St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-05
And That the Money of the Plumed
Knight and His Special Cor
ruptionists Will be of
No Avail.
The Independent Vote In New York Expected
to Reach 00,000-The Brook
Ign Contingent.
Both Parties Flooding Indiana With
Speakers and Pointed Cam
paign Literature
"aIe and Jack" Journeyi'ag Through Ohio
for LOue-CievelGsid at AIbany-Hen-
bricks at Wheeling.
Who Are the soldiers Friendse

llcan leauerS, when u polleiCsi Cali PalSu 10
waging, claim the benefit of all legislation
favorable to the soldier 1t is an open secret
that at this time Ohio is swarming with
agents of the special examination division of
the pension bureau, whose duty it is to bull
dOze United States pensioners by declaring
that if the Democrats attain power no more
pensions will be granted. 1t is about time
soldiers of the late war should know who
their real friends are. An examination OF
the records of congress shows that the
first bill providing arrearages of PEN
sions was introduced December 9, 1874,
in the senate and referred to the committee
on pensions. This bill was reported back to
to the senate, with an adverse report, Jan
uary 26, 1875. page 729 congressional Rec
ord, Forty third congress.)i
Hon. ID. D. Pratt, Republican senator
from Indiana, who was chairman of the COM
mittee on pensions, said: Il am instructed
by the committee to report adversely on SEN
ate bill 9S5, providing for the
payment of arrears of pensions. The COM
mittee learned in correspondence with the
pension Office that it would require
upward of S9,000,G00 to meet
the acquisitions of this bill. For
economic reasons, as well as others, the COM
mittee think the bill should not be enter
tained.''
Senator Pratt moved the indefinite post
ponement of the bill, and the motion was
carried. The arrears of pension act was thus
efect,sdly killed for that congress By the ReplG6-
licGn party.
The house of the Forty-fourth congress was
Democratic. Many petitions, memorials,
ETC., were received from soldiers asking pay
ment of arrears of pensions. These were
referred to the committee and
promptly and favorably considered, and
the committee formulated bill to pay the
arrears and reported it to the house for pass
age, and Gen. A. V. Rice, of Ohio, Democrat
| Ga gallant Union soldier who had lost a leg
in the service), moved to suspend the rules
and pass it. blouse bill No. 2,S03. Record
Forty-fourth congress, second session, page
1867
| Gen. Rice said SITS provisions are
eminently just and proper. No words
of mine can appeal so strongly to the
! business and propriety of this measure as
does the condition of those for whom this re-
lief is asked" Gen. Rices motion pre-
vailed. The rules were suspended, and the
bill passed the house March 3, 1877.
The senate was Republican by large ma
jority. Immediately upon the bill being
read Senator ingalls,, Republican from Kan
sas moved that it lie on the table, and this
motion was agreed TO, and thus the Demo-
cratic bin, to pay the soldiers arrearages of
pension ,ods killed By Republican senate.
(See page 2,16S, record. second session,
Forty-fourth congress), making the second
time the Republican senate defeated the
arrearages of pension acts.
The Democratic house of the
Forty-ffth congress again passed bill
to pay the arrears of pensions June 10, 1873.
The bill was not exactly in the form the
pension committee and Gen. Rice wanted it.
1t contained no appropriation to give 1t force
and effect, but, nevertheless, the Democratic
house, to save delay, passed it, and in a few
days thereafter Mr.. Sparks, Democratic,
from Illinois, reported bill to the house
from the committee on appropriations to pay
the arrearages Of pensions, which was
passed.. The amount appropriated
was Twenty-Five millions Of dollars.
and is the act of March 3, 1879. The bill to
pay the arreages Of pensions passed the SEN
ate January Is, 1879. Among the Democrats
who voted for the bill were Senators Hill,
Butler, Macy, Cockrell, Harris, Gordon,
Thurman, voorhees,, Herman, Wallace, Bar
mum, Dennis, Jones and Mcpherson. The
first six were officers in the confederate SER
vice.
1t will be seen that the Democratic house
promptly passed the appropriation to give
life and effect to the arrears of the pensions
act, though the amount involved was nearly
three times as great as the amount stated by
Senator Pratt in his report to the senate as
necessary to meet the requirements of the
bill, and which was the reason it was killed
by the Republican senate at that time. 1t
will thus be seen that soldiers are indebted
to the Democratic party alone for the benefit
of the arrearages of pensions act, which
had been killed by Republicans during
the Forty-Third and Forty-Fourth congresses.
The Republican congress OF 1865 passed a
law June Of that year denying pensions TO
those soldiers who held civil offices under
the United States since the war. May "a,
1878, the Democratic house, on motion of
A. V. Rice, OF Ohio, Democrat, passed a
BILL which became a law, repeating tie unjust
Republican Lau of 1865. The Democratic
house of the Forty-fourth congress passed a
bill to equalize bounties March 30, 1876.
Gen. Banning, of Ohio, Democrat, said
in supporting the bill: 1t is left for this
Democratic congress TO redeem the promises
made by the other side Republican, which
have never been kept
The bill passed the house and was iodsf
Hitely postponed by the Republican senate and
then killed. Record Forty-fourth congress,
first session, page 5.439.)
The time for filing bounty claims was linn
tied to January 80, 1875. The Democratic
house of the Forty-fourtb congress
promptly passed a bill Feb. 1876, extending
the fine so that no soldiers should be barred
BY that act from obtaining his just dues.
The house passed bill May 20, 1878, in
creasing the pensions of persons who had
lost arms below the elbow or legs below the
knee. This bM died ia the Republican Seaate
for the rant Of action The Democratic house
Of the forty-fourth congress said s24 per
month was not enough for
soldiers who hat lost one leg OF one
arm, so that the house passed bill giving
them S36 month s. This bW t0ent TO the Repss5-
lio1a senate and died p.srs.
The Democratic house Of the Forty-ifth
congress, finding that only little over $50
per month was paid soldiers who had lost
both hands or both feet or the sight of both
eyes, said it was not sufficient and passed a
bin increasing the pension to s72 per month.
The Republican senate tried to amend II
against the interest Of the soldiers, but the
house insisted on the bill as it was passed
and it became Law.
The same Democratic house originated
and passed the bill MAY "a. 1873, which is
now Law. giving TO soldiers whose legs had
been amputated at the hip joint $3.50 per
| month.
The house Of representatives Of the forty
seventh congress was RepsfblieG1- Not one
measure Of importance affecting the interest
Of Union soldiers or sailors became 9 Law
during that session.
The house Of representatives Of the Forty
eighth congress is Democratic, and its inter
est in the soldier is evidenced BY its actions