The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-14
The President and the Pension Bill.

The President and the Pension Bill
Il appears 10 be generally admitted that
the dependent pension bill, which passed
the Senate a few days ago. will pass the
! House, and there is a great deal Of specula-
tion whether OF not the President VIII sign
it. The House might. if it were disposed,
postpone consideration of it until after the
elections, but there are so many members,
Democrats As well as Republicans. who are
seeking a reelection, and who are anxious
TO have the support of the soldier vote, be
ieving that thai vote will be largely influ
enced in their favor by the passage Of the
bill, that the probabilities are that
many of those whose judgment is against it,
viii not hesitate to place the responsibility
OF vetoing or signing it upon the President.
What the President will do with regard
to it is a matter of which no one can speak
advisedly. 1t is pretty safe to say, how
ever, that he viii do what he thinks is right,
without regard to the effect his acton may
have upon his political fortunes. His
record shows that he believes that the wisest
course in all cases is that which is in har
mony with his convictions of right.
lars from the one he vetoed but tine most
important difference is that which desig
mates the benefciaries The present bill
gives pension of SIP per month TO veterans
| Of three months service or more, who are
suffering from any disability, not the re-
suit of vicious habits, which Totally inca
pacltates them for the performance of man
ual labor, and who are without adequate
means of self-support. The vetoed bill gave
the same pension for a like disability which
lncapacitated them for the performance of
labor in such degree as to render them I'M
able to earn a support The real difference,
it will be seen, between the two measures is
in the phrases, totally incapacitates' and
in such degree y
The difference is apparent, but whether
the President will consider it a difference
sufficient to justify him in signing the pres
ent bill can hardly be determined from any
thing he said in the message which accom-
panied the vetoed bill. 1t is true that he
signed the bill which gave a pension to
Mexican veterans for disability like that
for which a pension is given in the present
bill but he was careful to say that the pen
sion to the Mexican veterans was justified
because of their old age aud the ease of
ascertaining whether or not they were
wholly dependent
If the bill should become a law it is quite
certain that many ex- Union veterans who
are now earning a support would apply for
the pension which it provides, and that in
many Instances their application would be
successful 1t is also quite certain that the
amount that would be required to meet the
demands Of the bill would be many times
larger than that estimated by it's friends.
The Imprisonment of Marshal Meade
The Mexican authorities appear to want
very slight pretexts to arrest American
officers, C vii or military, who cross INTO
their territory in pursuit Of robbers or hos
tile Indians. There does not appear to have
been any reason for the haste which was
shown at Janos, in Chihuahua, in arresting
United States Marshal Meade and his depu-
ties the other day. They were i'll pursuit of
train robbers, and they were only two
hours behind them when lied and thrown
into prison. If they had not been stopped
it is not improbable that they would have
overtaken the criminals.
The United States Marshas had no right
probably, to enter Mexican territory, but if
the Mexican authorities had been in svmpa-
thy with their mission they would have as
sisted, rather than INSTRUCTED them, and if
explanations were necessary they would
have required them afterward.
There is a suspicion that there is dispo-
sition among Mexicans on the border to
harbor hostile Indians and criminals who
escape from this country. Those who shot
Capt Crawford were from Janos, and it
was at that place that Lieut.. Mcdonald and
his party of soldiers were arrested.
There is not a very good feeling among
Mexicans on the border toward Americans.
and if some arrangement is not entered into
between our government and that of Mexi-
co, permitting American officers to cross
into Mexican territory il pursuit of hostiles
and fugitves from justice, there will likely
DO trouble in that locality. Enlightened
Mexicans are very friendly to this country,
but the ignorant masses have a prejudice
against Americans which they do not hest
tate to show as often as the opportunity to
do so presents itself.
Marshal Meade and his assistants had an
experience of a couple of days in Mexican
prison, but they doubtless would have will
ingly endured that if they had succeeded in
capturing the train robbers.
The State Fair and Immigration.
Mr. w. j. Northen, President of the