The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-06-27
SOLDIER PENSIONS.
A Stark County Soldier Sends Us Ills
Views, Which Are Printed
In Full.


ED, News 'DEMOoRATl-ln your Issue
of Monday you publish list OF PEN
slonera of Stalk county who were draw
ing "a per month or less, January !,
1889, and add that "the enormity OF tho
outrage eau only be appreciated when
we examine the whole list for Stark
county" The names on this list are OF
those whose claims we're allowed NJ tho
accompanying rates during the ineum'
benoy OF Republican Pension Commits
sionera. Why didyOu not continue tho
list down to the close OF tho admins
tration of the late Com, blackY A
truth half told Ia often the worst kind
of am untruth, Did tho granting OF
miserable pittances OF pensions con
tlnue only during the Republican nd
mInlstrationa preceding tho present
oneY We eheerfully admit that Com,
Blaeka administration Of the Pension
Department was an improvement on
any that preceded II, In some Of lts rul
lnas, ln tho matter Of expedl 1g buai'
ness aud in tho number OF clan al
lowed, A flourish was weekly made
by many OF the party papers, notably
Tie Democrat, OF tho list OF those al
lowed, before tho election, but they
were at tho aame nlggarly rates with
which YOU llnd fault OF 81, sa and ~
Der month, Ia the great majority OF
cases, and had you taken The trouble 70
have had one OF your enterprlalng re-
porters interview The reciplenta OF those
,nunillelent sums you would have
found that tho bulk OF them ala not
feel that they had received Justice, ana
that they felt that they had been put
6ff with Il orumb. ~ IN also true that
during the late administration there
waa gome penRiOn laws enacted lncieaa'
ING ratlnqa for certain disabilities, but
tbey only benellltcd those who were al'
ready allowed a rate out Of proportion
10 Othera lust ~ bad, and which were
allowed TO continue NJ the old ~, ~
and 81 rates. II Ia also true that the
yearly appropriation for pensions was
greatly Increased by tho voting OF large
pensI0na 70 Generals ana their
widows, especially II the Lame
had political hado about II,
and Il WAS noticeable, that II tho Re-
publlcanS proposed u bill, giving largo
pengIOn 10 some one identified with
their own party, the Democrats would
mate IL with "A similar ono Of which the
beneficiary belonged 10 thelr'0, and
Vice versa, and these bills Mr. Cl0ye'
land cheerfully signed, ana, II one was
placed before him which would grant u
few dolars per month 10 some poor
fellow that fought on foot, or his
widow, aud yet could not exactly prove
hIa claim under existing laws, no would
accompany his veto OF II with u Bnoer,
and a PeoIanlnlan discourse about the
dishonesty and lack Of manhood bred
In ex.aOldlera by tho pension business,
You alao add that ut iB u notorious
fact that those who were wounded
lighting Nc the front, get less pensions
than those who contracted camp aus
eases" How can II 6o known that TINS
Ia trueY 10 II not true that u chronic
disease, contracted In the service
viii very often entail ls great
nm amount of disability as
the loss of An arm or footY And 10 IL
any more likely TO be true that many
of The lighter wounds for which pen
sIons are drawn were received ~ the
front than that diseases were contract
cd In the line of duty, asi Is well known
that many ex-sOldiers allege wounds re-
ceIyed In action, for which they were
not sent to the hospital and OF which
there is no record. -,-
The present head of the pension de.
partment has not been In office long
enough for us TO speak with certainty,
but ho has already made some just and
liberal rulings for which he has reeelv'
ed the sneers and condemnation OF the
soldier hating press Of tho country,
The fact 10, In our belief, politicians OF
both sides have been playing with THIS
whole pension question, without q DO
sire TO place II on m equitable basis,
aud the time has now arrived when
their actions In regard TO II are going TO
be closely scanned by the veterans and
their friends and, II found wanting, 80
far 10 they are concerned they are. 60
Ing TO get left In the elections OF the