The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-07-15


The Republican statesmen and
Republican editors who, under the
.pretense that they are the soldier
friends" are for political capital
going into compton fits because
President Cleveland has vetoed alot
of private pension bills which were
no better than steals, ought to list
en- to what Gen. Warner said a few
days since in the house upon this
same soldier friend business. Gen.
Warner way a brave soldier all
through the war and knows what he
lis talking about. He said:
We all know, and the truth might better be
told. that every army has its dcserters, its
4 towards, its camp followers, its good-for-
were bounty-jumpers by the thousands-yes,
by the tens of thousands; and l knew some
thing about this class towards the close ofthe
war. There were deserters, camp-followers,
men who performed no military service, who
were a clog on the army of true soldiers, but
who, now after the war has been over for a
quarter of q century, seek to get on the PEN
sion rolls under cover of the good name of the
true soldier. They see the sympathy every
where manifested for the disabled soldier and
seek to take advantage of it to get themselves
placed on pension rolls. There are black sheep
in every flock, and there are never wanting
those who seize upon every opportunity af-
forded to get themselves carried on the backs
of others. l believe l speak the real senti-
ment of the true soldier when | say that not
one of those who served his country faithful
" and knows what it is to fight battles be-
lieves that a deserter or bounty-jumper or
mere camp-follower should go ON the pension
roll. | know soldiers generally desire that the
pension rolls shall be kept free from such in
cumbents, that it may be kept a roll ofhonor
and it is the duty of all true soldiers TO guard
! it from this class of claimants. The president
has aimed at nothing more in the veto mes
sage he has sent to the house. \ y =
He may possibly have vetoed some bills
: where you or l would think the claimant was
entitled to a pension. That is a matter o
Judgment. But am sure the purpose of thu
president has been, acting on the best evi
dence before him, to keep off the rolls mel
who ought not to go there; and in that he j
l right and the country will sustain him.. N
man will stand up here and say a deserte
should have a pension, or that a bounty
!, jumper or a mere camp-follower should hav'
| a pension, or that a man who never performe
military service should have a pension. lie
:, me give an instance.
In a previous congress 1 heard a name dur
+ ing the reading of a report which seemed ia
miliar to me. After the bill. had passed tn
house l obtained a copy of the report, an
: looking it over l found | had not been mistak
en-. | found that l knew the soldier, or pre-
tended soldier, who was seeking a pension.
: knew, too, that he had never performed a
honest days service for the government; tha
he had scarcely passed the borders of his ow
State before he deserted; that he was arrest
e ed and brought back, and again deserted
! that he was convicted of bounty -jumping, an
u made his escape from the pcnitentiary, sine
q which | had not heard of him until he turne
up in this house as a claimant for a pension
and had his case favorably reported. Sufic
0 it that the bill did not become a law.
All we are concerned about, Mr.. Chairman
is to know that the president is exercising HI
e prerogative rightfully, as l believe he is, al
not only -rightfully but courageously, homes
", and conscientionslv.