The National tribune., 1883-06-21


The Memorial Day address at Bradford,
Pa, was delivered, this year, by Mr. a. K Nc
Clnre, editor of the Philadelphia Times, and
IT'S character was such as to demand more
than passing notice. Towards the close of
his remarks, which otherwise resembled the
orations usually pronounced on such coca
sions, the speaker, turning from the legiti-
mate theme of his discourse, proceeded to
discuss the question of posting the names
of pensioners and abolishing soldiers or
phans' schools, both Of which measures he
advocated with spec al emphasis. Concern
ing the former he said: "So0n the entire
list of pensioners viii he printed Each
Post should secure copy. Let the list be
as carefully scanned as the list of the dead
and wounded aiter the battle; scrUtinize il
with the fidelity you have shown in war
and displayed in peace, and. where a fraud
uleut name appears, hunt the miscreant to
the earth and expose MS baseness" Now.
on its face, this appeal may appear to have
been prompted by patriotic motives, but
those who are acquainted with the real OBJ
jects which the advocates Of the publication
of the pension list have in view, viii not
flil~to detect its ingenious character. And
right here at the start let us say that the
speaker virtually impeached the character
of every ex-seldier within reach of his
voice. for, except upon the supposition that
gross frauds had been committed by our
veterans. there could be no occasion for such
an appeal. and in support of this supposition
neither he nor any one else has as yet pro-
duced any credible evidence. Did such state
of things exist as he alleges-though without
Offering any facts to sustain his assump-
tion-wbo, we should like TO know, would
be most apt to discover 1.-THE editor of a
city newspaper, remote from the natural
sources Of information, OF the members of
the Grand Army themselves, brought into
daily contact, as they are, with the class
that he accuses of fraud? We put it to the
latter. whether their own acquaintance with
those Of their comrades who are in receipt
of pension furnishes any confirmation of
the truth of the charges of wholesale fraud
against cur pensioners. Bat, ii may be said
that many of the members of the Grand
Army are themselves pensioners, and that
they are. therefore, moi impartial Witnesses.
! Very well, let US take the testimony Of Com
missioner Dudley as 10 the facts He is
certainly in a better position to know what
is The actual extent of fraud in the pension
roll than the editor of any newspaper can
/ possibly be. What does he say? He states
officially that the percentage of fraud does
not exceed one-teah Of one per cent Does
that Justify resort TO such . measure as
Mr. Mcclure advocates? We do not suppose
that our pensioners would have the slightest
objections to submitting their claims to the
scrutiny of the Grand Army, but what oc-
casion is there for subiecting them to that
humiliation Having satisfied all the re-
quirements of the Pension Office, which are
far more rigid than any superficial exani-
nation could possibly be, Why should they
be compelled to produce their proofs a
second time simply to satisfy private suspi-
cion? Their pension certificates are prina
faeie evidence of their right TO pension, and
until that right is challenged by tangible
evidence of fraud the validity Of their
claims ought not to be questioned. We can
say to Editor McClurc, for the Grand Army,
that, while it never has hesitatea and never
viii hesitate to expose any pension fraud o.
which it may have knowledge, IT does moi
propose to resolve Itself into an Inquisition
Tor the qualification of the malice of an ex.
rebel like Senator Beck.
As for abolishing the soldiers orphans
schools. the Grand Army is already pledged
to oppose any such act Of injustice with ali
the resources at its command, and it is al
most incredible, that, upon day sacred t.
the memory of those who died for then
country, AIr. Mcclure should have venturei
to advocate such measure of ingrati
. tGde "The children of the citizen can
not be pauperized fer the benefit o
, the children of the SOLDIER said he
regardless of the services of their fathers
who not only sacrificed their property, bu
gave up their lives that the " children Of til,
citizen might enjoy the blessings of pcac
and prosperity Pauperized. indeed, whei
the resources of the country have multiplied
many times over since the war, and tn
means at the disposal of the State for the ed
= ucation-of these orphans has increased pro
portionateiyl What if the children of thos
who fell during the actual progress of tn,
war are now to manhood grown, are not tn
!, orphans of those who have died since, worr
e ont ia the struggle with poverty induced b,
8 war. and with physical disabilities incurred
y therein, just as much entitled to the aid o
. tie rich and prosperous Commonwealth o
t4H