The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-11-01
LOYALTY REBUkED
~ PRESIDENT CLEVELAND IN Hls
PENSION vGToEs.

ssNOsOvN v - sOS0s
Gen. Byron n. Catchson's Ringing and
Eloqusnt Expressions Regarding the
treatment Of .vstsran soldiers BY the
President.
In speech delivered In congress on
one Of President Cleveland's many vetoes
Of pension bills for the relief Of veteran
Union soldiers, Gen. Byron M. Cutcheon
said:
1.-THE incumbent of the presidency has
very much to learn about soldiers.
"And lastly, and unless I greatly err,
he has much to learn Of the feel
Ing Of loyalty and the spirit Of
patriotism which inspired our soldiery,
and which is worth more to this nation
than all its millions Of gold and silver
piled in the vaults Of the treasury.
'Take the case Of that old man,
Nathaniel Beezely, the old farrier, whose
widows bill 10 among these vetoss. At
the ageof sixty years he heard the call
Of his country. He wanted to have some
share in the grand and patriotic work OF
upholding its flag and saving the Union
Of the states TO posterity. 80, while the
young, the strong, the prosperous hest
tatod, the old man said to his wife,
Louisa, believe I must 60. I've got .
good deal Of strength left yet, and II the
sd nag must 60 down want to 60 down
with IL. II anything should happen to
s,r~ ~ Ahnk
ion't come to want So he shouldered
his musket and marched in the grim
ranks Of war. He thought he could
endure the hardship, and for q year he
stood at the post Of duty like man, a.
best he could. But He accumulated q
good deal Of disability and ut the end
Of the year he was mustered out, as the
report Of Col. Mntson, the chairman of
the committee, says, q wreck Of his for
mer self.'
1.-THE old man died at length, and now
his aged widow, past seventy, dependent
upon charity, recommended by the gov.
.rnor Of her state and by ex-senator
Joseph f. Mcdonald, comes here with
trembling hands and tottering steps
comes to ask Of the great, rich govern
ment to which her husband gave the
remnant Of health and life to assist her
In eking out her few remaining days with
\ paltry pension Of $l2 per month, and
The president of TINT country says to con-
yress, Il forbidr
~ would to God that some younger
and stronger mon had possessed that
same spirit Of patriotism which old man
Beezely had, and which led him to the
2erilous edge Of battle. Such patriotism
Is not SO superabundant in these days
that we can afford to sneer at 1t or refuse
70 recognize it or reward its loyal sacri-
ices. It was not SO we promised these
brave men when they went out to battle.
It was not so we promised them when
they turned their backs upon home and
wife and child whom they might never
see again.; turned away from all the
brightness and sweetness and hope OF
life, to do, to suffer, and, if need be, to
lie In untold and unspealable anguish
Tor the flag of their ALLEGIANCE and the
country of their love. We told them
.hen to go without fear and without fal-
.ering for these they left behind We
promised them that the nation would be
husband to their widow and father to
their orphan children; that the nation
would raise their helpless ones in its
great, strong arms and bear them ever
| in its heart of hearts.
"Under that promise they went out.
Under that promise they trod the red and
slippery field of carnage clear down tc
the very blood-besprinkled doors o.
ieath.
''Their work is done, their duty is full
filed. But the wrecked and MANNED
the widows and the orphans are with u.
still and claim our helping hand. Oul
promise remains.
"May God help us to DO true to tn,
promise we pledged them when patriot
ism was more than gold, when loyal sac
cifice was more than place or power, ant
manhood was worth all that nation hat
to give"
In later speech on the same subjec
Gen. Cutcheon' said:
'"rhc president has absolutely nothing
whatever to do with the number Of pen
sion bills sent to him. That is matte
Tor congress exclusively; and during
part Of Gen. Grants administration, a
the gentleman we'll knows, the Demo
cratic party was In power In one branc
Of congress and controlled absolutely tn
number Of bills sent to him. The ques
ton is not, how many did they approve
but how many did they refuse to approve
In eight years Grant refused to approx
eight. In two years Cleveland refuse
TO approve 2Sl. That Is the test
my point, Mr.. Chairman, is Just thii
that the president has absolutely nott
ing to do with the number of pensio
bills sent to him. The only questio
! Is, how does he treat them when the
come to him' Does he treat them In
friendly or an unfriendly wayf I al
justified in saying that the geners
course OF treatment of President Clev
land toward pension bills sent him hi
been unfrcndly. He has already vetoe
more than 100 pension bills, besides IL
, 1856 he disapproved without vetoir
thevu At oua fall awOnn ha atruc