The National tribune., 1884-12-04
OUR ONLY HOPE.


it has now reached. In and outside of Con-
gress the friends of soldiers have been called
upon to put forth every effort to secure its
progress to the present point. 1t represents
the sitting of several score of pension bills
introduced into both Houses Of Congress, the
accepted recommendations of the Pension
Committee of the Grand Army of the Re
public, and Of the Pension Committees Of
the Senate and House of Representatives,
and the final result of eight months of earn
est discussion in both Houses, with the con-
sderation of countless amendments.
Looking back over the work that was
done On it and the measures incorporated
into it, the review is astonishing. Long
before Congress met last December the work
of preparing pension legislation for it was
actively going on. Out of q multitude of
plans which comrades were eagerly advocat-
ing, the Pension Committee of the GAR
composed of men of excellent knowledge,
judgment and true sympathy with soldier
feelings-selected and combined until plan
was formulated which seemed to embrace
as many of the best features of all as there
was a reasonable hope of making successful.
Being compromise, it fell short Of what
many comrades desired; it was not even
what all that any individual member of the
Pension Committee desired but it was all
that the Committee as a whole thought
could be got. The Pension Committee came
on to Washington and pressed its ideas upon
Congress, spending much time and effort in
the work NLmberless other bills, origi-
mated by Members of Congress and by indi-
viduals and organizations outside of Con-
gress, were also pressed upon the attention
of both branches Of the National Legislature.
House had an arduous work put upon them
in considering all of these. They at last
made their reports, and still more arduous
work began on the floors of the Senate and
House
During the Winter the germ of the pres
ent bill passed each body, growing con-
tinually by amendments and engagements.
Every time it came up in either body
a food of new amendments was poured
upon it, and its friends had not only to fight
its opponents enough In all con-
science,-hut to resist the more insiduous
attacks of those who would change it in such
way that its failure would be foredoomed.
The Senate, after long discussion, repeated
reference to its Committee on Pensions
amendment in Committee of the Whole, and
in regular session passed the bill as it now
stands, and sent it to the House for concur
renee. There it had to so through similar
ordeal of discussion and consideration, and,
after flibustering contest of singular per-
tinacity, its final passage was prevented by
motion to postpone its farther considera-
ton until the Resembling of Congress this
month.
This history shows how slender will be
the chance of getting any new pension legis-
lation through the session of Congress which
has just begun. At the last session there were
many strong influences favoring the success
of this kind of legislation which do not OPP
perate now. Most of the Representatives
were candidates for reelection, and those
from the North and West were axious to 60
before their constituents with good record
to propitiate the soldier element" Now the
election is past, many Of them were defeated
and some are not so DESTROYS of propitiating
the soldiers. 1t was also the eve of the
Presidential election, and both parties were
very anxious for soldier votes" Now the
election is over. The Democratic party has
153 electoral votes in the Solid South, which
it feels it can count upon in any emergency,
so that it has not the same reason for being
solicitous about the soldier vote" that it
had few months ago.
But above all these adverse influences are
the shortness of the time and the crowded
condition of the calendars. There is much
more important business already before Con-
gress than it could dispose of by working
every day and night from now until the 4th
of March. If there was nothing else to en-
gross its attention 1t could not clear its
dockets before it will expire by Constitu-
tional limitation But it will not have an
opportunity to work every day and night
from now till the 4th of March. The holi-
days will take up fully two weeks of that
time. 1t now seems very likely that Con-
gress will visit the New Orleans Exposition,
which will dispose of the better part of
another fortnight Then there will be the
dedication Of Washington's Monument, and
the preparations for President-elect Cleve-
lands Inauguration, all of which will make
heavy inroads upon the legislative time.
Then the excitement and turmoil of
change Of Administration, with tens OF