The National tribune., 1882-08-26

and are the examinations that many persons
entitled to pensions have been debarred from
obtaining their just dues because of their
inability to secure the positive evidence de-
manded by the Government. In the work
of auditing such O vast number of claims it
was of course to be expected that con-
siderable proportion would be presented by
persons not entitled to them, and it was
therefore necessary to provide for searching
examinations and require uadisputed evi-
dence, verified By the records of the War
Department, in order to prevent any abuse
Of the act which provided relief for the
soldier. 1t is not charged from any source
that there has been any collusion between
the officials empowered to pass upon pension
claims and fraudulent claimants; it is not
asserted that the Governments obligation to
the men who saved the Nation is not a per
fectly equitable one, and yet, forsooth, be-
cause the amount of the debt could not be
accurately estimated the Congress that
passed the measure Of relief is made the
subject of scurriIous abuse and the men who
sustained the cause of right and justice are
shamefully assailed. With equal justice it
might be said that Congress should repu-
diate the public debt because at the close of
the war it was found to be greater than it
was supposed it would be at the outbreak of
the rebellion. The journal from which we
have quoted, and which discusses the whole
question Of arrears of pensions in an elab-
crate article, after denouncing all pension
legislation as fraudulent, makes these re-
markable statements: "Since the law has
been passed and it is not to be repealed, it
cannot be executed too soon. The Govern
ment has large surplus revenue which may
as well be spent in this way as any other"
Exactly so. The whole story is told in
these two sentences: The law is not going
to be repealed, and the surplus revenue
affords the necessary sum to provide for
the payment of this branch of the Gov
ernment Indebtedness without imposing
any extraordinary burden on the people.
The money goes to pay off mortgages on
homesteads, to purchase necessary articles,
and to provide food and raiment for the
veterans and their dependents, and its ex-
penditure, of course, aids materially the
business interests of the places where it is
expended. The only thing to regret in
connection with this Arrears of Pensions
Act is that it was not passed many years
earlier, and that when it did become law,
that the necessary force Of clerks was not
Immediately provided to enable an examina-
ton of the claims to be made within a
reasonable period. That the press of the
country is mainly responsible for delaying
pension legislation there can be no doubt
whatever. The day has, however, at last
rights shall no longer be ignored. Through
the columns of The NATIONAL TRIBUNE
his voice, though he reside in Maine or
California, can penetrate to the Halls of
Congress, reminding the Representatives of
their duty and admonishing them that it
must be performed fearlessly and in disre-
gard of yenomous assaults of certain Jour
nails controlled by bond-holders and capi-
talists who demand to the utmost farthing
their own claims against the Government
as they mature. The utterances of many of
the leading daily newspapers are disgrace
to the Nation, and Congress can well afford
to pay no attention to their senseless rawlings
about Government extravaganza" in con-
nection with pension legislation.
THE occupation of the Suez Canal by the
British forces under General Wolseley was
coup detgt that neither Arab Pacha nor De
Lesseps expected and the intelligent war
correspondents failed to predict. General
Wolseley took pains to let it be known that
he intended to make general attack on the
Egyptian position at Aboukir, and made
great parade of his preparations for the
assault, but when his troops were all en-
barked he stole Off quietly at night, and,
eflecting landing at Port Said, took posses
sion of the canal before the enemy had a
chance to offer any resistance. This stroke of
strategy viii greatly simplify the campaign
in Egypt, for now the British commander
has nothing to fear from Arab and can pro-
ceed against him at his leisure.
THE arbitrary arrest and Imprisonment OF
Sheriff Gray, of Dublin, the editor of TIE
Feeman's Journal, for alleged contempt of
court, has done much to discredit the Glad
stone Irish policy. 1t was, in fact, a most
abuse of authority, and like the
Phoenix Park assassination, its effect is just
the reverse from what it was intended to be.
The murder of Lord Cavendish, instead of
the recognition of Irish rights,
only retarded it, and the imprisonment Of
Mr.. Gray, instead of impressing the Irish