The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-03
WE STILL HAVE FAITH.
still have faith in Col. Matson.

WE BILL HAVE
We still have faith in Col Matson.
In spite of the waste of FIVE precious
months westil believe that he will do some
thing to secure the passage of the Disability
Bill substantially as it came from the Sem
ate.
When he comes to consider the matter he
cannot help seeing that the mangling amend
ments are in no way right, just OF accept
able TO the veterans.
What is still more significant is that they
90 directly in the face of all his previous
record, so as TO make it seem impossible
that they were his deliberate act.
For several years he was a strenuous adj
vocate Of the bill to give every man-rich
or poor, sick or well-who served so days
during the Mexican war SIS month, and
last year he succeeded in securing the pass
age Of the law.
He certainly cannot seriously intend Civ
ing the brozen-down Union veteran, who
served three months, so cents. when for two
months of service the Mexican gets nearly
nine times as much.
1t is difficult to believe that ne proposes
to put off the widow of Union veter-
an with 80 cents, or thereabouts, month,
while the widows of Gems. Pickett, Pillow,
Bragg, and other rebels who served in
Mexico were by his act put on the roll at s.
a month.
Indeed, only last year he was earnestly
pressing bill to give disabled and depend
ent Union veterans S12 month and their
widows the same
We can think of nothing that can have
been presented to his mind in the mean
while, to make the Union soldiers appear
less deserving than be thought them last
year. He insisted with great eloquence and
force in Committeeman and on the floor of
the House in February and March, 1887,
that the disabled veteran and the veteran
widow were entitled to So month. It is
impossible that the merits of the saviOrs of
the Union should have diminished SO much
inside of a year, as TO convince him that 80
cents a month is nearer their deserts than
S12.
The only plausible explanation is that
the amendments were the work of some willy
enemy of the honorable Chairman, and that
the Chairman himself having his mind alb
sorbed by the condition of his Gubernato-
rial fences, adopted them without consider
ing them enough to comprehend them.
Since then he has unquestionably re-
ceived much valuable information concern
ing them His visit to Indiana has brought
him in contact with comrades who have not
been slow to express their opinions.
Besides this, he has seen THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE Pension Bill; numerous comrades
have called his attention to it, and, thinking
as he does. he cannot help recognizing its
immense superiority to the amendment:
which bear his name, but which do him sucf
great discredit, and which we are reluctant
to believe are really his.
We say as we began: We still have faitf
in Col Matson."
We believe that he win yet realize thai
infinitely the best course is to put the Dis
ability Bill through the House at once il
substantially the form in which it was rec
commended by the Posts and the Nationa
Encampment Of the GAR, abandoning hi
amendments altogether Instead of thes'
let him, as soon as the Disability Bill il
passed, take up THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
Service Pension Bill and put it through.
He viii have time enough to do this be
fore Congress adjourns if he move at once
and does ali that he knows well how TO d
10 secure the prompt consideration of tn
measure. But he must move promptly.