New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-27
PENSION LEGISLATION.
A FALSE DEMOCRATIC CLAIM EXPOSED.
EDWARD MCPHERSON SHOWS CLEARLY THAT TIE
REPUBLICAN PARTY ALONE HAS BEEN THE
FRIEND. OF SOLDIER

EDWARD MCPHERSON SHOWS CLEARLY THAT TIE
REPUBLICAN PARTY ALONE HAS BEEN The
FRlEND.oF SOLDIERS
iBI TELEGRAPH 70 THE TarBUNs1
WAsuINGTON, Aug. 2G.-Mr. Mcpherson, secre-
tary of the Republican Congressional Committee,
has prepared letter on tie subject of Pension cgis-
laton. 1t is dated at Washington. August 2G. and
is addressed to General James Mccartney, of Fair
field H.:
You say that you met with tho claim that the Dem
ocrats In Congress have done FOR the soldiers than
the Republicans have. aud yon desire 20 know what are
the facts connected with the passage o. the pension laws
and the relation OF parties % them Ia reDly have 10
Amendment the republicans OF tho XXXIXth Congress
took to insert In tina fourth section that amend
chl the clause that the validity Of the public debt OF
the United States, authorized by law including debts
i ior 1e pay ileIt OF I'12nS anu DgitIcs ly I
services III Suppc."S lusurfecu"h or reDeiloh shdh
not be questioned This Amendments you may rcmem
Der, passed both the Senate and the House by party
woes the Republicans sustaining II ana the Democrats
opposing IT. and IN the state legislatures 1t ratified
by Ike party votes mention this as the first ndcs-
ton Of purpose by the Republicans TO maintain inyoate
thelr position on pensions and bounues. Daring the
which the Republicans III the majority pension
system was organized and from time time, extended
The ARREARS OF PENSIONS BILL.
The material change in the PENSION laws made after
the loss OF the houses by tho Republicans
was I'm the passage through the XLYth Congress- when
the House Democratic and the Republican, Of
the Arrears OF Pensions bill This bill introduced
! A =, =,
! Cummings, Republican member from Iowa. and re-
fcrred 10 the Committee Ilysid Pensions That COM
months and failed report upon the lion. Dudley G.
Haskell. Republican meml or from Kansas. moved on
/ June 10. 1873, to discharge chat committee from the
further consideration Of the BILL 10 suspend the rules and
to pass H. That motion w agreed 70 by 81 yeas to 81
nays. OF the 1914 yeas rs were Republicans and -
Democrats three Of the latter being southern. OF
the 81 nays an we're DEMOCRATS ana win three eAcep-
this lii passed the senate by Of a yeas nays
OF tao Affirmative vote Is were Democrats u kepnb-
! and IudeIteIdcuf. Illinois.
/ The negative vote was exclusively Democratic
THE RECORD OF THE LATE SESSION.
! The next pension bill which provoked division OF
opinion was at the Late session. The House passed
March B. under a suspension the rules, bill pension
soldiers and sailors Of the Mexican The Senate
amended thi, bin to give pension TO those Union
soldiers IN tie War ~ the Rebellion who or shall be
come disabled aud are also dependent upon iher own
labor ot support, at rate pIoI orOhae 10 the degree
totally ,rrin,cIf,f.l I'd rar"ru am, manual labor aud
amount being made dyi-sb az that bi, FOR any
les, degree or disability UaI~O increased t.t l'u-OHs
Of widow, or minor children 10 Sl2 per month repealed
the limit To of children in the case OF widows VINO
have minor children OF uu-ouud mind or IRE pl, scaly
helpless, and added ohe. -a,es the relief Of iepcI
dent pensioners THIS amendment agreed TO IN the
>euate by party Foro-y,is 81. all Republican; nays
Democrats voted with - Republicans favor of and
. Republicans voted win - Democrats a-aiu-t ~
the vote having been 81 yeas and - nays. The bill
taken ny in the House ON July =, five days before
adilummcut Hhen hUbu-'cuu- "a, Ics'rted To- under
leadership II tIe Hon. Goldsmith W. Hewitt q Demo-
cratic Eourc-euttiH" from Alabama to prevent con-
cuIrrEc, 200 o. amendments or the senate rms u i--
"rln- Was participated 90 chiefly by tue southern Dem
ocrcy A~ate,It uo action Was taken AMI TIC bill re-
mains undi.p o,,d Of
WHERE THE CREDIT BELONGS.
From this SIM c record CT and facts you will see
that the orig nal legislation this question the DEM
ocrltic minority tie early days after the Wat can
claim no credit; tllt upon The AUcarare act OF the
XLvtu Cou-r.,s the majority OF their party voted in op
po,tou and that failure OF legislation recently
u the HDus. tlr responsibility Is clearly with the
southern wing OF that party u not only ninu7,ered 10
distinctly auti-oulI,d tIdt bul with another am an
Original House bin % pension soldiers OF tie MnN!cdn
or 1892 1~31. 1876 and l~i2 Eighty Democrats
tine another and Al m ttrd iOued IN
. thus ant -Oullug the Mexican MAR pension OIL. WAch
had passed tuth houses aud was then pending IN the
/ House Do the senate amendments.
n completes this record 10 add that while this pil was
pending Ia the senate motion WAS mlic 20 I'tea see
iIou 47l6 If the Revised -tatutr., wlch provides
thtt ON account OF pensions SHALL ne lah ID
any person. the widow children or heirs OF any de-
ceased person. who iu manner voluntarily engagedu
aided Allotted the late rebellion against the
dcfritr-geas - % Thcatlru4itlYc vote was
soNiy Democratic, lWo l.. Tie negative vote was
. eulluy Republican,
HE ONLY CORRECT INFERENCE.
But one inference can fairly be- drawn from this
reror ,-that the party which has done most 10 serve
the soldiers of the Union and which confidently be
relied upon 10 do for them il the party which
called tuc,n to tle field. which loyalty sustained the
authority of rho United state. during tho whole ~ tho
Grant. and which lu order u perfect the
VET unfinished work of effectively securing the political
of tho Union now proposes 10 elect James g. Blaine to
the Presidency M the Nation.
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