The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-07-10
THE OLD SOLDIERS.
Are Their Rights to be Repudiated


For the ARGUS.
notice from letters you publish from
your Washington correspondent, that an
effort seems to be making to belittle the
services the old soldier rendered his coun- |
try during the late war. When the he
public required soldiers to serve In Its
defense, their aid was appreciated, strong
and positive pledges were made Ito care
for him who had borne the battle and for
his widow and orphans" President Lin
coin made this pledge and it was then
unanimously endorsed by the people of
the north But the battle has been
fought and won. The country has no use
for the old soldier now. No matter il he
is feeble from exposure in long campaigns, |
no matter if he is old and decrepid, he can
live or die as best suits him. The bond
holder must have his gold according to
contract, but the old soldier has neither
wealth nor power We repudiate our
contract with him to care for him About
in this way the old soldiers enemy reasons.
There is also an element in the halls of
congress making war upon the old soldier.
Congress may vote vast empires OF the
public domain and thus increase the great
wealth of men already rich Congress
may squander millions of dollars to benefit
individuals on the preteXt of improving
Iivers and harbors Congress may reduce
the revenues of the government by re
pealing laws, taxing luXuries and doing
away with stamps, without those luxuries
being any cheaper to the consumer or any
less in price because there is no stamp
used, and thus reduce the revenues of the
government other millions of dollars. In
short congress may lavish millions of the
peoples money whenever and wherever
power, wealth and private interests are
subseryed But when congress is asked
to make appropriations to pay the
pittance each soldier, his widow or
orphan is entitled to receive, under as
sacred a contract as ever was made. and
that written in blood demoniac howl
is set up, and men who covered, and
shirked and failed to do their duty in
their cOuntry's peril join in the chorus.
The people of the north owe their opu-
lence, their wealth. their Injuries to the
poor soldier. And alas, the people of the
south are indebted to the same element
for their poverty and misery. With
nerve and steel the soldiers of the repub-
lie formed barrier, and kept the enemies
of the south from overruning the north.
Thousands of happy homes in the north
were preserved-and to preserve them
the accident of war destroyed thousands
of happy homes in the south. Some cry
fraud but in doing so fail to appreciate
the fact that the strictest rules are en-
forced by the department before a pen
sion is granted And in this cry every
surgeon who has a certificate filed in the
pension Office is impugned, And our
country has never developed a more self
sacrificing, honorable body of men than
the surgeons in the army during the war
and those who have represented the
government officially since the war Some
day the country will give them the honor
that is Justly due them.
But what l wish especially to say, is
that this is no political question. Demo
Gratis and Republicans alike, who appre-
ciate what the soldier has done for his
country, are determined that no envy,
malice, or ill-will shall deprive him of his
honest reward Gen Henderson, our
former member of Congress, was an old
soldier, and has always stood up for his old
comrades. Hon VIM. Fl. Niece, our new
member, CALAMITY espoused the soldiers
cause in his reception speech after his
election. Col J. H. Matheney delivered an
Grafton at Petersburg, Ills, on Memorial
Day. He is member of the Grand Army
of the Republic, was colonel of the 130th
Illinois Infantry is now on the bench, a
judge, in Sangamon county, his, and
is one of the most loyal and prominent
Democrats in central Illinois. Read what
he says on pensions;
JUDGE MATHENEY ON PENSIONS.
Iregret exceedingly that truth compels
me to state that already see signs of
torgetfulness. Already the grand achieve
ment of the poor soldier is fading from
the memories of men. Already grum-
blings and mutterings are heard about the
poor pittance doled out by the way of
pensions to the disabled soldier by the
very Government he saved by his valor
and his sufferings. The men who staid
at home and grew fat in purse and pro-
petty while the brave soldier was wasting
his health and life to protect that very
purse and property are now whining
piteously over the pension list. 'Enor-
NOUS" they exclaim; ''it will impoverish
the Treasury" Well, what if it does?
Who has better fight 10 it than the very
men who saved the Treasury Where
xunt,l1 ryorr hNootod ba IL
rebel hordes had not been driven bowling
back from its very doors by these same
PENSIONERS
These grumbleIs are perfectly content
that the President shall be pensioned at
fifty thousand dollars year: that your
governors and Congressman and hun
dred thousand other officials shall receive
pensions ranging from five to fifteen
thousand dollars per annum All this is
proper and right, but if the poor soldier,
tottering upon one leg, toiling with one
arm, health all shattered and broken in
his country's service, asks for the miser-
able pittance of eight to twenty dollars
per month, howl of Indignation bursts
from their lips. Too much, too much
1t must be stopped 1t will bankrupt the
Government" Not the least danger of
such result; and if it does, it will be at
least one of bankruptcy in q glorious
cause.
Not one dollar too much do these dis
abled soldiers get. Tens of thousab DIS
more ought to receive pensions, who are
now barred from it by some miserable,
quibbling technicality, unworthy great
government He who is small enough
to begrudge the poor soldier his little
compensation is unworthy the name of a
man. He is a mockery, an alteration, a
wretched burlesque on humanity, libel
on his Creator For miserable creatures
mo minstrel note shall swell,
But, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence they sprung,
Unwept unhOnored and unsung