Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-09-18

diers whose quiet homes are scattered over
the hills and valleys of every State and Ter
rltory, the widows whose letters of impor-
tunity lie unanswered on the desks of the
members of this House, the homeless and
hungry children who keep green the grave
and memory OF him whose footsteps they
Will never again hear, will understand what
the rejection OF these Senate amendments
means, and will appeal to another tribunal
where justice will be more eouitaklv m.a.'
ured out.
There is one other thing want to saw and
then am done. 1t has been claimed that
these Senate amendments will give service
pensions to large number of Union SOL
dierS. Suppose it does, should not these
classes be as much the beneficiaries of the
Government as any other class I. Strictly
speaking there is no service pension pro-
vided for in any Of these Senate amend
ments. They only relate to the character
OF the evidence which the Government shall
require. When the soldier shows the ex-
istence of a disability which can reasonably
be presumed to have been incurred in the
service this bill gives him the benefit of the
doubt. As all soldiers were examined by
surgeon when they enlisted and were then
pronounced sound by the surgeon. this bill
Presumes them to have been sound at that
time and dIsPenses with this proof This is
legal presumption never denied in courts
OF justice, and should not be denied to the
soldier.
Treatment while in the service, hospital
treatment, and the existence of the disease
at the date of discharge need not be shown
under this bill, as in many cases it is i'm
possible, and under the present law hum
dreds and perhaps thousands of claims are
rejected because this proof is not made. when
the length OF time since the war and the
death OF those who know these facts make
such proof impossible. The bill dispenses
with this kind of proof and makes it possible
for large class of worthy soldiers 10 receive
pensions which have long been withheld
from them. The gentlemen who are un-
willing that this class of soldiers shall be
provided for are willing to restore Fitz Tohn
Porter to his place in the army, and are
willing to vote millions of money to rivers
and harbors and a thousand other like
measures.
Mr.. Speaker, we should not forget or
ignore the facts of history. The soldiers of
the Union Army were called into service
under peculiar circumstances Treason had
its grasp upon the nations throat. Liberty
stood aghast at the monster iniouity, and the
civilized world listened with bated breath for
the sequel, Should the glorious experiment
OF free government, the hope of the ages. go
down amid the smoke and blood Of civil
conflict? The question was answered by
such an uprising of the loyal masses of this
country as the world never saw.
From field and forge, from Office and
workshop, from hamlet and city they came,
hurrying, rushing, crowding to the nations
rescue. They asked no questions about
atiOy1 fhau
cared not for the money; they only knew
the flag they loved was assailed, and patriot
ism would brook no delay. They had a
sublime faith, that, if they fell, the country
for which they died would care for their
wives and little ones, and so they bade them
brave good-by and went away, many of
them, alas! never to return. They endured
hardships without a murmur; they made
sacrifices without complaint.
Thousands and tens of thousands have
dragged about with them their manned
limbs and crippled and diseased bodies
through all the years since the war without
asking favor of the government and now
age and poverty and suffering have done
their work, and their once skillful hands can
no longer administer to their necessities,
and they must die in the poor-house; and
yet this great government stands aside and
says, II VIII cost 100 much TO support these
men," Gentlemen, if you persist in this
thing the very stones in the street will cry
out against such a miserable perversion of
economy. 1t is time this government
should enter upon a more liberal policy to-
ward these patriotic classes; and if this na-
ton ignores the promises made in the hour
of her extremity, and turns deaf ear to the |
cries of the needy and the destitute, whose
youth and strength have been freely offered
upon her altars it will be milestone about |
her neck to drag her down from her proud |
position among the great and glorious ma
tions of the earth