The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-02-14
A PATRIoTIC -.
Kansas Gongrsssn,sa's views ON Pending Pea
sion Legislation.


give you my views upon the questions pro-
pounded by you
You ask. first: What IS yoar opinion of tbe
merits OF the proposition TO egualize bounties
by the payment to every honOrably discharged
Union soldier OF eight and one-thirts dollars
for each and every moath Of actual service,
less the amount OF Government bonnty he may
have reeeived?~
| answer that I aE clearly Of The opinion
that the Government has too long delayed
the performance o. a duty devolved upOn
1t by its prOaise made more than twenty
years ago, and dcubIy made when it passed
what was pretended 50unty act. There can
De no argument which viii maintain itself for
a single moment TO the effect that one soldier
shall have three hundred dollars, and another
soldier, who IN all probability performed q
great deal more Of service. shall have onlv Two
hundred dollars. / DO not think the pf..sent
Congress will do what in duty bound it ought
to do; that IS, pass law equalizing b0unties.
But have no doubt tae time IS speedily COM
ing when there Will be such majority IN the
House and IN the Senate, composed OF men
who have not ceased TO remember the service
rendered By the enlisted men o. the country,
as viii impel them to give their vote in favor
OF what Is so justly the due OF the men VINO
have performed great service for their corn-
try, and who have q yet failed 70 receive their
just deserts.
ARREARS OF PENSIONS.
You ask, second " What IS your opinion OF
the merits OF the proposition TO amend the
arrears of pension act IS removing the Iiulita-
ton as to time OF fling claim5g1
To this / reply; There can be but one con-
eiusIon arrived at: and that IS, az men who
incurred disease III the line OF their datv IN
the service of their country are entitled 10 an
equal and ike consideration. No statute OF
limitation ought to be permitted 20 run against
ham
hle claim was due to the pride OF the soldier.
who FELT that it might be misunderstood and
mlsinteTpreted if he should ask any aid at the
hands OF the Government OF course In this
he was wrong, because the Government prom
lsed when Its ranks were being filed up that
ali men, If disease should wreck their e0nstitu-
tons, or if they should suffer Ey reason Of
wounds incurred in defense Of their country.
that they and their families should be cared
fer; and this promise aud pledge viii last with
binding force upon the Government until the
last veteran shall have been summoned to his
account, and Until his children and his chill
dren's children shall Do no more. ans, there
fore, OF the opinion that there should be no
question whatever as 10 amending the act re-
ferred 10, So as 70 open the door to every man
who has suffered Tor MS country.
THE Ex-PRIsoxERs' BILL
You ask. third: What rs your opinion of ths
prisoners Of war on the basis Of length Of con-
fnenent. and without requiring proof OF dis
ability?"
III reply have to say that believe it to be-
bat just and right that special legislation
should be had in behalf OF this class because
all men who were IN the army know thas by
reason of the want of care and attention upon
the part OF rebel authorities. as well also as by
reason OF a desire upon the part OF the rebel
authorities to cripple and IN effect destroy the
power Of the men who were prisoners IN their
hands TO again enter the army, the men who,
unfortunately, were captured were exposed to
privations and disease horrible IN the extreme
And think it may go without saying that no
man who spent any length OF time whatever in
rebel prison has from that day on expert
enced the enjoyment Of health. I think.
therefore, that the sacrifice they made and the
loyalty they exhibited entitIe them to the
highest possible consideration at the hands OF
the Government and Of the people, and so
would very gladly vote for any measure which
would grant them pension. based upon the
fact that they had been in the prison pens OF
the South.
You ask, fourth: "What IS your opinion Of
the merits of the proposition to pension al per-
sons, who, having enlisted in the regular OF
volunteer army OF the Union in any war waeed
with the United States, served three months,
We're hOnorably discharged, aud are unable, by
reason Of disability, to earn their subsistence
and are dependent upon their own labor for
their support?"
1 think. in answer 70 this question, that that
government is always the strongest that IS
willing and able to take care Of the men who
have defended its flag and its honor More
particularly do think so when the question
to be settled was whether or not We should have
government; whether or not the experiment.
of free government on this continent should
fail ka1r, q==r F7-..ff-
SERVICE PENsIOSs8
You ask. fifth: What is your opinion Of the
merits Of the proposition to pension ali ex-soi-
diers and sailors OF the late war who served
thirty days, or were IN any engagement there
IN, and the widows Of al soldiors who are
deceased ?"
/ answer that am emphatiealIy in favor Of
such law, and believe it Will De to the best
interests OF the country to have such law
passed, because it is but fulfilling a pledge
made to every soldier and his family at tho
commencement and all through the terrible
struggle for the preservation OF the eOun-
try. / recall now. and most wildly, the
positive pledge given by the President, the
lamented Lincoln, and by all these IN au-
thority under him, and by all meu who urged
the filling up of the ranks, and BY all Interests
the future prosperity Of which depended
upon the success OF the effort made for the
preservation Of the c0untFy-I say, l recall it
now as having been made upon the broad basis
that if the men would go into the service and
help maintain the national Government, and
they should fall, those depending upon them
should be cared for, and if they eams home
broken in health, through wounds or disease,
a grateful country would throw around them
its loving arms and make them easy for the
rest Of their lives. That pledge was solemnly
made and as soIemnly accepted, and the Gov
eminent will not have done its duty until il
shall have fulfilled its part.
/ think there IS another reason why early
legislation should be had in this matter. The
country is prosperous; it has large revenue
and Is really burdened with the question rs ia
what disposition shall be made Of THAI revenue.
Men of high character IN the councils Of the
Nation have recommended this plan and that
plan. 1t has been suggested by some that tbs
surplus revenue shall go towards developing
the educational resources Of the country, and
by others that it should be divided among the
States in the form Of an allowance for taxes.
In my judgment, both of these plans sink into
insigniheanse in comparison with this ideas
that the surplus revenue Of this country may for
many years be distributed in the paymentofpen-
sous to its defenders in the war of the rebellion
l know of no better way TO settle the question
of panics in financial circles and to prevent q
contraction of the circulating medium of the
country than that Of paying out every ninety
DAYS twenty-five millions of money TO be cir
eulated not IN the cities, nor by the banks, not
by great corporations, but to be received in the
homes of the common people of the country and