The National tribune., 1882-02-11

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 truthful to charge
that measure thus reported from standing COM
mittee Of this body thus supported by many OF the
most honored names of the Republic, and thus
enacted into law under vigilant scrutiny, was
conceived with sinful designs and put into operation
as an agent of niquty and fraud. Such an accu-
sation is monstrous to my mind beyond anything
ever heard in these Legislative halls.
But an impression has been created that the
number of pensioners is largely increased by
of the law am discussing, and that by its provs-
ions 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 assumption. The law did not create single
new cause for granting pension it made no change
at all in the kind quantity of proof necessary to
obtain one; it did not disturb the existing rules OF
evidence in the slightest degree: it enlarged no
ones chance the breadth of hair to become pen
sioner, neither man, woman, or child; 1T only
declared that the right to a pension being made
clear under existing laws, rules, and regulations it
should be paid from the time the right began by
virtue of wounds, disease, death. Every person
who prove up claim for pension could
do so in exactly the same way before the act for
paying pension arrears became law. No assistance
has been given in that respect whatever 1t is only
after pension has been granted that the law under
consideration begins to aid the penS0ner. 1t then
SAYS that from the time his blood flowed in defense
of his Government his services ought to be recog
nized and his injuries compensated 1t being plain,
therefore, that this law is not responsible for any
increase in the number of pensioners let look
for the next swindle, fraud, or crime of which it
stands accused. And now come to the real cause
which has inspired so many mendaciOus pens and
reckless tongues 1t is found that the execution of
this law is distributing among disabled soldiers and
the widows and orphans of the dead more money
than was estimated for, and than it is thought
in certain quarters that such people ought 10 have.
1t is this fact which has caused all the hideous
uproar have heard. If justice in this world cost
nothing how popular III certain minds justice
would be! If honesty only the cheapest as well
as the best policy how rapidly the ranks of honest
men would fill up. If this law for the arrears of
pensions had been a poor, mean, niggardly affair,
and had doed out pennies instead of paying dollars
its justice would never have been questioned by its
present enemies, would it have been pelted
with the vile epithets we now hear. The adver-
sarieS of this measure are moved to wrath not
because it is wrong in principle, but because the
virtue which they know it contains is not cheap
as they wish-nOt without money and without
price, luxury to enjoy without expense Sir, it is
no argument to me against paying pension arrears
that we owed more of them than we thought we
did. Many man has gone into settlement with
his creditor, and in figuring up his account found
it larger than he expected; but if it shown to
be just and due, no one except scoundrel would,
because of its size, refuse to acknowledge it and
pay it as soon as he could. The payment of pen
sions may amount to a hundred millions this year.
and two hundred millions next year, and then the
being settled upon the principle of honest
payment for blood and dying breath, and not upon
the rogue's usual plea of limitation by statute the
annual cost of pensions will, from that time 90
back to about forty millions.
But whether this or any other estimate is correct
or not touches nothing of the merits of this ques-
ton. Is it right that the money should be paid :?
Is it right that the soldier should have pension
from the time his frame was shattered on the field
of battle, or bli GIFTED by disease in camp? Is it
right that the widow should receive the aid of her
Government from the time her husband, her stay
and her support was torn from her arms forever in
its service, shall she be answered as to two or
three thousand dollars of this sacred money, this
feeble compensation for an anguish which comes
but once to the human heart, that while she slept
while she was out of the way, while she was igno-
rant of what was going on in the great world, we
Cancelled her claim, ped it out and called it paid
because five years had elapsed before she presented
it? Sir is there any statute of limitation to the
time when bondholder shall present his bonds for
payment? Within the last year if remember cor
rectly. some misery old man came here with his
bonds, not one of which had been presented for
payment during the period of eighteen years. He
demanded gold and he got gold: he was very hard
money man; silver, and silver certificates and
greenbacks and bank notes all too soft for him
and he lugged his bag of gold from the Treasury
through the streets some other friend of the gold
basis robbed him, and left him to 90 his way lament
ing. If soldier, however, who had invested leg
arm, buried the field in defense of the flag,
instead of money at enormous speculation, as
this old fool did, he would have been required to
file his claim within five years lose pay for five,
and possibly for ten years. Was this Just? Was it
right? That is the question involved here NV
vote to repeal this statute of limitation and to
allow the crippled soldier, and the widow, and the
orphan to stand upon the equity of their claims,
and upon their legal proof has been termed an in
famous vote. Infamous? Sir, the man who applies
such epithets to the votes by which the arrears of
pensions act passed cannot conceive sufficient
answer in this hall without offending the decorum
of the Senate.
But let us look somewhat to the practical work.
ings of this much-abused law. few days ago,
when was at home in Indiana, soldier called
upon me whom / had known from his cradle, and
whose parents | knew before he was born. He had
responded to the call of his country when It's eed
was the sorest and he had been discharged ac-
count of disability incurred in the service and
specifically named in his discharge There was no
question at all to the fact of the ip ury that
he received it while in the line of his duty. He
was not prompt in making his application he
plain country boy, familiar only with life on
a farm he delayed, hoping to get strong and well
again. for nearly six years. and then in an awkward
way, and with much reluctance, commenced with
slow, hating step to thread the long and intricate
processes Of the law, through which alone the dis
abled veteran can reach a pension at the hands of
his far-of and Indifferent Government. He met
with a thousand obstacles that he had not dreamed
of; he rebutfed many times by frigid official
information that his proof was not sufficient; he
went hither and thither to find the evidence tech
nically required by the Governments he often gave
over in Encouragement and despair until he
cheered with a few words of hope by some sanguine
friend he made mistakes as to the law, and W IS
ten miles distant from those who could profession