The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-03-25

nothing more than humane and just on the part OF
the Government that his widow and minor children
| should be provided with means sufficient to keep
them from the poorhouse.
| i have heard great deal Of denunciation of the
present liberal policy of pensioning soldiers. Some
gentlemen in voting upon appropriations will
strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.' / have
| known gentlemen who would stand this floor
| and insist upon an appropriation of nearly
| half million dollars to buy old building in
| New York, and yet refuse to grant penon of SO
n month to the widow of some soldier who gave
his health, yea, his life to preserve the Govern
| ment
| am not afraid 10 announce now and here that
am one of those who believe in liberal appropria-
tons for the solder-not only the soldier of the late
war, but the soldier of every where citizens of
the Republic have sustained the flag of our country.
believe In the policy of pensoning every soldier
OF every war that this country has ever been en-
gagged in, when the soldier has suffered disability
by reason of his service for the Government; and
when such soldier has become old and unable to
MAINTAIN himself, whether he incurred the dis
ability IN war or not, feel it to be duty resting
upon us that we should at least keep him from the
poorhouse in his old age
III was Tor this reason that introduced into this
House at the last session bill pensoning all the
surviving soldiers of the Mexican war. because
}
follow the precedents which had been established
IN reference to the soldiers of the Revolutionary
war and the war of 1912. And sir, when believe
that sufficient time has elapsed since the late war
shall be ready to put upon the pensionroll every
man who defended the flag of his country i'll that
war.
Mr.. Pettibone. So will T.
Mr.. Iownshend. In my judgment no better use
can be made of the surplus money in the Treasury
;l,,,sn 8
hands OF our army and navy pensioners. The
money you put into the pocket of the pensioncr is
not boarded. 1t goes into circulation in every
neighborhood and helps to increase the internal
prosperity of the country
Mr. Henderson, of Iowa. Why is it not as proper
now to pension the soldiers of the late war ii will
be hereafter?
Mr. Townshend. Perhaps it might be; that
question IS not now before me. will go as far as
any man here to pension the soldiers and do full
justice to them. If the time has now arrived for
putting upon the pension list all who in the late
war fought i'll behalf of the flag, am ready TO do
1t. L would pension the veterans of the Black
Hawk Wharf.-The war in which Lincoln at first
enlistment private, and afterward, when his term
expired, re-enlisted and became n Captain. L
would pension the soldiers of the Creek and Florida
Indian wars, and l would pension now, us I have
stated, every of the soldiers that fought for the
nag IN the Mexican war, their widows and their
minor children.
AS l have stated the money paid out of the
Treasury to the pensioners does the country more
good than any other money that goes out of the
treasury. 1t goes into circulation. Much of the
large sums that you put into the pockets of con-
tractors are boarded up and toa considerable ex
tent taken out of circulation; but as soon the
poor fellow who has borne his musket in the wars
of the Republic receives pittance of pension
money necessity drives him into the nearest store
TO pay his bill for the necessaries of life