The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-09-30
SOLDIERS PENSIONS.
Colonel Moonlight Recites a Few
Wholesome Truths.

State where Colonel Moonlight has ap-
peared testify to the remarkable popular
favor with which he has been received.
All classes are impressed by his pleasant
bearing, his forcble oratory and his intelli-
gent way of handling the important ques-
tons at issue. His recent speech at at Wa
/ keeney, in which lie treated the subject of
pensions, attracted very marked attention,
and the old soldiers that heard it agreed
with the speaker. Here is that part of the
speech:
My Democratic friends, 1 think we, as well
as the Republicans, have a right TO rejoice
| with the whole country and with all the peO-
pie irrespective of party because of the
| young, fresh, bright and intelligent admins
| tration of Grover Cleveland. | have met
| since ] have been out, beg inning with the
| first of the month, at least thirty Republic
| ans who are bus ness men who openly de-
| clare that they are not only satisfied with
| the administration of Grover Cleveland. but
| that they are more than satisfied. and that
! should he aga n appear aS candidate. II he
! should conduct himself throughout the re
| mainder of his administration as he has
! done so far, they will unheSitatingly and
with hands up cast their ballots for HIM.
! [Applausc.l This is glowing tribute TO our
young Pres dent-that he is II business Pres
| idcnt. not political President The bus!-
ness interests OF the country 1ccl sure, ana
the labnring interests OF the country begin
to realize that they have man at the helm
who will perform his whole duty no matter
what any party or any portion CT any party
may think.
ALL DOUBTS REMOVED.
You know it was no small thing to take
hold OF the affairs OF Government confronted
with the united opposition of the party just
dethroned from power. You know that our
party had great many prelude es to over
come and contend with, and thus we feel
proud that our President has been able to
overcome these prejudiCes and SO remove
from wise minds the feeling that something
would go wrong. We have n right to ask
you all to rejoice with us in that result.
You remember. my friends, that two years
ago many of the best men and women OF this
section OF the country openly said and really
believed that no Democrat was fit to be Pres
| ident of the United States. They believed
that if the Democratic party came into power
there would be trouble in the Nation: that we
would have another civil war; that we would
pay the rebel debt; that we would at once
turn ell the negroes back into slavery
and would Immediately stop the payment
of pensions to soldiers. But | am heartily
glad to be able to say that such feeling is
fast diSappearng-that people begin to real
ize that the Democrats have as much inter
esG in the affairs of this Government as the
Republicans; beginning to realize that their
Democratic brethren have stood side hy side
with them in county. State and Nat on and
paid taxes with them IN support of the Gov
ernment; that the Democrat has an abiding
f2lth IN our Government ana that he Will per-
form his duties to the American people on
all occasions with q des re to better the inter-
ests of all the people. And there is another
thing that the people are just beginning to
realiZc-thnt there is an old fash oned, honest
fru9ality among Democrats: that there is a
sturdy independence of character, and there
Is I'm integrity of purpose which will not al
low the Democrat to waver or SwerVe from r
prompt and faithful discharge OF every public
obligation passed to him. 1t is the spirit of
the Democratic party III all the years gone by
and in all its history, that its representative
men and officers have been careful and prU
dent in the exercise and performance of their
duties so that the treasures of the United
States. of the States and counties are guarded
ane protected as each man guards and pro-
tectS his individual property. But has the
rebel debt been paid! This rs too silly to be
talked about any more: even our Republican
friends, / believe, are ashamed 10 mention II.
Have we had another civil war? No: hut /
will tell you what may happen-if our friends
down in Old Mex co on the banks of the Rio
Grande are not more careful us 10 their treat
unent of American citizens. if thew shall not
respect the individuality of every citizen
who belongs to our Government, well send
down a quarter of Il million of our old braves
with fixed bHyonetS, ryder the lead of Phil
Sheridan. and we'll make Mexico believe that
the thrash'ng she got from our Democratic
Administration of '4G-1 was nothing COM
pared with the sledge hammer pounding she
will receive from the Democratic Adm mis-
tratiOu of IS. They shall respect American
citizens. That has been the history of the
of our Republican friends TO allow American
citizens TO he insulted ard imprisoned abroad.
But never has IL f8iicn To- the lot Of a Demo-
cratic Administration and il never will.
TOO MUCH RED TAPE.
Have we stopped the pensions OF the SOL
dicrS! That was a great howl and ii has been
raised against President Cleveland because
he has seen nj to veto certain pension bills,
and an effect has been made to enlist the Old
sold ierS and their relat YES (and friends)
against the Adm nistrat on and against the
Democratic party generally. President
CleTeland has during the last session of Con-
gress considered nearly seven hundred pen
sion bills. and he may have made some mis-
tukcs-and il would I've wonderful il he did
not, considering the many duties he has to
pcrfOrm-haVing IN addition to all his other
duties TO examine nearly seven hundred
pens on bills, more than twice, yea, three
ttaes us many as ever were passed to Il Re
publican Pres dent. Why is this. nv old
comrades? Why is it necessary that seven
hundred bills shall be paIsed 10 grant SOL
dicr> pensions when the Republican party
has alwpys declared that II is anxious and
" Hing to give every thing possible to the
soldiers? Cheers Who made the pension
law as It stands on the statute books today?
The Republican party Who has had the ex-
ere sc OF discharging the duties perta ming TO
that law? The Republ cans! What rs the
matter with tn Republican law-this gener-
Gus Republican pension law-that the SOL
diers can't get their pensions under il. but are
compelled TO have Il special pension law
for each individual case? Something is
wrong. my comrades. LCheersl The truth
IS. that the Republicans. i'll the exercise of
their power, and in the great love they
have for the odd soldiers" have had pen
sion law on the statute books for so many
years. with so many circumlocutions-s
much rcd tEpe'-that ii takes II Phladel- |
phia lawyer TO he able to understand it, 1t
is impossible almost for the old soldier to get !
a pension under the general law, and, there !
fore, he is compelled TO apply for a special |
law TO give to him what the general law de- |
MES him. Now. we Democrats are not |
responsible for that general law. but IL is |
the Republ cans; and why do thev come |
to q Democratic Administration and ask |
nearly 30 SPECIAL pension laws in one ses- |
son? All! the Republican members of Con- |
gress realize that the power is departing |
from them! Their scepter will soon be no |
more. And they saw to the old soldier: You |
can not get pension under the law, but
send in your application, with ell the facts |
in the case, 10 me, and I'll secure you
sDcc.a al law that will give you pension
thus br ngng the old veterans in humility
before the members of Congress and Senate,
making him and his neIghbOrs ana friends
and relatives subservient. so TO speak. to the
wills of Republican members of Congress.
Now. II is TO te expected that when your he
publican member of Congress gets the old
sold or pens on that he cant get under the
law. he VIII feel grateful to that member or
Congress. and that is the work that has been
going on long time-the work OF getting
enough old soldiers under obligations to
members of Congress to secure their re-
election
WHAT DEMOCRATS DEMAND.
Now we utterly denounce this whole
pens on business. The platform on which
was nominated declares that the
pension system is working an evil to
the old sold ers: that we demand a re-
vision OF the whole pension system and
the passage or general laws that will
secure to every sold er a pension in some de-
gree remunerat We for his services and i'll
view of his sufferings to-day, not as they
eX sted twenty-five years ago. And we fur
ther declare that il is the duty OF Congress to
make SIcl AUGMENTATION would emDlOY
q sufficient clerical force in tie Pension
Bureau would secure examination and
final result on each application with n thirty