The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-09-16

ST "a, 1852.
that an equal protection shall be extend
ed to his widow and orphan children.
But, it will be said, liberal laws have
been made to cover all such cases. Yes,
grant that the present laws, so fur rs
they are intended to apply, are quite
sufficient, ii properly administered, but
they do not go far enough. There are
many soldiers who are to-day suffering
from diseases contracted in the army,
who are not able to connect their disa-
bility with the service, In many in
stances the disability did not develop
until years after they had left the ser.
vice. Their constitutions, naturally
strong and vigorous, resisted the disease
for years. These men can not be pen.
stoned under the present law. Many OF
them are poor and needy, Even some
OF them-men who twenty-five years
ago were strong and vigorous, men who
stood by the side Of you In the thickest
OF the fight, who stood where only
brave and true men dare to stand-are
to-day, sad to tell, eking out miserable
existence in the aims house, This is a
burning disgrace TO the Nation, 1t is a
poor return for the services they gave
the country. =.
Congress at It's next session should
pass as its very first act a law placing
upon the roll all honorably discharged
soldiers who are, from any cause, unable
to provide for themselves,
"But this is still not enough, Con.
gress should go one step further, 1t
should place on the roll at the age Of
sixty years, or some specified age, all
honorably discharged soldiers,
"This would not be, properly speak.
ing, pension. 1t should be made roll
OF honor-a retired list, II you please,
At certain ages officers OF the Regular
Army and United States Judges are
placed on the retired list, without any
regard to their physical or financial con-
dition; and why should not the soldiers
be equally honored2
"But am told that this will bO done.
That it has been done for the soldiers
OF all previous wars. That 1t was done
for the soldiers of tho Revolution, for
the soldiers Of 1912 aud for the soldiers
OF the Mexican war, But wait awhile
that these soldiers were not pensioned
until about on an average Of thirty
eight years after the wars in which they
served.
WHY WAiT2
"But why waltz The answer brlngs
blush TO the cheek OF any true Ameri.
can. Wait until few more OF the old
soldiers die. The list Is too large. The
answer is unworthy the Nation. When
our armies were leCimated and more
troops were needed In the field, and the
President issued call after call, tho men
OF that timG did not say wait, wait,
wait' Through every loyal valley was
heard the sound Tramp, Tramp, Tramp,
the Boys aIe Marching, and the loyal
mountains shouted we are coming,
Father Abraham, three hundred thou.
sand more
"That Ia the answer the soldiers male
to the country in the days Of 'Gl and 'G5
What answer will the country make to
the soldiers to-day? But, We are told, Il
pension aud retired list upon SO large u
scale would bankrupt the country. Tint
the country must Of necessity wait until
some OF its creditors di0 and discharge
the obligation before an attempt is mada
on so large a scale. Let uE see how this
Is, 1t Is estimated that something over
2,00O,000 soldiers were enlisted, that
more than a million are dead, leaving
about 900, 600. honOrably discharged sol.
diers yet alive. OF this number 3g3, ,O2Q
were o. the pension list at tho close Of
tho fiscal wear cNd!ng June 20, 1883; and
the entire pension rOit Tor thGt ysHF, lH'
Guiding widows, children auG '"e pen
sioners Of the war Of 1872 and the Mex.
lean war, amounted to S7s,775,S4l, 1t is
estimated that the dependent pension
bill would add about Sj,000,00O to the
pension list, which would make the to.
tai list n little less thap $Sl 900, 600. But
supposing it to be Sl000O0,0O0. This
Sl66,OOO,0OO would pay all the pensions
proper, and there would be on the re.
tired list only such soldiers rs were
more than 90 years old, and not on the
regular pension list, which would make
tho retired list comparatively small.
With the immense and increasing reVe.
nues OF this country these sums could BE-
met without imposing upon the people
any Onerous burden OF taxation.
WISE FINANCIAL POLICY.
at will be remembered that the
Government has a daily income of more
than a million dollars, including Sun.
days. This sum Is paid largely by i'm.
porters, distillels aud brewers, The
money would be paid out in small sums
TO more than half a million people, scat.
tered all over the country. 1t would
not 90 into banks, syndiCates and trusts
to bO manipulated TO the detrinent Of
the business interests OF the country;
but, would pass into the proper channels
OF trade in every part OF the Union.
With such sum going quarterly into
every section OF the country we should
have no Wall street corners, no financial
paniCs, no 'black Fridays
"Now, do not think that thegoldiers
should be unnecessarily Clanishi but,
my comrades we should stand together
on this question. The soldiers aud their
boys and friends control this country.
We should see to It that no man Is
elected 10 Congress, no matter what bis
politics, who will not pledge himself
faithfully to do Justice 10 the old soldier,
and to do 1t while no Is living, To do II
by adding 10 his comfort while he is on
earth, and not conhne his generosity to
erecting monuments over his grave after
he Is dead"
MAuUNES CAMPAIGN.