The National tribune., 1888-09-27


J. E. OHara, North Carolina.
J. G. Sawyer, New York.
E. 81. Conger, Iowa.
J. A. Louttit, California.
The first nine of these were Democrats, and
their Democracy is unimpeachable. When the
President returned the Dependent Pension
Bill with his veto, they unanimously con-
CURED in reply ("without dissenting
voice." Col. Matson said officially that, con-
sidering the restraints and limitations OBJ
served in official expressions, was as severe
as anything that has ever been publicly
written in regard to Mr. Cleveland's attitude
toward the veterans
They said in so many words that he did
not sign the pension bill because it happened
to be faulty, but because any pension bill
presented would be Objectionable to him.
Their exact words were:
We regard the strained Interpretation put upon the
bill IN the message AS AN EXCUSE rather than as
reason for returning it to the House, and we believe
we do no injustice to the Executive when consider
ing the whole message to say that if it's provisions
had been palmer, and that no question could have
been raised to whether it included only those
unable TO labor that he l0otsld haze yet iteposed OBJ
joctions
The italics are our own. Could dignifed
official language go farther in charging in
veterate hostility to veterans under thin
vail of pretense?
Still farther on these gentlemen make
another rent in the thin vail of insincerity,
when they say
II passes The comprehension Of This committee to
understand how the President could have over
looked in another bill what are alleged faults in
this bill The bill we referred to passed the House
on the same day this did, and met with unhesitat-
ing approval 1t is the bill to give pensions to the
survivors of the war with Mexico etc. Under that
bill if one who was a soldier in that war and is
now under 81 years of age applies, he must allege
and prove some degree Of dependency, and no
matter how slight. quite vague and indefinite,
and any degree of disability is sufficient no mat
ter how incurred except in the military service
against the United States; and no matter If he be
worth millions he need only show so days service;
he need not have been in an actual engagement
with the enemy, or subjected to any of the actual
dangers of war, or even that he should have been
In Mexico the coast or frontier thereof; il is
sufficient If he had been route thereto; and it
embraces within its provisions more persons than
are to be benefited by the bill now under consid-
Grafton.
1t grants the pension to every soldier over 60
years of age, without any condition as TO his cir
cumstances or necessities, and without requiring
any disability as the result Of service, though
heAbe Member of Congress drawing salary of
$, 90 per annum. 1t gives pension to every SOL
der under 62 years for any disability If the
disability resulted since his service and from
his own vicious habits or gross carelessness,
and for this he gets 50, while the Union soldier for
the same disability received in the line of duty and
while in the service would get perhaps only 81;
and it gives pension to every widow OF soldier
in that who is now 62 years of age, whether
she was the wife of the soldier not at the time
Of his service without reference to the cause of his
DEATH even if he was killed in battle while serving
in the Confederate army.
Still further on, the Committee feeling
that it cannot, with any degree of selfre-
spect, allow the Presidents insults to the
great body of the soldiers to pass unan-
swered, says, with crushing conciseness:
Your Committee do not share in the opinion that
there exists widespread disregard OF truth and
good faith. in the prosecution of pension claims.
Nor do beeue that the er-soIdjers Of The country
are prone to commit fraud perjury or su5ornation Of
perjury for that purpose any other.
Where, we ask, will there be found a more
formidable arraignment of the Presidents
hostility to Union veterans than this by nine
prominent Democrats, all leading men in
their several States, and at their head a
man who is now his party's candidate for
Governor of Indiana.
How, after this Indictment by his fellow
Democrats, can President Cleveland pose as
| friend of soldiers?