The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-02-29
AFTER THE SURPLUS.


There is probably no loyal man who
desires justice done that will raise OBJ
lection to the plan of pensioning those
soldiers who received injuries while
fighting in the cause of the Union. In
few years there will be no greater OPP
position to pensioning all ex-Union SOL
diers. Even now there are thousands
who favor it. The right of this prin-
ciple we do not care now to discuss,
but rather the disposition which seems
80 strong in Congress to pension all
men who ever smelled powder, and in
fact many who have not. The nation
is so fortunate as to be in easy financial
circumstances, and 80 unfortunate as
to have Democratic House of Repre-
sentatives before whom the piled vaults
i'm the treasury present in most allur-
ing manner broad field for charitable
legislation. 1t has been demonstrated
before this that these two conditions
cannot long exist together. A Demo-
cratic Congress after full treasury pre-
SCENTS scene that has in it nothing of
the remarkable, but a full treasury If
ter Il Democratic Congress would be Il
condition of affairs most mysterious.
This, we opine, will be accepted with
out question, and such being the case it
is matter of no wonder that the DEM
ocratic House has resolved itself into a
committee on ways and means of de-
pleting those vaults. AS first steps in
the movement they start well. The
Mexican pension allowance would
make deep hole in paying thousands
of hungry ex-Confederatc for services
never performed. The amendments
to the measure, providing for the
countless hmished Southerners who
were in the fray or OH the outposts in
the early Indian wars, if passed, would
leave but a stray nickel here and there
in Uncle Sans capacious purse. 1t
has before this been demonstrated that
in such matters, if nothing else, the
Southern people are remarkable for
their longevity and accommodating
ways. When Congress offers rewards
for past services, there is no lack of
Southern citizens with patriotism
enough to accept the PENSIONS: to stand
with barred heads and receive the bene-
dictions of a grateful Republic for SER
vices that may have been performed
years before their time. They are most
wondrously self-sacrificing, most hearth
ly willing to relieve the crowded treas
ury of its burden. The Mexican PEN
sion bill opens wide the door for a
horde of hungry applicants who have
by treason forfeited all claims upon the
government. Filibustering, as rule,
is better left alone, but if ever it was
Unsuitable, the Republican minority has
ample excuses for resorting to those
tactics to delay, and ifpossible prevent,
the consideration of the measure. 1t
is an insidious move OH the part of the
Democracy to reward certain class of
people for whom, strange to say, no
member has had the effrontery to in
troduce measure giving direct aid. AS
checks upon such vicious legislation
the country may well congratulate it.
self upon having Republican Senate
and President. And more: The dispo-
sition thus shown to raid the treasury
for the benefit of traitors will open the
eyes of the people of the country to
what might be expected from Demo-
cratic Congress and executive. The
Democratic party in Congress is of
course, subject to the will ofthe caucus.
\ majority rules in the caucus, and this
majority is held by the old seeding
States, and would be 50 under an en-
tire Democratic administration. Not
yet is the country willing to place its
fortunes in the hands of such mer.
There is too great risk.