New-York tribune., 1882-02-22
THE PENSION ARREARS ELL.

THE PENSION ARREARS ELL.
The Senate did well yesterday in bringing to
an end the tedious and purpOSccSs debate upon
the resolution concerning the Pension Arrears
hill. The most that can be said for the TesOlu-
ton and the debate growing out OF it, Is that
they were in perfect keeping with the original
bill there was never anything but demagoS-
ism and buncOmbe in the whole business. lhe
present resolution grew out of an incidental
attack upon the Arrears bill i'll the course of a
speech on the tariff by Mr.. Beck. of Kentucky.
Mr.. ingalls,, having been chairman of the Com
mittec on Pensions when the bill was passed,
and responsible in some measure for the repre-
sentations that were then made, came promptly
TO his own defence, and in order, rs lac said 20
fest the sense of the Senate introduced this
resolution setting forth that i'll the opinion of
the Senate the Pension Arrears bill ought not to
he repealed 1t had no practical object, and
the discussion of it has been an unnecessary
waste of time. Instead of occupying the time
and attention Of the Senate mt intervals for II
period of several weeks, it should have been
disposed of upon the instant. 1t has served
ONLY as a pretext for buncOmbe speeches and
an illustration of the timidity OF the average
statesman. Senators who would not have
voted for the bill originally, if they had fully
understood its character, but who, now that 1t
has become a law and Is i'll process OF beng
carried out, do not think 1t wise tC repeal it,,
would undoubtedly have voted for the resOlu-
ton had the vote been taken. Such votes, un-
explained. might have left the impression upon
the public that they favored tue original
measure. This made necessary long explanations,
and if the resolution had atterward been passed
it would have been no test OF the sense OF the
Senate on the original bill.
If most of the speeches were tlmld and ex-
planatory and tinged with demagOgism, it
NAV be said of one at least-that OF Mr.. ingalls,
that it was bold to the point almost OF
audacity. That gentleman not only fathered
the bill and pressed the resolution of quasi-ap-
proval of it., but he went so far as to say that
he should have voted for it even if it had in
volved a much larger expenditure than is in
Cured by the present bill We give Mr.. Ingalls,
credit at least for some show of courage, i'll not
only defending his former action against popu-
lar criticism, but in pushing his views with the
aggressiveness OF man who has positive con-
victiOns.
But the one breath of wholesome and fresh
air i'm all the windiness OF the discussion came
FROM Senator Platt, of Connecticut, who iii a
few plain words dismissed good deal of Pre-
yailing nonsense and laid down the common
sense view of the whole subject of soldiers
pensions. Speaking of the appeal which had
been made on behalf of the soldiers of the
Mexican war, whose bravery and heroism had
been eloquently extolled, he said:
But Mr.. President, we do not pension bravery; We
do not pension heroism; do not pension patriotism
man owes something TO his country. He owes service
In it's Army bravery he owes heroism he owes
patriotism. We pension because they are disabled
in war, and that is the only ground upon which am
willing TO vote for pension. Show that man has
disabled by his service and Will vote that he shall
have pension and will not be critical TO proof OF
that disability II he makes case where even remote
Ia established that his disability can be traced
10 Army service that shall have vote for
sion But know no other ground upon which pension
can be based In justice In equity or In common sense
This is the sensible and the only sensible view
of the subject. Ii is business-lkc it is honest,
il is Just to the soldier and just to the Govern
ment, and there is no bid in it for the votes Of
any class, except of those who love justice for
its own sake, and whose sole desire is for good
government and the public veal
1t is impossible TO say how long this profit
less debate would have continued had not the
Democratic Senators unwittingly come to the
relief Of the Senate by SO loading the resolution