The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-07-21
HARRISON ON PENSIONS.
The Republican Standard Bearer Talk 5
About tIeveiand's Nctocs.

Here is something for old soldiers and
the friends of old soldiers t. read. hey
all know what President Orve eiaud
thinks of pensions, especially o! !speci Il
pensions for deserving dependents
among the old boys i'll blue. They ali
know how his various pension messages
have sneerel at them, iIapcachcd their
honor and broadly and cOarSely lntl-
mated that they are an army OF nm
principled dead beats and raiders upon
the treasury, whose advances are to be
rigidly guarded against.
In contrast with this known position
of PRESIDENT Cleveland relating to pen
sions Tor Union soldiers, the Wisconsin
desires TO indicate the position of Gen.
Harrison-the president that is TO be
on the same subject. Several months
ago before Gen. Harrison had even
dreamed OF being MADE the Republican
nominee .or tie high Office of president,
| he delivered sp ech from which ex-
| tracts as follows are made:
Soldiers, believe that the question
| whether your fame and honor shall be
exalted ;bove the fame of those who
| fought against the flag, whether the re-
| wards of your services shall be Just and
| comrades ungrudging and ample, de-
pends upon the election of a Republic.
an president in 1888. For the first time
| in the history OF the American nation
we have bad president who, in deal
| ing with the veto power, has used 1t not
| only TO deny relief, but 10 impe.,ch tic
regulations of the men who made II
! possible for him to be a president
| of the United States. The veto
| messages of Mr.. Cleveland sent
| in during the last Congress
were, many of them, tipped with poi.
/ sonous arrows He vetoed what Is
called the dependent pension bill.
| What is the principle of it? | believe
| that the first bill introduced into Con
gress embodying the principles of that
| bill was introduced by me. 1t was pre-
pared in view of the fact that CongresS
was being overwhelmed with private
| pension bulls for men now disabled and
unable to maintain themselves, who
| could not, by proof, connect their dis
| ability with their army service. | said
| let us make the limitations of the pen
sion law wider and instead of taking i:
these men one at 4 time, let us take the
whole class IN at once, and hence this
| bill. Some IN II sneercd at it; said
was simply trying q buncombe game
with tie soldieis. But. gentle
men, the general principles Q
that bill have come to STAY.
has, with slight notifications, received
il W the vote, almost unanimous, of the
Grand Army of the Republic. That vii
be laid before Congress at its approach
ing session What is the principle o
it? " by, it is something like the ole
| rule we ha i'll the army; as long as ;
man was able he marched and carrieC
h s own gun and knapsIck, but when ht
got hurt or sick and fell out, we had al
ambulance to put lin in; and that is The
| principle embodied in this bill-that We
the survivors of the late war, as long a'
God gives us strength and health, W.
march in this column o. civil life, max
ing our own living and carryin.
our own burden; but here is
! comrade falling by the way, sickness
| casualty-nOt his own 'ault-and hC
has TO fall out; we want the great ma
tional ambulance TO take him in. Thai
was the idea of this bill, Is it not just
Is it not as much Us the soldiers can now
hope II secure? Why. my COuntrymcn
somebody must care for these vetc"ars
| who stood up amid shot and shell nd
sabre stroke, but cannot now trace then
! infirmities to the army by any satlsf'c'
tory proof. They have fought the bat
tie of life man!ully since. They are de
pendent on their work tor a living, and
they cannot work. Somebody must take
care of them; the expense cannn
he avoided unless you sick the o'o
veterans out and let them die on the
roadside. Somebody must care forthem
and the simple question Is, shall they bC
cared for as paupers in the county poor
4 81 L..
served and saved care for them as sol
diers? | prefer the latter. | want the
generations coming on To know that it /!
safe to abandon civil pursuits, throw
wealth behind you and yourself int
tie bloody conflict for the nation 5 life
that republics are grateful, and that IL
| soldiers will be taken care Of"