The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-06-28
lFrom the Cumberland News.l
Just Action by the Chicago ConYen-
tion in Regard to Pensions.

lion IN Regard to Pensions.
The Chicago convention has done
remarkably well for the Republican
party. 1t would have been impos-
sible to have nominated stronger,
more fit and popular ticket. The
civilian elements of our country will
rally to Blaine with an enthusiasm
and unanimity unequaled since the
days of 1910, when the whole country
was ablaze for Whigery, though il
was the most conservative policy
ever know to our people-and the
narae of Logan will enthuse and unity
the soldier and military elements to
very high pitch. Its enunciation of
American principles now in effect
and yet to be made so are as neces
sary and excellent for national gesd
as the nominations themselves. The
statesmen delegates of the convention
have been mindful and attentive TO
all classes rights and interests, par
ticularly the old soldiers of the late
war. They meant to see that the
promise of the nation in the form of
laws made ty Congress in the be-
ginning of the strife shall be made
good,
In the commencement of the war
in order to induce enlistments Con-
gress passed laws promising bounties,
and also pensions to all who might
be wounded or in any way become
disabled in the service, as well as to
widows and dependent relatives of
those who might fall in the service
of their country. These pension laws
are absolute on their face, and with
out any conditions, and promised
support to all who properly came
within their provisions. More than
two million of men volunteered un.
der these laws, and no one now can
say or show how many of them would
have remained at home had not these
assurances been offered. They were
the very essence of the contract of en-
liStment between the soldier and his
government. The promised pension
was the consideration in such con-
tract, and it thus became a vested
right of the soldier. The constitution
of the United States forbids any State
from passing any law impairing the
obligation Of a contract or vested
right. Can Congress itself pass such
laws? Whether they can or cannot
they certainly should not. There was
nothing in these original pension laws
requiring such claims to be presented
or filed within any given time, The
sharp and more intelligent of these
beneticiaries came forward promptly,
demanded ard obtained their full
rights. Many of the slower and i'll
informed held back /; Others haye felt
too proud and Well-to-do to ask the
government for their own just dues.
Some years after the close of the
war Congress passed a law limiting
the payment of pensions from the
time when the claims should be filed
in the pension Office in lieu of the
time when the right first occurred
that is to say, from the discharge or
death of the soldier. In 1879 Con-
greSs saw the wrong of this Act and
passed another known as the arrear-
age law, carrying the pay back to the
beginning of the right, thus equaliz.
ing and putting all pensions on the
same footing. But this Act under its
own provisions ceased to have effect
after the lst of July, 1880. So all
claims filed since this date will only
carry pay from and after presenta-
tion. Had not these worthy bene-
ficiaries right to trust in the faith of
their government and to withhold
their claims if they saw proper and
present them at such times as suited,
without the risk of forfeiting them?
The truth is these laws of Congress
taking away from the disabled SOL
diers a large part of their pay are
simply acts of confiscation against
the very persons whom they prom
ised to reward and protect; and
were they ever to be reviewed by the
Supreme Court they would beso held.
What would be thought of Ma
tiOnal bank which had received,
held deposits of money from its Gus
toners for many years and should
convert them to its own use because
forbearing creditors had not called
for or demanded their money for so
long time.
The pension laws of the late war
rest upon quite different principles
from those of any of the previous
wars. Pension laws were enacted as
a gratuity to the old soldiers of the
Revolutionary war, of 1872, and for
the wounded and disabled in the
Mexican war. But all these laws
were DasSpd lOnO fTpr their plnsa ond