Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-09-23
Republicans and the Arrears Of Pension
Rilf


The Washington correspondent of the
Boston Journal writing TO that paper under
date Of Sept. 10th says;
The Democrats continually misrepre sent
the facts relative TO the passage of the Sol
diers' Pension Arrears bill, and claim the
Democratic party deserves the credit with
the soldiers for the act. The pretence is a
ialsehood The following, briefly, is the
history Of the pension legislation. The
Democratic party is entitled to no credi,
with the soldiers for having passed the Ar
rears of Pension bill. The Congressional
Record and the other concurrent history OF
that legislation prove this. 1t is true the
Democratic Committee on Invalid Pensions
in the House had before it bill to provide
for the payment of arrears of pension, but it
is also true-and this fact the Democrats
carefully conceal that the Democratic ma
jority of that Invalid Pension Committee
inserted in the bills section to repeal sec
ton 41l6 of the Revised Statutes. The es-
sential part of that section-and the feat
ures Of IT which the rebel Democracy chiefly
desire 10 repeal-are
NO money on account Of pensions shall
be paid TO any person, or to the widow, or
children or heirs of any deceased person
who in any manner voluntarily engaged in.
or aided, or abetted the late rebellion against
the authority OF the United States"
This Is the concession which the Northern
doughfaccs are willing to make to their
Southern masters. This Is the condition
which the Democratic party as whole in
sisted upon inserting in the bill which
should propose TO pay arrears Of pensions To
Union soldiers. The provision Of the Law
desired to be repealed Is an eminenuy wise
one. Probably few Northern candidates
would have the hardihood upon the stump
to acknowledge that that provision ought to
be repealed. 10 repeal that section of
course IS to prepare the way for bills to pen
sion the rebel soldiers, and It Is 10 such
step that the language Of Ben. Butler and
Speaker Randall would tend-if their Ian
guagc means anythIng-when they Intm-
atcd that the time would come when there
should be no distinction between the soldiers
of the North and of the South. The North
crn Democrats, IN short, thus insisted that
the condition precedent to paving the ar
rears Of pensions TO Union soldiers should
h. that all legislative discrimination against
treason should b. removed. There prob
ably are few Union soldiers who would agree
To accept their arrears of pension II they
knew that the money was 10 be purchased
at such price. The bill 10 give the Union
soldiers their arrears Of pension, with this
provision 10 declare that treason was not
odious inserted in il, was presented by
Democrats TO the House. The first moment
the bill was in such parliamentary condi-
ton that the motion could be made Repre-
sentative Cummings of Iowa, 4 sturdy Re
publican soldier, moved to suspend the rules
and pass the ball with this condition As to
the repeal Of the provision cited stricken
out. The motion Of Col. Cummings was
undoubtedly surprise, bat the Northern
Democrats scarcely dared 10 vote against
such proposition, and hy Republican mo-
ton, therefore, the Arrears Of Pension bill
became 4 law. Still, the Democrats have
been unccasing in their efforts to secure the
repeal Of the section above indicated. Es-
cay b.!! .clItIas to .Usss'unA isr tl4e soldiers
Of the Mexican war have had this slinc re-
peal provision attached to II. and for that
reason, if for no other, the Republicans have
opposed those bills. Last session John Cof-
iroth Of Pcnnsylyania, Democrat, reported
such bill, and the Republicans objected to
it on that ground. Then he reported bill
to give an additional force in the Pension
Office, in order that the arrears OF work OF
years, which nov exist there, owing to the
fact that the Democrats have declined TO
make adequate appropriations for an in
crease Of the force might be brought up, but
Mr.. Acklen Of Louisiana, of sayory memory,
and Martin, both Democrats, objected. and
consideration of that bill was defeated.
The conclusion, from these facts. is as logi-
cal as ii is inevitable. that, il the present
barriers TO pensioning rebels cannot be re-
moved. every obstacle j. to be placed in the
way Of the Union soldiers. Meanwhile the
Pension Otiiee, with its present force, has
already twelve wears OF work before il.