Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-12-11
susrscE. ONLY.
While the Wrong. are Being Rish
ted lin.

three good points In the following para
grspb, regarding the pensioning OF soldiers
especially the red tape aud the freedom
FROM pnr y partiz ,nsi,ip:
EVERY honorably discharged Union
soldier IN the Um,edStntes should he rca
sonnbiy pcneioned, aud this rcd-taie pro-
crasllnating business cease. Soldiers are
not TO I've classed ne party psrlisans full of
gall and venotn. but ne the irue defenders
OF the nations life, ny free from contracted
partisanship as the ale and water usc,l by
tho mssses. The GoSernment may re :
qnire the services Of these brave boys
again, aud II behooves il TO denl Justly
with those who take upon Themselves the
credit and honor OF preserving IL with
their lives and sacrificed physicals. Tie
patriot blue-coated Union defender il
fully entitled to every cent snd dollar
they get, for without their prcelea serv.
ices where would the grand old country
be2 That is the question for those who
think the soldier was well paid for risking
his health, property, happiness and life,
life, liberty and the pursuit Of happiness.
Let the Government liquidate this oLliga-
tion and rest in peace"
We believe We can safely cay that there
arc no more glaring frauds practiced upon
the Government than have been prncticed
through the past systems adopted of PEN
sioning soldiers OF the late war. While
there are worthy and deserving soldiers
who have had their papers on Gle for
years, whom every one acquainted with
the facts feel that IL Ia burning shame
that their case is permitted to drag along
year after year with but little prospect of
justice being dohe until IL is too late, yet
through some little teci,nicality aad with.
out political influence they are compelled
to watch and wait. Thousands of other
cases more deserving than those who had
no apparent trouble In securing pensions,
disgnsted with the operatiousl of pension
laws and those who fradnently operate
them, have not and will not apply for re-
lief Almost every community have
parallel cases where men who probably
never carried musket for day wh,le
they were in.,hc army, aud whose principle
occupation for the subseqnen, twenty years
has been to punish all the poor whisky
they could get hold of, yet they have no
apparent trouble in getting n penison
and thousand or fifteen hundred dollars
usually lasts them less than year.
These are not the men upon which the
hope OF Republic rests.
We have n case in oil. minds eve where
Union (?) soldier wrote letter after
letter home discouraging re.enlistments
pronouncing il "a ID Abolition war"
andl'eized upon the first pre,e1t of slight
tlesh wound to get ont and remain out
OF the I'd ID Abolition war. He was a
born Democrat, but seized upon the first
opportunity to get an Office in the Repub.
lican party and "all of sudden" became
rampant Republican. During the years
oi reconstruction and political excitement
the opportunity duwned for fortunes
about the same as that presented, TO the
pck-pocket in the rush of mass OF peo-
pie to get on boat or train-whioh WINS
improved by this Republican Union sold
ler and fortune followed fast. The road
from poverty 10 nffluence was short one.
Arrogance and men of 'fluence' followed.
Some OF these visited Washington fire.
qnently, had an axe to grlnd-and ge; in
terviewed. This patriotic soldier who
had already become fat at public expense
went down ON the Government he fit and
fit TO save for cool thousand of back
pension and through these men Of 'Auence
had no trouble in getting it.
Another cuse, visible to the naked eve
in Wood county, Is a soldier (?) who,
according to the testimony of his com.
rAdes in the same regiment, scarcely
ever carried a muskei while in the service,
but was u hanger-on around head1,iarters
and devoted the principle part OF his
time and talent with the various devices
for gambling through which he could get
from his honest and less experienced COM
! nand their SIG per month in greenbacks
worth 5l cents on the dollar. In an evil
hour, while FAR in the rear of his COM
rades, ns report snys, were two soldiers
asiri'le OF log playing poker. A piece
OF stray shell found It's way TO this spot
and fractured the leg ot one of the soldiers.
II had to be amPntaied and lie became
pensioner upon The Government, and sub
sequenlly stool pigeon for money sharks
and political demagogues. He has en-.
joyed the freedom of tho county Offices for
sone eighteen years past. His knowledge
Of ways that are dark and tricks that are
vain" have become invaluable to the new
officials as they are sent in by the people
one, two and three al a time to transact
the business and look after the welfare OF
the county. 1t has proven n bonanza, and
report says lie can now give his family
$40 per week, pin money, with instruc-
tiuns to be liberal with the churches.
1t is such cases as these that disgust
the people and cause them and their rep
resentat'ves in Congress 10 feel Indifferent
in regard to dving justice to the union
soldier. Those who seek illigilimltely to
rob the Government of its treasury and
lands In 1885 are exactly in the same boat
with tho'e who in 1861 robbed it of some
OF its money, arms and ammunition and
sought to carry off n portion of Its terri
tory-but fa,ied. There is only one dis
'inc'ion-the former effort sought to en-
slave millions OF blacks, and build nm an
an-tocracy upon their labor, while the lat
ter seek 10 enslave millions Of white and
black with debt, and build up a nobility
like unto that in Europe, or spend their
ill-gollen gains in iiotous living and de-
oanchery. From all the stand points
from which we have been enabled to view
these subjects the raw material has been
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