The National tribune., 1884-01-17

| reasonably be insisted on in all cases.
The more letters he receives, the better
| pleased the editor of The NATIONAL TRIB-
UEE viii be, but so long as it is a physical
impossibility to publish them all, some of
his contributors must content themselves
| with the assurance that he takes their advice
and counsel to heart, and viii endeavor to
profit by their suggestions.
a Question of Justice, Not Expedieney.
There are those among our Senators
and Representatives in Congress, who,
while kindly disposed towards our ex-
soldiers, take the ground that the condi-
ton of the Nations finances should be the
controlling consideration in all questions of
general pension legislation, and while they
do not express decided opinion as to
what the character of future pension leg
islation should be, they would have the
public infer that Congress should do moth
ing until the questions of revenue reform
and tariff adjustment are definitely settled.
| In other words, these statesmen regard it
as among the possibilities that such
sweeping reduction of the revenues may be
made by Congressional enactment as to
prevent hereafter the accumulation of any
surplus in the United States Treasury out
| of which, in the event of the passage of any
of the pending pension measures, the appro-
| priation therefor could be met.
Whether or not they are justified in
this apprehension, the course of events alone
can determine. 1t is undoubtedly true that
powerful influences are at work to secure
further reduction, if not the absolute repeal, of
the internal revenue taxes, and that there is an
aggressive element in both houses of Congress
| which has for its object the overthrow of the
present protective tariff, but it does not fol-
low that this conspiracy of capitalists and
politicians will be successful, and the lack of
| unity which is now so conspicuous In the
attitude of party leaders may In itself be
sufficient to prevent the accomplishment of
its purpose.
But, even assuming that this apprehen-
sion Is well-founded, We must still dissent
from the opinion that Congress ought to be
governed in its action upon pending pension
measures by considerations of a financial
character solely. The question which these
measures raise is not What can the Govern
What does it owe him?n It is not matter
of generosity, but of justice-not question
of the payment of a gratuity, but the fulfill
ment Of an obligation.
Take the Equalization of Bounties bill. for
instance. What is it that is proposed to be
accomplished by that measure? Why.
nothing more nor less than the payment to
the soldier of moneys actually owing TO him
by the Government, and which, according
to all rules of mercantile honor, should have
been paid long ago.
And what is the object of the bill to re-
move from the Arrears of Pensions act the
limitation as to time of filing claims, if it is
not to insure to the soldier the payment of
pension from the time that he acquired
right thereto that is to say, the payment
IN full, instead of in part, of the Govern
ment's debt to him? If there is merit IN
either of these propositions it consists in
the fact that they provide for the fulillment
of obligations on the part of the Government
which it is in honor bound to discharge and
to set up the prospective poverty of the
Treasury as bar to the settlement of these
obligations is just as certainly reputation
as would be the failure of the Government
to redeem its bonds because, through its own
act, its revenues had become insufficient for
the purpose.
1t seems clear to us, therefore, that
| the duty of Congress is to ascertain the ex-
tent of the Governments obligations to the
soldier in the matter of pensions and boun-
ties, and to then treat this debt as it would
any other debt in the payment of which the
good faith and honor of the Nation were in
yolyed. II, after this has been done, it shall
appear that the revenues of the Government
still exceeds its necessities, it will then be
time enough to consider the propriety of
reducing taxation.
| AMONG the pension bills introduced at
the present session of Congress is that to still
further increase the pensions of one-armed
and one-legged veterans. It will be re-
membered that the last Congress faiIed to
pass the $40 bill and enacted as a compro-
mise measure the existing law fixing the
rate at S24 and $50 per month, and the bill
before the present Congress simply aims to
accomplish the object of the original meas
vtra ic 90 foIla,vr.