The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-09-30
A PLEA FOR JUSTICE.
The Government Should Care for the Veterans VIII,
are Growing Old

are Growing Old.
To THE EDITOR: The article headed "No-
body Indifferent" in your paper of Sept. is,
inst, touches the right spot. The writer of
this is one Of the many hundreds who were
children at the beginning, grew up during the
war, and enlisted in the last months of the
struggle The vigor of youth enabled us to
overcome whatever effects the climate food
hardship or undue exertion in the service may
have had upon our physical constitutions
Those now under so years who escaped with
out injury may say that they ask nothing from
the Government on their own account, but
they cannot be Indifferent in regard to the
rights Of their more aged comrades.
will never forget the kindness and sympa-
thy extended by the bronzed and hardened
veterans Of three years service to a mere slip
of n boy during the Winter of 1865; and
when / see gray haired and feeble veteran
out OF employment and needy on account of
his years, not pensoned because he cannot
prove that he incurred any disability in the
service, am reminded that those who risked
and endured most receive the least. We FREE
quently hear the expression, The time has
not yet come TO pension the soldiers" This is
equivalent 10 saying, Wait until your old
comrades who bore the heat and burden Of the
fight have died then we will see that you who
are youngand vigorous now shall be taken care
of. What monstrous injustice! If this prin-
ciple be adopted, the man who went in last and
suffered least will have the greatest reward,
because he will live the longest, while the man
now 20 years old, who went in the service in
'6l and marched and fought till 65. will re-
ceiye the least, or perhaps never be recog-
niZed.
1t must strike with harsh sound upon the
ears of our old comrades when they are told
that " after few years all the soldiers will be
pensloned." After a few years where will they
bef In almost every town there are veterans
above 90 years. If there are too many surviv-
ors of the war now living to make it safe to
pension all, the Government should make
haste TO provide for those whom few years
will place beyond the reach of earthly reward
These old, tottering, gray haired men ought not
TO be made TO feel tina. they stand in the way
of the rewarding of their younger and more
vigorous Comrades. If there were not more
than 10000 survivors of the war the country
would be swift TO grant each one liberal PEN
sion.
The argument is, that We must wait until our
numbers are greatly reduced by death; then
the remainder will be recognized. 1t seems
not to be considered that the 10000 of our
most aged comrades now living are MS needy
and as worthy as the last 10000 will be 20
years from now.
According TO the course of nature the Oldest
must 20 first, and when Uncle Sam shall after
few years have gathered all his defenders into
the fold, he will look over his great farm and see
innumerable graves marked by little So so
tombstone with this inscription under a SOL
dier's name, Died ls8-, aged 80 years" He
must then ask himself, "Did not those serve as
faithfully as thcse?" And what was their re-
wardr Nothing but the tombstone There is
no excuse for the shameful, niggardly conduct
oil the Government towards its defenders who
are now growing old. Four-fifths of the vets
are over 90 years of age, are suffering from the
effects OF their service and many of them un-
able to earn living by reason of disease re-
sulting from exposure and exertion, though
they may not be able to trace it back This
matter should be brought to the attention of
OF every aspirant for Congressional honors, and
every one who does not appreciate the services
OF men who went into the war at the age of 40
years or upwards, should be invited to wait a
few years" You deserve the thanks of all
friends of the vets for your efforts in their be-
half-H.