The National tribune., 1883-02-22

to criticism. II the publication is made
in an annual report to Congress. every
body can see it. There is Blue Book
made up with the name of every
officer and laborer paid by the Government
with the amount of salary he receives. That
is published to the country: and why2 To
give notice to Congress who the men are who
draw money from the Government; where
they live and from whence they are appointed,
SO as TO locate them and understand the facts
with reference to them. This is the reason
why it is done. Give the same reason for hav-
ing pensioners name published and no Otiense
would be taken. The proposition to make
publication of the lists in the newspapers was
defeated last year, and / do not think il will
ever become law. 1t would cost half mil
lion dollars to make the publication once in
the leading papers of the great cities of this
country"
VOORHEES, ON MEXICAN WAR PENSIONS.
One of the strongest advocates in the Senate
of pensions for the Union soldiers is
Mr.. voorhees,, of Indiana Among other SUBJ
jectS in which he has interested himself is that
of pensioning the Mexican war veterans as a
class. When asked if he thought there was any
probability in the near future of bill being
passed. he said: al do not know. / have tried
my best for years TO have it done. We have
had the remarkable spectacle presented on the
Senate floor of party question being made as
to whether this Government would pension the
surviving veterans of the great war with Mex
leo. Men have stood up and claimed to pair
with each other on that question because of its
political aspect"
What is the cause of the hostility to the
bil?"
at is inconceivable to me whence comes
this hostility to the remnant of that army
which did so much for the honor, wealth. and
glory of this country at home and for its re-
nown abroad. Why it is that the opposition
is made | do not know. The Mexican war shed
glory upon every part of the country. The
New England man had world of wealth and
enterprise opened TO him by the issue of this
war as well as the man of other portions of this
country. Everybody has shared in it and why
this extreme and sensitive hostility is always
displayed upon this question is a marvel to my
mind"
"The soldiers of the Mexican war are already
pensioned, are they not, in the same way as the
soldiers of the late war, for disabilities2"
Yes, that is true; but the survivors of the
Mexican war are now bearing the weight
and burden and disability of years, and the
principle of pensiOning survivors of a war after
a considerable lapse of time is that you take
care of the old men who in their youth do
something unusual for the welfare and preSer-
vatiOn of the country. l think the time has
come when this plea can be urged justly in be-
half of the survivors of the Mexican war. 1t
is no argument against general law of this
kind that there may be some whom it will in
clude who are not in need of it. The enact
ment of such law would be quite in accord
ance with precedent. After the war of the
Revolution we first pensiOned those who were
disabled by wounds and disease contracted in
the service. After while, when age did for
others what wounds and disease had done for
these, we placed tEenl all on the pension roll.
After the war of 1912 a similar policy was pur-
sued. We pensioned first those wnG had lost
their health from disease or wounds in the
service. After while, when age disabled the
rest of them, we pensioned all, because they
were old men and had served well when they
were young We have pensioned, it is true, the
disabled men of the Mexican war, and l think
now that all the survivors have reached point
in age where their claims should be recognized
as we recognized the the claims of soldiers of
former wars"
"Well, it will not be many years, then, until
all the survivors of the war of the rebellion
will be given a pension, should that practice
be made general"
"When the surviving soldiers of the Union
war have become disabled by the weight of
years, then this policy will undoubtedly be
applied to them"