The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-02-02
THE MAIN FACTS.

I
legislation are making much ado over the fact
that recently two or three veterans have
each received some thousands of dollars in
pensions.
The amounts of these pensions are strenu-
OusIy paraded, and the usual attempt is
made to show that the payment of some
such great sums to all surviving veterans
or coffee coolers" bounty jumpers"
dead-beats," etc-is contemplated and de-
sired by those who are advocating more lib
eral pension legislation.
There are still more important facts con-
nected with these awards, which are as studi-
ously kept in the background by the soldier
hating papers as the others are paraded to
the front. 1t is not pointed out, as it should
be, that these sums are the accumulations of
more than 20 years of postponed payment;
that during all this long, weary time the
pensioners have been putoff by a grateful
Government" which has interposed obsta-
cles made pretexts for non-payment, made
new demands for proof of Indebtedness and
resorted to all the tricky devices of shifty
and dishonest debtors to evade settlement
Had the pensioners had the health and
strength which their service in the army
robbed them of they would have earned in
this time many times the amount they now
receive, and would have had it for them
selves and their families to enjoy. Their
wives and children would have had better
station in society, pleasanter homes, better
education, and much more ofall that goes to
make life higher, better and more pleasant.
It is well that these men should receive
these large sums now at this late day, but it
would have been vastly better if the Nation
had paid its debts promptly when they were
due, and given them the money to help
them struggle through the years that they
have been without its help.
Still more important, the giving these few
men some thousands of dollars each must
not be allowed to obscure the shameful
fact that nearly half of the men on the pen
sion-roll get less than the pauper wages OF
Europe of which we hear so much. Giving
one man in one lump the 2O-years' accu-
mutation of his little pension must not hide
for a moment the fact that more than 146,-
coo pensioners are yainly striving to keep
the wolf from the door on allowances of
from g. to % centsa day.
It is all very well to point with pride
to some veteran getting 81, $50, but we can
not fill to "yiew with alarm and cheek
burning, the fact that majority of his com
rades-and who are no less deserving get
less than is sufficient to buy them the mea-
gerest and poorest food. A pension of less
than S a month is National shame.
DO NOT TINKER WITH THE REVENUE.
The revenue of the country is not any
mans to give away before its just debts are
paid. The Nations obligations to its bond
holders and to its veterans are first mort
gage on every dollar that comes from the
custom-houses or the internaI revenue, above
what is necessary to pay the running ex-
penses Of the Government.
To cut down the revenue to avoid pay
ment of the debts is just as dishonorable as
for man to put his property out of his hands
to defraud his creditors.
The people demand that the country shall
be handed over unmortgaged to their chill
dren. They are entirely willing to continue
the present system Of taxation until that i
accomplished.
They would vastly rather bear even more
taxation than endure the spectacle of broken
down veterans hungry for bread and shelte
and warmth.
DO not tinker acih the reUenue Use III
surplus 10 pay or the reterans md the bond
holders.