Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-08-23
Pensioning All Soldiers.
To the Editor of the Sunday Telegraph

10 the Editor OF the sunday telegraph.
Please to allow citizen of Iowa to
congratulate the people of a sister
state, Wisconsin, upon having a gov
ernor worthy Of her brave soldiers who
signalized themselves on every battle
field of the war, and we'll may her
sons be proud in having a governor
who was the first to raise his voice in
favor of pensioning all in proportion
to the time which they served in the
army. It is an indisputable fact that
among us are many men who have
served during the war, whose consti
buttons are 50 impaired as to be now
unable to drag themselves along, and
who are not considered pensionable :;
and there are many others whose
wounds are really peasionable but who
cannot get such evidence as the pension
department demands
The pensionng of these broken
down old men. who we're called to the
field, many Of them, Def re the govern
ment could well equip them, who.
without tents and often without COM
missary stores, performed long and
dangerous marches through an enemy's
country, and in a strange climate
taken from their homes of comfort
and ere they were disciplined sent to
fight IN enemy who was preparing for
years, and who had the inside track,
we'll fortiied-must now be indeed a
subject worthy Of consideration.
But that many are opposed to Civ
ing those warwOrn veterans pensions
is beyond all doubt. as men generally
are selfish and inclined to look from
only one stand point
AS this article, and my Iabors are
for the benefit of my poor comrades
in arms, many of whom in their efforts
to secure homes for themselves and
their little families. have settled down
in Kansas, Dakota and other portions
of the northwest I shall try as briefly
as possible to point out those
parties whose interests are
antagonistic, and who they arc
who would be benefited by the pension
ing of the soldier.
In the pension department in Wash
ington are great many clerks who
make an easy living by procrastinating
pension matters, to say nothing of the
deputies, a corps Of detectives Whose
business is going round and who take
say SO or ipse djrjt of men against
sworn affidavits: men Who have large
pensions and do not wish any further
agitation on the subject, or men who
foolishly think without consideration
that it would be burdensome There
is also a class who thrive on the pow
erty OF their fellow-men. by lending
money at exorbitant rates Of interest.
secured by mortgages which it is the
intent eventually to foreclose Those
who are interested in favor of pension
ing are first. the poor pensioner; the
mechanic, the grocer, the farmer. the
dealer in agricultural articles. and the
manufacturer of those tools in daily
use on farms; railroad companies anu
laborers a e also deeply interested.
But as this article is already longer
than it was inteudel, I shall close by
saying that this is not political issue,
but one which forces itself on the gov
eminent The homes for disabled
soldiers are now, even at this season.
filing and next winter there will not
be room. Will the government build
other homes for old men now fast
dying away. 1t positively would be
unwise. Z. W NAGLE.