Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-03-30
PROLETARIANISM IN CONGRESS.
MIR Edmunds on Pensions and Monl-
tors.


From The Army AMI Navy Journll
After reading the remarks of Senator Ed
munds on the Beaumont bill, below, our
Navy officers will conclude that the most
profitable occupation in which they could en-
gage Just now would be to take the members
Of the new Congress to sea with them, collect
lively and Individually 1t would give these
gentlemen Il realizing sense of naval expert
cnces that would bcgct fellow feeling for
the service very profitable for future lcgis-
atiOn.
The Scnatc on the Goth of February
passed the bill increasing the pension OF the
widow of the late Admiral John c. Beau
mont to $50 month In spite of the at
tempt to create some popular prejudice
against it by Mr.. Plnmb the vote was ~ in
favor to II against. Mr.. Plumb argued that
instead OF increasing this tendency to aug
ment pensions to persons OF rank we ought
to 60 the other way; we ought to increase
the pensions OF private soldiers. They were
the men who rendered service for which they
did not &c, pay either in money or IN social
or military consequence they were the men
who usually by comparison took the
risk of life and limb; they are the men who,
| if any set Of men are to be put above anoth-
err set of men, onght to be put in the highest
place nots only for pensions but, in the
consideration that this country gives to the
men who have served ii under arms. will
say that it is an insult to the widow of
every private soldier in the land, in New
Hampshire or in Kansas and everywhere to
| do this thing, TO raise this woman's pension
| from SO month TO 500 and every widow
of every private soldier throughout this
broad land will so regard it. There is u
| discomfort arising from the manifest
| Injustice, punctuatcd, emphasized, constantly
made profert of by the legislation that comes
from the hands oil this Pension Committee,
which is bcgetting in the minds of those
people who served the country in its cXtrcm-
| ity, that it is rank that gives consideration,
and not service and sacrifice"
| In reply Mr. Edmunds said "Alr. Presi-
| dent, the argument of my friend from Kan
sas is certainly entitled to great weight. 1t
| is not easy ut first blush TO see why the pen
sion of the private soldier-to begin with the
land before we go to sea-should not be as
great us that of the majors general and why the
man who took care of General Sherman
horse on the field of battle, where he was
exposed to danger should not have Just us
1 u
been disabled And the same argument up
plies with still stronger force to the question
of pay. Why should net the private soldier
have the same amount of pay as the major
general, and SO on down through all the
ranks? Why should not the sailor, who on
shipboard lives in narrower quarters than
the admiral in command, have the same pay
us the admiral and if there is real equall-
ty why should not the sailor share the ad-
miral's quarters, or have it turn and turn
about, 81 that the admiral should sleep in the
forccasle one night and the sailor in the adj
miraps cabin and so on?
"There is great force in that undoubtedly
but when we come back to the way things
really 90 in this world, even in this body, the
most democratic body in existence probably
the pay of the Senator from Kansas and
myself is much larger than that Of the pages
mach larger than that of the Secretary, or Of
the Sergeant And yet according
to what they are called TO do they are doing
lust us good service to the country as W,
are, and | sometimes think us to myself
they are doing a great deal better VIII,
should they not have % 900 year and mil
cage and stationery etc. That is one o
the puzzles tina, know trouble mankind
and sympathize with my friend from Kan
sas in trying to find out what the answer t
the puzzle is.
"Now to come down to the case of Ad
miral Beaumont, | have just this to say
I and do it more us d witness than anything
G else. happened To make the acQuaintanc
OF Admiral Beaumont on ship OF In
United States where ! as Il guest sailed
: contrary to law ! suppose or without author
v hy of law-for u month or two, being sicl
and diseased myself and entitled to ensio
if my country had any gratitude at al
for public services laughter, and So cam
| to know this gentleman. ], of course, ha,
e known his public career and history befor
as one OF tie most brave, gallant, active an
mpctuous sailors during the time of tn
I late war between ourselves and our South
ern brethren, and in every place he shove