The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-30
THE PRESIDENTS PENSIONS.


The LiberaIity of the Administration,
Coupled with Justice, to the Veterans
fthe War.
The sound, practical views advanced
By President Cleveland in his message
on the subject of pensions disposes of
the misstatementS and misrepresenta-
tons so literally INDUCED in last sum-
mer by Republican Senators and mem
bers OF Congress and their home or
gans. He appeals for an open
system of pensioning, which will dc
away with the pernicious political in
fuenccs that now faint the noble ex-
preston of the Nations gratitude to-
wards its defenders. The custom of
resorting to Congress for a special
pension act to override the decision OF
the well-organized bureau designed for
the examination and consideration of
all pension cases opens the door, as
the President states, to the allowance
of questionable claims and presents
fraudulent claims in such guise and so
surrounded by sentiment and patriotic
feeling that they are hard to resist In
HIS htLOcS vi SpllC VI IhOSC CIdlll1S,
last summer. the President pointed out
in each instance the baSeless character
of the claim. 1t is idle to speak of the
Nations ingratitude towards the vet
Grams in view of the fact that it has
paid out more in pensions for disability
sustained in service than all the rest of
the world has paid in centuries.
The law protecting the pensioner has
been so carefully drawn that there can
be no fear of injustice when the law is
fully carried out
Under former Administrations Of
the Pension Bureau. especially in 1884,
shameless misuse of power and gross
partisanship perverted the patriotic in
tentions of the people. TO save votes
for Mr.. Blaine the law was violated
and deserving pensioners were injured.
By the political use of pensions SOL
dier's right to a pension was made to
depend upon his service to the Repub-
lican party after the war and not
upon his services in the field for his
country. The boards of examining
surgeons and the special examiners
were all Republicans, selected with a
view TO their willingness to misuse
their power for partisan purposes. The
Democratic Commissioner of Pensions
has provided against this abuse by Sc
Letting impartially from both parties.
The history of the Pension Bureau, I'M
der Republican management, especial
" in 1884, is an unbroken record of
partisan prostitution of the nOblest of
our public agencies, of danger to our
free institutions, of robbery of the tax
PAYERS, degradation of the pensioner,
insult to the Union veterans and dis
grace to the responsible party.
The relief of the disabled veteran is
not AN act of charity, but of justice
and duty on the part of the Govern
ment. The President advances the
sound argument that when the veter-
ans who, having served their country
long and well, are reduced to destitu-
ton, not as an incident of their serv-
ice, but with advancing age, or
through sickness or misfortune, they
and their cause are entitled to the bene-
fit of a special act in each case. Under
such an act relief may be claimed rs
right and according to law,
not, as sometimes happens now, in
evasion of it. The veterans are our
fellow citizens, and are equally inter
e>ted in the passage and faithful execu-
ton of wholesome laws. The charge
that the Democratic Administration
has been in any sense hostile to the
cacse of pensioners is easily disproved
by the fact that m Drc work has been
done during the past year by the Pen
sion Burp1U 1t less cost To the Govern
ment, than during any previous year
since the bureau was organized. -
-1ibaRy -4rgus.