The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-06-07
OUR FAITH IN cor. mArsoN.

OUR FAITH IN COZ. MArsoS.
What shall we say this week Of our faith
in Col Matson2
Seven more precious days-in conceiyably
precious days to the needy End disabled
veteran-immeasurably precious days to the
dependent parent, the bereaved widow and
the helpless orphan-baye been allowed to
pass-as 25 times seven days have been
allowed to pass since the beginning Of the
session without an effort on the part of the
Chairman Of the Committee on Invalid Pen
sions to promote the passage of the Iegisla-
ton for which they bayeso a1xiously looked.
May has ended as April ended before it,
and March before April, and February be-
fore March, and January before February,
and December before January, without Col
Matson appearing in the House to do his
plain duty Of asking thai body to set apart
time for the consideration Of pension
legislation
When the friends Of the soldiers made
their splendid effort last Monday to force
the opponents Of pension legislation to give
the veterans their day IN court Col Mat
sons voice was not lifted up for justice and
right; his vote was not cast on the side of
the men of whom heis the official representa-
tive; he was not even IN the House or in the
city when the struggle the coming on of
which he doubtless had full knowledge
occurred. The battle was fought out with
out a single particle Of aid from him. So far
as any manifestation of interest on his part
was concerned it might as well have been a
row between the Boulangists and the Con
sergatiyes in the French Assembly.
Nor has he yet said publicly that he
ever intends to demand that a time be set
apart for the consideration Of pension Iegis-
lation. He has made no promise that he
viii be more active in the coming six
monthg-if the session should last so long
than he has been in the past half year He
has expressed no regret for the numberless
opportunities that he has lost no determi-
nation to improve any that may yet come
no resolution to make up for lost time by
increased activity in the future He has
treated the whole business with an indiaer-
ence in disheartening contrast to the activ-
ity he displayed last year in getting pen
sions for ex-rebels who served in the Mexi-
can war, and for their widows.
Shall we say that, in the face of all these
discouragements, we have yet faith in him i?
Shall we reiterate our hope and belief that,
after six months Of inaction and neglect, he
viii set himself diligently to work at what
he should have done early last Winter?
Faith, the Apostle tells Us, is the sub
stance Of things hoped for-the evidence of
things net seen. 1t is the only substance
that we have SO far had Of the things hoped
for from Col Matson, the only evidence Of
things which we should have seen, but have
not
If we still have faith in him, our readers
must believe that originally it was Of that
firm nature which enabled Eaoch to trans
atehimself to heaven without tasting death.
SIN, az the session viii probably last sew
eral weeks yet, aftarling abundant time to
bring fourth fruits meet for repentance,
we have faith that he viii yet do some
thing to Justify the promise held out in his
favorable reports.