Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-03-30

on pensions it has been my duty TO
examine it. 1t is simple in its charac-
ter. The principle on which pensions
are allowed at all is that at the time
of mans death in the service Of his
country those who are dependent upon
him have right to the pension; Or,
if he has not suffered Death, but has
been disabled by wounds received in
battle, or by disease contracted in the
service, his right to his countrys be
nefcence then acerues to him at once.
This is the principle, and the purpose
Of this bill is to carry it out. 1t SIM
ply says to those who have been disa
bled by wounds or disease and to
such as have been deprived of support
by death, that they shall receive their
pensions from the date Of death or
disability, Notwithstanding they may
not have made their application or
theiI proof within the Limitation of
time now on the statute.bOOk, That
is all there is in this bill. 1t asserts
no new principle, but wipes ont a
statute of limitation"
Sir, that was my statement of the
nature of the bill when on its passage
and it was not disputed. IrPpsat it
now, and challenge any one to take
issue upon it. After further discus
sion, engaged in by the ablest and most
distinguished members Of this body,
some of whom are not here now,
notably the senator from Ohio, Mr..
Thurman the senator from New York,
| Mr. Conkling, the senator from Con,
necticut, [Mr. Eaton, and the senator
from Maine, Mr.. Blaine, the bill be-
came law by an almost unanimous
vote Of the senate. | submit in all
candor, and with no desire to make
personal issues with any one whether
it is becoming, whether it is just,
whether it is decent or truthful to
charge that measure thus reported
from standing committee of this body,
thus supported by many of the most
honOred names of the republic, and
thus enacted into a law under vigilaut
JasiHna % onI w" rnt into nno~ntinr " s', ns ar -"
agent of iniquity and fraud. Such an
accusation is mOnstrous to my mind
beyond anything ever heard III these
legislative halls.
But an impression has been created
that the number of pensioners is large.
" increased by reason of the law am
discussing, and that by lis provisions
more names have been placed on the
pension rolls than would have been
there but for its enactment, There is
not a word of truth in such an assump
tiop. The law did not create a single
new cause for granting a pension; it
made no change at all in the kind or
uuantitv of proof necessary TO obtain
one. if did not dis,urb the existing
rules OF evidence in the slightest de.
gree. il ENLARGED no ones chance the
breadth of hair to become Il pension.
er, neither man, woman or child it
only declared that the right to n pen.
sion being made clear under existing
laws, rules, and regulations, il should
be maid from the time the right began
by virtue of wounds, disease or
death. Every person who can now
prove upa claim for a pension could
4, So in exactly the same way before
the act for paving pension arrears be.
came law. No assistance has been
riyen in that respect whatever 1t is
only after a pension has been granted
that the law under consideration be-
Gins to aid the pensioner 1t then saws
that from the time his blood eowed in
defense of his government his services
ought to be recognized and his injuries
compensated, 1t being plain. therefore
that this law is not responsible for any
increase in the number of pensioners.
let US look for the next swinolp, fraud,
or crime of which it stands accused,
And now we come to the real cause
which has inspired so many men.
dacious pens and reckless tongues
It ia found that the execution of this
law is distributing among disabled sol
diers and the widows and orphans of the
dead more money than was estimated
for and more than it is thousht
in certain Quarters that such peonlp
ought to have II is this fact which
has caused all the bideous uproar we
have heard If iustice in this world
cost nothinc how ponular in certain
minds instice would heI If Honesty
was only the cheanpst as we'll ns the
: host nolicv how rInidlv the ranks nt
honest man would lII mi If this law
for tbe arreara Of nensions hid heen a
noor mean niogardlv asrrr and had
dolad ont nannies instead of navino
dollars its instice would nsver hays
boem onootionod I nv its Mresant enomiaa ,
nor would If have heen neIted with th,
vila enitbets wa nov bear The oT
vsr,aries of this measure are moved +,
wrath nov pecause IL Is wrong III piih
3 clple' nuv pecause ~ lilo slllue "liich .'e.
= hno" IL cohValls Is noU as cheap as they
wlsh-hoU Without money anu "lthou
PRICE, d luxury TO ENJOY "lIhouI eX
t pehse. oir' IL Is no argument 10 m'
= against paying pension arrears thaC W.
owed more Oh lhem Ilah we tnousl
=