The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-01-17
Gen. Grant and His Pension.

Neac York San, January Is.
! AS matter of course the Grant Wander.
bilt incident is the topic of general and highly
animated discussion in business as well as In
idle circles. Even women talk about it, ano
it is we'll known that when they take up pub
| lie question arguments are sure to become
mixed up with considerable amount of sen
timent, ignorance, and foolshness. 1t would,
therefore, be useless to reproduce these argu
ments here. Their most Ineligible portion i!
that Gen. Grant has no business to make his
wife refuse the donation which Mr.. Wander
bilt was willing to make to her under the ex
listing circumstances. The representatives OF
the fair sex seem to be perfectly sure that
Mrs. Grant did not know anything about hel
husband financial transactions, that she is
entitled to comfortable living, and that the
interest on the $3.50, 900 fund is not sufficient
for the support of her husband and herself in
BETTING STYLE
But some of the arguments brought forward
by men of mature age and more or less SOUND
common sense seem to be worth recording
Here are some of them summed up in as few
words as possible, and without any comment
pro or con. They come from men of vastly
different walks in life and quite varied political
views:
Gen. Grant is not entitled to readmissior
into the army, except for actual service. He
left the service of his own free will, carrying
with him, as it is supposed, all he was entitled
to-rank, honor, money saved or made; and
if he had been in country where resigning
officers are pensioned, he would have carried
his pension, too. All over the civilized world
if retired and pensioned officer reenters
service he loses his pension and is put upon
the pay of the new post he occupies except in
cases where the pension is attached to an
order, medal, wound, or particular grant
for particular service. To readmit an officer
into the service for the purpose of placing
him upon the retired list and giving him full
pay would be considered an absurdity even in
a country where the will of despot makes
the law.
If Gen. Grant gets pension or any other
allowance from the Government, the money
for it must come out of the pocket Of the ma
ton, and there are great many people in
this country who are not favorably disposed
toward him, and never were so. If he refuses
the money of his admirers, why should his
non. admirers be made to pay?
He left the army for the purpose of taking
the highest office in the gift of the nation. He
held it for eight years, and was well paid.
He went into Office poor; he came out rich.
He choose to embark in gambling, and lost
his money. He was actuated by greediness
and allowed his name to be used for purposes
of crooked speculations. The result was
natural and the penalty deserved. But the
man was at one time national hero, and as
such should be enabled to finish his days in
comfort. Any nation would do that much fol
great artist or poet disabled by accident, OIL
even by vice. But everything done in such
a case should be done voluntarily, without the
slightest interference on the part of the Gov.
eminent.
The fact itself, out of which the whole Incl
| dent arose. is commented upon in still more
radical way.
Mr.. Vanderbilt has been always persona
friend of Gen. Grant. He is under many OBJ
legations to him, goodly part of hi,
| fortune having been made through the lenity
of Gen. Grants Administration The fortune
of Mr. Vanderbilt is estimated at 5000, 000, 900.
The sum he loaned 70 his friend does no
make one thousandth part of his fortune
How many poor old woman not worth 81 ,00(
in all her worldly belongings gives dollar
and even five dollar bill to u friend in dis
tress or sickness! How many poor clerk
gives weeks salary to get chum out of q
scrape! Yet they don't rush into print, they
don't go to courts, they don't say word tC
anybody. Keeping in view how both Mr.
Vanderbilt and Gen. Grant hate the press, the
fact of their rushing SO eagerly into print on
this occasion shows that there is some object il
doing so. They were so anxious to have
everything printed that some of our contem-
porares had to alter their Monday leading
articles on this subject long after midnight to
suit the purpose of belated private correspond
ence between the parties concerned. There
seems to be at the back of the whole thing al
attempt to bluff the nation into big disburse
ment, and all the talk about the records O
private benefaction containing feS examples
of finer liberality than that shown by Mr..
Vanderbilt is sheer humbug He loaned :
friend a ,333d part of his fortune, and is moi
quite sure ofgetting his loan paid. There are
probably Is, 339, 1913 human beings upon this
continent who are in the same and great
.,,n,,r &c tho,n a ,,nnch runrSn r,nSitinn