The National tribune., 1882-09-09
Congress and Pension Legislation.

Congress and Pension Legislation.
Since the adjournment of Congress nu-
| merous papers all over the country have
been indulging in extravagant statements
| as to the excess of appropriations made, as
compared with those of previous sessions.
The Bourbon press has Of course raised a
howl of Indignation, taking as an appa-
rently tangible pretext for their indignant
utterances at the extravaganza of the
Fnrty-seventh Congress, the appropriation
of one hundred million dollars to pay the
pensions for the current fiscal year, and the
further appropriation of some two millions
to defray the cost of increased clerical force
in the Pension Bureau and War Depart
ment for the purpose of examining the
claims of applicants for pensions The
river and harbor appropriation bill was,
of course, also characterized as a gigantic
steal by the same Bourbon authority, al
though, in more than one instance, the Jour
nails that felt called upon to denounce in
unreasonable terms the "pension steal 1"
justified the river and harbor bill for the
reason th7t Is Tiated a few thousand
aoliTs f9F -ae lprovement" of some
t':t STREAM ich probably under no
crt 7sus. f.sa % rendered navigable.
He cite Lis f5o5 rely to show the iricon-
sistency of certain journals in reviewing
the acts Of Congress. The editors of these
lying sheets, who descant so glibly on the
"extravagance of the pension appropria-
tion deliberately close their eyes to the
fact that Congress is only making provision
for the payment of debt as sacred as that to
the bond holder, the delay in the adjustment
of which has caused indescribable suffering
in the homes of thousands They know full
well that this obligation was incurred by
the Government with full understanding
of its character, and at least an approx
mate idea of its extent 1t is not, however
question of amount; it is a question of
equity. Should Congress to-day fail to pro-
vide for the payment of Governmental obli-
cations to bondholders, as they mature,
storm of Indignation would sweep over the
land, and yet, as we have repeatedly stated
and as these very writers know full well.
the debt to the soldier and sailor is one that
can be repudiated with no more reason than
that to the bondholder All through the
session of Congress, as our readers are well
aware, we urged upon the Senate and House
the Importance not only of making just
provision for the settlement of such claims
as may be audited during the year, but also
for the proper equipment of the Pension
Bureau, in order that the two or three hun
dred thousand claims that have for years
been slumbering in pigeon-holes might be
taken therefrom and examined. The legis-
lation on this subject has been simply an
net Of common justice, and that Congress
should be condemned for having performed
its duty is disgraceful to those journals who
permit their columns to be used for such d
purpose.
The fact is, Congress has only partly done
its duty, and upon its reassembling we shall
renew our battle for the passage of legisla-
tion which has been too long deferred The
bill increasing the pensions to soldiers and
sailors who lost a limb or who incurred
equivalent disability in the service should
become law, and proper provision should
be made with the least possible delay for the
pensioning of prisoners who survived the
terrible sufferings of Andersonville and
other Southern prison pens, and for the
widows and orphans of the thousands who
fell victims to starvation and disease in
those apologies for military prisons. The
of Bounties bill is another
of vast importance and one that
SuOulu nave Deen enaCteu lnUO u law long
ago. The justice of this measure is too well
known to require any explanation at our
hands. The money to be paid under its
provisions is as sacred a debt as any ever
incurred by the Government. Doubtless
upon the reassembling of Congress the press
the country will utter vigorous
protests against the passage Of any further |
pension legislation, no matter what the |
merits of the measure may be; but we pro-
pose to dispute, inch by inch, their attacks,
and with the aid of our rapidly growing
constitu ency we have the fullest conf !