Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-10-07
Attention, G, A. r.

We have information from Republican
state headquarters at Columbus that in all
parts of Ohio there is a general movement on
the part of old soldiers, without regard to
past party affiliations to support the Repub-
ican ticket this year. Reports from all
parts of the state agree on this subject, and
it now seems likely that the votes Of the
members of the Grand Army of the Republic
will almost without exception be cast for
gallant General Robinson and the other
soldier candidates on the Republican ticket.
We can well believe this, for after the shame
full treatment veteran soldiers have received
from President Cleveland we cannot under
stand how any soldier can vote to endorse
his administration or help to elect Demo-
cratic candidates.
Upon all other questions of National i'm
portance Grover Cleveland has seemed to be
opinionless, uninterested and uncaring. But
when congress enacted legislation, as has
been the custom for years, to give deserved
pensions to veteran soldiers, or their widows
and orphans, whose cases seem to fall out
side of the arbitrary set rules of the pension
department, President Cleveland suddenly
with his own hand sneering, cruel and brutal
innuendoes against veterans who had served
in the Union army during the rebellion.
With inartistic, though cutting and harsh,
criticisms on those who had risked their lives
for the Union and been wounded in its de-
fense he struck from the mouths of the
cripples and the widows and orphans the
bread which the legislative branch had de-
clared the country owed and should give
them
He vetoed 101 pension bills, and in 101 spe-
cial messages expressed his contempt for the
veteran soldiers of the union His insults to
the soldier, gratuitous as they were, have met
with no condemnation from his party as an
organization, but in the platform of the Ohio
Democrats his administration as whole is
unqualiiedly indorsed. Shame upon the
man who can indorse such treatment of the
soldier Thank God there are few of them
who have the temerity to express their views
on Grover Cleveland's insulting language.
We want right here to give unqualified in
dorSement to the following sentiments ex-
pressed by by Gen. R. B. Hayes, in his ad-
dress at the reunion of the old Seventy-second
regiment:
II fear that there is in the popular senti-
ment growing weakness that we have done
too much for the soldier. What is due to the
soldier! To the one who suffered at Ander-
sonville? say that it is betteS &hat among
Union soldiers nine of them should have PEN
sions than that one should go TO the poor
house. We have kept faith with our moneyed
creditors, and why should we not with the
soldiers? We told them when they enlisted
that their families should be taken care of,
and made many other promises These are
debts Of sacred obligation and should be full
filed. Every soldier should have pension
who served sixty days in the army. There is
no sadder sight than legless, eyeless and
armleSs soldier. Another thing should be
remembered 1t is a fact that at the time of
the war most of those who enlisted were
young men. Their characters were forming,
and they were unacquainted with the ways
and wickedness of the world, and when away
from the influence of home some of them
formed habits which are bad They are also
victims of the war, and you should never
turn your backs upon them"
Veterans Of the late war, it is for you to
say whether your comrades are to be wan
tonly insulted by the chief executive of this
nation, without his party suffering for it.