The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-03-29
LET Us HAVE A VOTE.

ofBnSs
The veterans Of the country are watching
you with Undesirable eagerness.
They have watched you now for months
with an interest thathas daily grown keener,
untilnOw it is painful in its intensity.
They had every reason for believing that
as soon as Congress met it would address it
self earnestly to the consideration Of the
measure which they had so strongly in
dorsed through the uDmistakaBle method Of
a popular vote and an overwhelming ma
jority.
They could not believe otherwise than
that Congress- a large majority of which
was elected upon distinct pledges of warm
friendship for pension legislation, would at
once take hold Of a measure which 100000
soldiers out of $4,000 voting had said ez-
pressed their earnest wishes.
They were sure that, after having prom
ised to do so much for them, Congressman
would hasten to adopt the method of full
filing their promises which had been out
lined by the National Encampment-the
highest authority as to what is due the sol
diers and what they should have
You VIII certainly admit that, taking all
/ the circumstances into consideration, they
were justified in expecting that the first
business transacted by Congress after organ
ling would be the redemption of the prom
ises Of a majority of its members to their
soldier constituents, by the passage of the
bill upon which the latter had agreed with
such singular unanimity.
But little reliance can be placed on prom
ises and protestations if this is not to be the
case.
The measure upon which their hopes are
fixed had been SO thoroughly digested-
/ its essential principles had been so exhaust
lively discussed and approved Of, both in and
out of Congress, that they felt that there was
little need of further discussion, or for any
thing else, beyond arranging the unimpOrtant
details Of the phraseology and putting the
measure at once upon its passage-a matter
Of but few days routine.
Congress met on the first Tuesday Of De-
cember, now almost four months ago, and
more than half Of its probable session is
already gone. Instead of the Disability
Pension Bill having been passed at least
three months ago, as everybody had the
strongest reasons for expecting it has not
yet come out of your committee room. It
has not been presented to the House for ac-
ton. Its friends-the friends of the vet
erans-haye not been given a chance to
manifest their friendship for it, and for the
men who have 50 earnestly urged it.
This long delay has been severely trying
to the veterans and their friends. They
have seen weeks, that were Of vital impor
lance to their needy and suffering comrades
pass by without action. They have
seen weeks devoted by Congress L
IeisUrely considering legislation of rela
lively little importance, during which
the Disability Bill might have been de
libcrately considered, and its friends giyeI
full opportunity to do whatever was posi-
bic for its success. They have seen with ap
prehension the approach fthe hurried week
toward the end of the session, when tn
present leisure viii be succeeded by tur
MOL Of conflicting interests, and the chance
for enemies of the bill to strange it by par
. Iiamentary devices win be vastly create
than they are now.
4 They ask you, with all the earnestness tha
: words can be made to express, to delay n
longer in presenting the bin to the Hous
y and pushing its consideration. Every wee
u that this is postponed not only robs thor
y sands Of veterans of sorely-needed relief, b.