
been serving in the army about the sa;ar
length of time as he had been in the Senate.
Gen. Burnside said there was wide dir
ference between Senator and soldier: a
devote to his own business The Senator
from Kentucky can 20 before the supreme
Court and plead n case tomorrow, and
charge fee of $4,000 and put it in his
pocket. Many of us can travel over the
country attending to our own business and
at the same time draw our salaries as Sci!a-
tors. Very different is the condition of those
poor clerks whom my colleague has proposed
to pension, who work eight or ten hours
day every working day for thirty years Of
their lives. and who have sufficient intel
ligence and fidelity to retain their places.
The cause of the Senator and the soldier arc
not parallel. During the late war, when the
authority and the integrity Of the Govern
ment were in danger, we did not have to
beg Senators to serve saying, "For Gods
sake, come and serve in the Senate of the
United States, and we viii give You Il
bounty" Far from that. Senators have
always sought their places of the people,
but men were asked and begged and I'M
plored to 90 to the field to fight for the life
of the country. Those men went and
took their lives in their hands, and
promises were made not only Ly the
National Legislature, but hy State
Legislatures, some of which promises have
never been fulfilled. /, Mr.. President, am
the last man who should make Il personal
complaint. because have received from the
general Government and from the people of
my State a great deal more than ! have de-
served; hut promises have been made to the
soldiers which have not been fulfilled, after
they had been begged to 20 to the field and
offered all kinds of inducements to go. The
would be benefited by this bill is very small.
They cannot have served for thirty years TN
less they have been brave, faithful men. and
the same amount of industry in private life
would have secured them competency.
Now we are haSsling about the passage of
this law which would put go To 100 of them
on pensions, but we were not actuaied by
such feelings when the country was in dan
ger. We would have then gladly promised
this, or ten times as much. or forty times as
much, had it been necessary in order TO fill
up the army.
Gen. Burnside said, in conclusion. that
while he was in favor of pensIoning merito-
rious non-commissioned officers. he would
also he disposed, as he now regarded it, 10
pension meritOrious civil officers. But he
would advise no friend of his to become an
oflice-seeker. Public employment does not
give so much happiness As private.