The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1885-11-19
PENSION ALL SOLDIERS

NV "hSoNy oi''Shi "uSu ~ 10 thO
duty OF the government to pension
every soldier who served in the war,
and who survives. The laws as
they now stand make il very hard
for tho most deserving survivors to
obtain pensions. The alIidavits OF
officers cannot be readily obtained
even il the officers are alive, and in
many cases all the officers who knew
circumstances OF wound or injury
are dead, or have removed TO some
remote place. In many cases an in L.
jnry that was so triflipg twenty
years ago that a soldiers tent-mate
did not know Of it, has become q
burden that is alm ost unbearable
and the soldier should have pen
sion, but unless be can prove that
doctors prescribed for him, and that
company officers we're familiar with
the circumstances, the soldier fails
to get bis pension. Many officers
are to-day racking their brains to
try and remember some incident in
the career OF a soldier whose name
is almost forgotten, that they may
make an affidavit without lying, that
will benefit the poor man in his ap'
plication for relief. II an officer is
conscientious, and does not wish 10
swear to something that lie cannot
recall to save bis life, injustice is
liable TO be done toa brave soldier
and the soldier is liable TO think his
old officer is mean, not to try and
help him. This condition Of things
places thousands Of officers in very
unenviable positions. They wan,
to do the fair thing by old comrades
but they do not want to sw ear to a
lie, by claiming to remember things
that they never heard of until they
received letters Of inquiry from COM
rades that had been almost forgot.
ten. B.tber soldiers .bs' ara De
serving Of pensions must fail to re.
ceive them, or officers must become
star liars. Now, to do justice all
around, and give late Off cers q
chance to bold up their heads and
look their old soldiers in the face
without ying to remember some
thing that occurred twenty yesrs
ago, that they never heard of, the
government should decide to do jus
tice to all the men who served it il
time of need. There are bills be-
fore congress that cover the ground
and they must become laws. TIE
San will work as best it may, print
and by personal effort OF it's editor
for the passage Of each bills, unit
the law is on the statute book, which
permits all old soldiers TO go up to
the paymsster and receive their reg
ular salary as long as they live. The
government can stand it withou,
hardship, and il is due the soldiers.
With such a law a soldier need not
feel that Le is a criminal, attempting
to introduce his haud into tho treas.
ury in the dark. AS it ia now, the
hrst move q soldier makes for pen
sion, he is spotted, and looked upor
by the government officials al con.
fidence man. They try to prov,
that he is not as bad off es lie as.
serts, neighbors who may not like
him, can be found to swear that be
is the healtbiest man 10 town, be ie
laughed at because he has just dis
covered, after twenty years Of active
] fc, that be was disabled years ago
and didu't know it, aud if he finally
succeeds in getting few dollars a
month he is liable TO be pointed at
as one who has come it on the gov-
ernment by false swearing. With
such feeling as sometimes exists
about soldiers drawing a pension,
where he livea, many bad almos,
rather starve than to receive it. II
a man is all knocked to pieces, and
so crippled that all can see, there is
not much kicking about bis receiv-
ing pension, but il he looks as vel
as ordinary citizens, though his livel
may be cut in two, his bowels tiet
up in double bow knot, his lung;
half gone, and nothing about hiu
whole except his gall, there will ! {
q feeling in the community that biz
drawing pension is a piece OF fa'
vorism, brought about by fraud, and
that he is 30 much ahead of Uncle
Sam. Give the boys all a pension
really make them feel as though
they deserved every cent of il, and
not try to euohre them out OF il