The Columbus journal., 1885-09-16

A german general aud two officers
were arrested at Belfast, the capitol
Of I~ronteer, department Of Haunt
Rhine, while in the act of taking
plans Of the fortified positions in that
vicinity aud were escorted to the
frontier.
The body of q young woman nam
ed Warren was found the other day
in the Des Moines river. She was
missed from her boarding place some
time ago and was supposed to have
gone to Maqusketa, where her parents
live, but inst. I'D cast herself into the
river, where "a y. Nv had lain since.
Inability 1 nci herself is sup
posed to be -. a.u-e.
Van Wyck s.a Beatrice During
the 1Se.anlOn-
At q camp fire gathering of the
assembled Veterans tonight, Senator
c. II. Van Wyck delivered the fol-
lowing excellent aud mastery sd-
dress to the boys:
SENATOR VAN wYCK's SPEECH.
Since "Trsmp. tramp, tramp, the
boys are marching was first sung
twenty-tonr years ago, many marched
into the jaws Of death on bloody
battle fielde, hospitals and prison
pens and many more since victory
came have 'tsken their places in the
silent halls of DEATH"
At each recurring anniversary, each
yearly reunion the number becomes
less to answer the rOli-call.
1t seems a short span since the first
gun was fired on Sumpter; when
another auch span shall have passed
how few Of all that grand army which
shook the earth in battle and achieved
results such as the world had never
witnessed, with bent form and tOtter-
ing step, will remain among the chill
| dren Of men.
To-day there is no ingratitude on
the part of the people toward the
defenders and saviors. There is no
soldier, however great his disability,
his pain, his sufferings, his privation
who would surrender his title.deed
to the inheritance Of glory in the re-
establishment and perpetuity Of the
republic secured by his valor.
There may have been times of de.
spondency and eason for discomfort,
but the hearts of the people have
l n1~uoOo r,AopnnG IN thosa GoronAnec
and desired that the national treas
ury should ever be open to their
wants, but it is q long, w~earisome,
and crooked way from the hearts and
desires Of the people, through on.
gress and the forms aud furbelows OF
the penaion Office to . certificate of
monthly pay to the disabled veteran.
You have felt indignant, who has
not? when the department required
more proof to show his disability was
contracted in the service than q jury
would require to establish q deed to
land or conviction for murder.
The eye may be sightless, the limb
psralyzed. no power to toll, SO help
less as to be led in the bright sunshine
and fed by hands of loving wife and
children, q strong. stalwart man when
entering the service, yet the depart
ment will delay, and by special agents
| seek to ascertain whether some time
during the journey from infancy to
his enlistment sickness or accident
had not wrestled with him on the
way, as it has with every q Of the
human family, and then arbitrarily
connect his disability with the sick
ness of youth rather than the hard
ships of camp and march and the
struggles of battle.
Often the veteran becomes q wreck
from exposure of long army life. All
the facts are we'll known to family,
friends, and the community, yet a
technicality, the lack Of surgeon's
testimony, will deny the full measure
of justice.
The seeds of disease scattered
through many years of service will
ripen into various forms, the dysen-
terry will become chronic, the chill
will at last benumb the fountains of
life, the rheumatism may cripple
every limb and stiffen every joint,
yet the honest soldier, not anticipating
the necessity for q pensiOn, ia neither
keeping q daily record of the pro-
gress Of the disease, or fortifying
himself with the attendance and
prescription of physicians.
No one denies the duty of the
department to protect the treasury
from fraud. Yet too often the pro-
lection is at the expense of the
wrecked and broken veteran, and the
shrewd, cunning schemer, by fraud
and perjury, is robbing the treasury
even while they are struggling to
prevent it.
True, some of the injustice Of the
department is corrected by congress
passing special bills for relief, but
that reaches only here and there one
of the many entitled. Defective
laws, or unnatural and unjust con |
struction placed on them, renders
new legislation by congress absolutely |
necessary. A law is needed de-
ciaring that the acceptance of q SOL
der by the government, and swear
ing him into the service, is evidence
that he was a sound man at date of
enlistment.
A law is needed giving to every
soldier who must labor for subsis.
tence, and who is disabled for any
such labor, no matter whether such
disability was contracted in the sci.
vice or otherwise, shall be entitled to
q pension of not less than $l2 per
month.
The great portion Of Dur army we're
from the humble walks Of life from
those who toiled for bread, and the
Thousands who from the field sent
back part of the pittance of pay, did
90 to sustain wives and children.
The life Of the nation was saved
mainly by those who had the least
property interest to be protected.
Not many of the Vanderbilts and
Astors and Goulds took up the bur-
then of life in that way.
M hn-o mt ropuoktou SueSun tho