The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-12

their bodies shot shell rebellion,
and the deprivatons, sickness and arduous duties
incident to army life but preferred to remain behind
and furnish moldy hardtack. rotten beef. shoddy
clothing and chicory coffee to those who were fight
ing their battles Would il no. be will for those who
were IN the soldier business from 1896 TO give
practical demonstration of the falsity Of this state
menti While in other fields OF labor organizations
against oppression have done mach to ameorate the
CONDITION OF the oppressed might it not bs best TO
ascertain what strength there may be in a solid
column OF 3oo,O men, against those who feel in.
clined to sheer and laugh at the claims of the ex
Union soldiers and sailors!
The soldiers have organized what is known as
the National Veteran Rights Association" IL
is organization outside of the Grand Army,
and has for its special object the taking care OF
the soldier in the way of seeing that his rights
to Office are recognized, aud in any other way
they can be of help Mr. Odell. of this State is
chairman of the general committee, and Major
Burke of whom have just spoken, is chairman
of the executive committee want to read you
what those men say:
In the year 1885 the discharges of exUnion sol
ders from public employments went On almost I'M
checked and with such rapidity and constant recur
renee as to excite wellgrounded fear in the minds Of
men that the laws of 1865 and 1876 were in fact no
longer regarded as in existence Here was indeed an
emergency which the Grand Army of the Republic
comparatively powerless to meet and which
called imperatively for organization through
which the veterans of the civil could meet the
danger and defend not only their rights but the
sanctity OF the laws.
They say again, speaking of the Pension Office
Interior Department, have reason to believe our
efforts have availed much save our veteran
rades from dismissal for political reasons only Dur
ing the first year of the Commissioners
pancy of his Office he had discharged according to his
own showing, not less than fifty Union soldiers and
in not than two three of such cases has any
reason whatever for removal, other than political
reasons, been disclosed This onslaught upon brave
men-honorably discharged manned and crippled
solders-and worthy women, the widows and daugh-
tiers of dead comrades went on till after the organ
ization of the Veterans Rights Union We soon
Commissioner and the secretary of the Interior
to the statute of 1876, of the existence
of which they had apparently been ignorant or
which. if they knew of it, they had totally ignored
Failing in our appeals to these men-~one Union and
the other confederate soldier-we appealed directly
to the President of the United States We have
son to believe that unless the public general under
standing is utterly at fault the Commissioner of PEN
sions has lately been relieved of the power he had
hitherto exercised, through the Secretary of the In
terror. to appoint employees of his bureau
and this by direction of the President
That was mistake The power to remove
still exists, and is still being exercised. Now,
my comrades, this is not my testimony. nor is It
from Republican sources. 1t is testimony from
non partisan sources as to the treatment Union
soldiers have been receiving at Washington.
THE PRESIDENTS vEToEs OF PENSIONS.
But come now to consider the Presidents at
titude towards the soldiers. President Cleve
land will be known as the great veto President
All OF our Presidents prior to President Cleva-
land vetoed altogether ITO bills passed by Con-
gress, and President Cleveland vetoed in the
eight months session of the last Congress ia
He is four ahead of all his predecessors.
/ want to call your attention to some Of his
peculiar views upon these subjects, as expressed
in his veto messages AS Mayor Of Buffalo he
vetoed bill passed by the Council of that city
appropriating 5000 to aid in the exercises of Dec
GRAFTON Day. He said it was misuse OF public
money. AS Governor of New York he vetoed a
bill authorizing the board of supervisors OF
Chautauqua county to approximate money for
the purchase of land upon which to erect q sol
diers' and sailors monument" and said in hIs
message: at is not an agreeable duty 10 refuse
to give sanction to the appropriation OF money
for such worthy and patriotic object. but T
cannot forget that the money proposed to
be appropriated is public money, to be
raised by taxation, and that oil that
justifeS its eXacton from the people is the neces
sity of its use for purposes connected with the
safety and substantial welfare of the Taxpayers"
We have law in this State authorizing counties
to erect soldiers monuments, but we would not
have had it if Mr. Cleveland had been Governor
when the bill passed the Legislature for he
would not allow one county in New York to
spend little money to purchase plot of earth
on which the base of soldiers monument
might be rested. Mr.. Cleveland seems. tc<isaya
very queer notions as to the things that promote
the public safety. Upon what granite rock WAS
the public safety rested in 1862 It was upon
the patriotism of our people; and will any one
say that to build these shafts of honor to the
men who died upon the battle field, that the
Nation might live does not conduce to the pub
lie safety? believe that soldiers monument
tasteful, magnificent in proportion, crowned
with the statue of the typical soldier
built in every county in Indiana-will do more for
the safety and prosperity of the State than ali
the peace officers within its borders. IApplause.l
Such monument inspires and lifts up men,
Again. the Legislature of New York passed
bill to give a sum of money to the soldiers Of the
First New York Regiment which had served Ia
the Mexican war. These soldiers had received
no pension from the United States, and the Leg
islature of New York passed bill giving them
pension for limited number of years. Mr.
Cleveland said, in vetoing the bill:
am by no means certain that the legislation thus
proposed involves correct principle or that the APP.
peal which it rests should be answered by fayora.
BILE action rcs# seFF
Here is another of his vetoes as Governor OF
New York A man belonging to one of the
State regiments under their militia laws WAS or
dered out for duty, and in the exercise of-said
duty was permanently disabled. The Legisla-
ture passed bill giving him a small sum Of
money in recompense for his injury, and Mr.
Cleveland vetoed it, Two such instances
are found in the official volume I hold
in my hand Since he has been President
he has vetoed a large number of pension bills
Why were these private pension bills passed by
Congressl You know, my comrades how many :
of you are unable to make the technical proof
required at the Pension Office. You caunot find
the comrades or officers to give the evidence you
require-some technical reason bars the way aud
your claim is rejected. But here has been faith
full service for three four years. much evil
dence has been furnished but not enough. Your
claim is rejected, and manv of you--very many
of my comrades in Indiana-have appealed to
me to give them relief by special bill.
and in every worthy case I have
responded to the appeal and scores of such bills
introduced by me for the relief of deserving sol
diers have passed Congress. have not time to
discuss those veto messages in detail, but will
give you one or two illustrations. / have men,
toned one case before. that Of Sally Ann Brad
Icy. She was the wife of an Ohio soldier who
went to the war in its early stage The patriotic
example of the father inspired his boys, and four
sons-all of the male suembers of the family
were soon at the front fighting the bat
ties of their country The husband
was wounded at Murfreechoro by