The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-03-12
Encampment. GAR, which meets there
next July.
DEFEAT OF THE MEXICAN PEssI0,
RIII.,

| There are many sins of omission and c0m-
mission lying npon the tombstone of the
late House Of Representatives of the Forty
/ Eighth Congress but the most crying OF
| them all Is the failure to pass the Mexican
| Pension Bill.
| No man can have a doubt that this was
the most earnestly and generally demanded
! piece of legislation before that body. The
passage of no other bill was asked for by a
hundredth of the people who petitioned for
It's enactment.
We do not believe that ever, in our his
tory, did so many people and of such
! average high standing petition for the
passage of any bill, as earnestly besought
the House, over their own signatures, to
( concur with the Senate in making the
amended Mexican Pension Bill law. At
least 4 half million Of the representative
men of the Countrywide men who are doing
the work, eultivating the farms, running
the railroads. selling the goods, sinking the
mines operating the factories, building the
! houses, carrying on ali lis business, and pay
ing the taxes-asked the House To pass the
bid. These petitioners were found at every
POst-oiiicc ia the country, and they eElbraeed
men Of every position in life and every
political creed
The bill had many earnest friends IN the
House, who laboTed for its success with con-
staney and zeal. They left nothing undone
TO SECURE lis success, and they are entitled
to the warmest gratitude of every soldier
and friend of the soldier in the Nation.
They were of all political parties, and Dem
ocrats and Republicans We'd with each other
in laboring for ii.
The failure TO pass the bill constitutes q
serious Indictment against the majority of
the House. They deliberately refused to do
what was an act of the most obvious and
necessary Justice toward the coRntrys de-
Tenders; they failed to redeem the Nations
pledged honor to the men who defended its
life with their lives, and they did this in the
face 81 most unprecentod expression Of the
popular viii in favor of the measure. Their
refusal to accede to the prayers of their con-
stitueney amounted TO contumacy, for which
We sac certain they viii be held to rigid
account.
We hope that no one will be discouraged
by this failure. 1t must rather be taken as
an incentive to still stronger effort. The
Senate amendments TO the bill embody pro-
visions OF such clear rightfulness that no one
who is a friend of the soldier can rest until
they are made part of the law of the land.
We must all grid our loins anew, and work
with redonbled vigor. There were half
million petitioners to this Congress; let there
be three or four millions to the next Let
soldiers everywhere plant themselves firmly
ON the amendments, and declare that they
will be content with nothing less than their
enactment in full. Let them labor to edu
cate public sentiment UP toward unanimity
in favor of them.
There is 10 Disgusting the greatness of the
misfortune of the failure of the bill in this
Congress. 1t is misfortune which falls
heavily upon widows and orphans and
broken-down veterans in every community
in the land. They are denied the relief
which is so richly their due, and which they
so sorely need But it will be still greater
misfortune TO have the bill fail in the next
Congress. Their need will be sorer next year
than it is this, and the denial Of relief 10
them will be more absolute cruelty.
The NATIONAL TRIBUNE has enlisted in
this matter for the war. 1t believes that
the principles embraced in the amendments
are eternalIy right and just, and that the
people everywhere will speedily recognize
this, if it is kept before their attention until
they begin TO think upon the matter A
splendid beginning has been made in this
direction, as the half-million names abund-
antly testify. II shall devote itself to agi-
! tating the matter and to the work of edu-
eating the people up TO the justice of doing
/ this right thing for the soldiers Of the coun-
try and their widows and orphans.
The best way to aid in the good work is
! to aid III building up the circulation and in
! f1uence of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE. Every
soldier who has the good of his comrades at
| heart can advance that good by sending us
J in another subscriber
WARY WIZ APE rspIEv