Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-07-22
A DEMOCRATIC VICTIM.
ono OF the Old soldiers Rcscnts CIevc.
lands brutal Attack,

pension bill In my favor, recently pass
| ed by Congress and vetoed by the p res
ident, and the gross injustice to me In
all these publications. seem TO demand
some explanation. few weeks ago I
was an honorcd citizen, held In high cs.
teen by constituency who profuscly
| battered mo with tho acknowledge.
ment that. as u Senator, had served
| them faithfully and we'll, aud | was
strongly solicited to bo candidate FOR
| Reelection. Many OF these people
knew the extent OF my physical dlsabili.
ties, but believed that these inilrmities
were not sufficient to retire mo TO pri-
vate life, In March last Congressman
Bland introduced II pensi IN bill for me,
| and as truth had no Idea that such
step was In contemplation until the
| same was published In tho daily papers.
will here say that, personally, | doubt
| the expedlenoy OF tho system OF legls-
lation on this subject aud think that the
| general pension laws should DO made
| broad enough, II possible, to cover oil
that might arise, But as the bill has
been introduced was inclined to con-
| slider IL ns q spontaneous outhurst OF
public sympathy and felt indeed compll.
mentod by tho thought that l-even
had friends In Congress- who could re-
member mo In tho hours OF adverslty,
Ordinarily II Ia enough TO be victim
OF disease and conscious OF approach
Ing permanent disability or early DISCO
luton; but when that Ia accompanied
with tho brutal eSparto judgement OF n
President whom the sufferer had aided
In clectlng. tho withdrawal OF personal
and political sympatles aud the rude
and vulgar taunts Of tho press, It only
family illustrates the extraordinary
dilemma In which am placed.
| IL had by porsistant lobby and per.
sonnl and political Influences secured
the passage Of u bill Tor my be nellt, there
might have been some excuse FOR the
severyo language used by tho President
! In his veto message. But when tho
truth IL told and tho facts admitted
that tho bill was not introduced ut my
solicitation, or even with my personal
knowledge or consent, | am ut q loss to
know how n conservative public can
justify tho brutality displayed by the
| chief executive OF government, TO
which gave four years OF active MILL.
tary service. ha2arding lifo. lmperilng
| health and making myself prematurely
old. And yet, such seems the result.
Ono OF my competitors, Mr. J. b. Rack.
life. possessed of about tho Same do.
groa OF patriotism that Induced Grover
Cleveland TO hire u substitute rather
than fight hls countrys battes, ruled
by tho same brutal Instincts which I'm
PEELED the President To assault mo 80
unjustly la his message, had gone over
tho district and covertly-- yea. In
cowardly manner, used this veto mes-'
sage TO manufacture sentiment against
mo, and build for himself that character
| and reputation which no had not been
able to attain save through tho mlsfor-
tunes OF others l am content with Il
defeat which will probably come to me.
but am not content To remain silent
and DO branded by Presldent--even n
Democratic Presldent-with having do.
vised an "lngenious plan to attack the
public treasury" No man who knows
me would write such u sentiment. but
sent forth ~ the utterances Of Demo-
cratic President, and at time when
partisan blindness Is so apparent un.
refuted, II would hand my name down
to my children as that OF an imposter
and fraud. / am proud OF the record i
made as a soldier. left the army at
tho end OF four years. service when only
20 years old bearlpg two commissions
won by merltorlous service In battle.
Through impaired health, as the result
OF that service, nm not To feeble too re-
slst the criticisms and denounco tho ro-
Elections OF Presidents or Senatorial
candidates who seek TO cast asperslons
on my character or imputo dishone sty
TO my motives.
/ have already indicated the effect OF
the proposed legislation, the veto and
resulting discussion OF The subject. But
cons cious Of the justice Of my position
that I have nothing to extenuate nor
aught set down In mallce,,' | will bide
my time and lot the future vlndlcate my
character for honesty, patriotism aud
Democracy. J.W. FARRIs.
Commenting on the above letter. the
State Register says: The experience OF
this Missouri Democrat confirms tho
impression that the President has not
made fair and careful examination OF
the pension bills no 80 reclslessly IT.
tacks. II is q reproach upon the Office
OF President and It Is n shame aud dis
grace to tho country that the Chief Ex-
ecutiye should feel called upon to assail
as he does tho reputation OF the men
whose claims come before him. There
is some federation shown to a lawyer
who In the heat aud passion OF an excit.
ed trial, goes out OF his way TO abuse
and defame the witness and tho It'll
giants who are Opposes to him. But
that federation can not be extended
and ought never to have been expected
for n President OF the United States to
reckIessly assail and mallgn honorable
and worthy men whose interests he as
| sumed to control. The cruel and bru--
tai manner In which Mr.. Cleveland has
rejected nearly all the pension bills that
no has vetoed. Is unprecedented In the
conduct Of any who have filled his OK
allied Office before. and is wholly with.
out excuse or justification. 1t shows
that he has directed the venom OF his
nature against the Union soldiers as a
class, and not the individual applicants
who come before him. 1t 10 safe to say
that there are some Democrats as well
as Republicans who will take pleasure
when the time comes In resentlng this
insult to their manhood even though 1t
comes from the President OF the United
States.
| MORMON MIRRTiGES.