The National tribune., 1883-11-29
doctrines as pernicions as Secession.
In q recent number of the Alliance Ohio


Standard appeared the following item:
see last week that the Standard thinks that the
penitentiary is the place for pension sharks Now
how would that work with man that lays around |
for two or three years watching the mails for PEN
sion papers, and yet can walk all day to hunt rab-
bits and lets his little girl pick coal along the track
to burn? Should such sore leg' be covered |
with stripes?
Upon reading this dirty little fling at
pension claimants, one of our subscribers
Mr. j. c. Lindsey, of Alliance, wrote the
editor of the Standard demanding the name
of the author We have before us at the
present moment the editors reply, and it
presents a most interesting example of the
egasions and bubbles to which the editors
Of anti-soldier newspapers resort when they
are called personally to account for their
ISLANDERS. Says the editor of the Standard,
in reply to the demand of our subscriber
and at that time his also-for the name of
the author of the infamous statement which
appeared in his columns:
Every good citizen and every good soldier Is
opposed to pension sharks and Frauds and you
certainly must be if you calmly study the question
and get the meaning of what is meant by the
II is to the best interest of all that body of
men who live by swindling the soldier and the
men who get pensions who are not entitled to the
same, should be cared for by law. The man who
is entitled TO pension will not be injured by this
but instead he viii be benefited-and SO will the
taxpayer. Men who lost their health or suffered
injury while fighting for The supremacy of the
Union deserve everything at the hands of the Gov
eminent possible for it to give, and should have
liberal pensions but you will certainly agree with
that aUbO IN the arnlyOr sustained
injuries, if they apply FOR pension, frauds
! and should be treated such. Such cases
plenty all the country, and it is probable that
our correspondent meant of that class in his
remarks, and cannot what there is in the item
/ for good citizen as ] regard you, to take excep
4 ton to. Hoping you viii read it again, / re-
main, &c.
Now, observe that the item, about which
our subscriber complained to the editor of
the Standard, was furnished, according to
his own statement, by correspondent Of the
| Standard. That correspondent makes the
statement that there is an ex-soldier in his
vicinity who has been lying around for two
| or three years, watching the mails for pen
sion papers, and yet can walk all day to
hunt rabbits, while he lets his little girl pick
up Goals along the track He does not name
| the soldier-these anonymous slanderers
never debut that does not make the libel
any less odious, nor relieve the editor of the
Standard from his responsibility for the
publication. Who was the ex-soldier to
whom this item has reference? The readers
of the Standard would naturally ask that
question, and would be pretty certain to
suspect some ex-soldier of their acquaint-
ance, yet how can they know against whom
this charge is directed If no name is given
For aught we know, Mr.. Lindsey himself
may have been suspected, but whether he
WAS or not the very indefniteness of the
charge makes all ex-soldiers in the neigh
borhood in question liable TO suspicion, and
that fact alone was warrant enough for our
subscriber to demand of the editor the name
! of the author of the seandalous charge.
The editor of the Standard, however, re-
fuses to comply with the demand, and he
thereby assumes the full responsibility, pre-
viously shared by his correspondent, for the
: publication. It appears, moreover, from his
J letter, that he is not only willing to assume
/ the responsibility, but that he actually ap.
proves the statement and glories IN it. He
: says Every good citizen is opposed tc
5 pension sharks and frauds" And so they
/, are. But he fails to say, what is equally
e true, that every claimant for pension, M
f matter how poor and humble he may be, il
entitled, as Secretary Teller recently de
e clared in his letter to the Attorney General
: to be considered, until his claim shall hay,
D been passed upon and the fact that it il
/ fraudulent judicially determined, an homes
! claimant
i The editor of the Standard also says tina
e it is TO the best interest of all that the mel
] who live by swindIing the soldier. and thos
t who get pensions without being entite,
: to them, should be ponished by Law
II And so it is. But, it is even more t
Il the best interest of all, that those who hav
Y applied orpensions should not be denounced
a in advance Of decision upon their applies
h ton by tie Pension Office, as frauds an
= swndlers! The editor admits that "me
g who lost their health or suffered iniur
h while fighting for the supremacy of th
v UDiou deserve everything at the hands {
o the Government, and should have libera
o pensions yet he does not hesitate to pull
1t lish an anonymous charge against an ez
" soldier, and when he is called upon to fun
X nish proof or give the name Of the author
is the charge, he has not the manliness to NEE
re the demandl Furthermore, he declares tia
le cases Of fraud in pensions are plenty a
DO over the country What warrant has h
s. for this bold assertion? He produces n
3, facts whatever to sustain it, and he does nj
10 appear to have ever taken the trouble |
10psiflf tho rer1ortc nf he pancfo-, GfF,on