The National tribune., 1889-07-25
JUSTICE OF PENSIONS.
An Eloquent Plea by Ex-Prssident Rutherford ,.
Hayes.
[ Toledo IOhiol CommereiaI.l

IToledO CohiO) ComBlereial.l
Ex-President Hayes. of Fremont, delivered
a brief but eloquent address at Sandusky On
Memorial Day. In reply to those who COM
plain that the Government IS spending large
sum of Money annually for pensions, he said
THE Nation cannot in full measure do honor
to its dead soldiers and deny OF neglect full
Justice to its living soldiers. The time has
plainly come when justice 10 its defenders viii
require the country 70 expend much larger
sums out Of the National Treasury than have
heretofore been appropriated for the support Of
the men who saved the Nation on the field Of
battle. The sacred obligation to the Union
soldiers must not, cannot, be forgotten nor neg
lected, especially by those who enjoy the COM
forts aud independence of a prosperity which
has come 10 them by the services and sacrifices
of the men who stood By the Republic when its
life was imPeriled. Some say that on such an
occasion as this il Is not proper 10 discuss the
pension policy. but | say that at all gatherings
of soldiers il Is proper 70 speak Of what should
be done in their behalf
when the war ended the obligations Of The
Nation were chiefly TO two classes:
Il. To those who risked their money.
go To those who ked their live.
Passing on 10 the history Of the resumption
OF specie payment and payment OF war dehs
principal and interest % the second OhligAti0n
to the soldiers. the speaker continued
Those who we're obliged to risk their lives are
now becoming inhrm-yerging towards frOm
so 10 so years OF age.
eWhat was promised by the eountry-not 70
forget or allow the defenders TO suher-lst IL
DO fulfilled. How were the soldiers psidf Ia
paper worth at various times from 35 20 60
cents ON the dollar; yet there was no grumb-
ling for it was the best that the country could
do.
"I.et our burthens be at least one hundred
= -
have paid in % years 81 500. 100000 principal
$9400.O00 600 interest. and Sl,00O.O0O,O00 for
pensions TO soldiers of the war Of 1872, of the
Mexican war, and especially TO the disabled
soldiers OF the war for the Union, and still We
are growing rich faster than any nation. On the
basis of our wealth We can pay large amounEA
Twenty-Five years ago with cur wealth of SIS
0O0, 600 900 we had a debt the interest on which
alone was over $4,000. 900 a year-more than
three times what we nay to-day. Now we have
$50. 600 0O0. 900 of property and our debt mere
flea bite Then we had u population OF 81, OuO,0Uo
now Is, 900 600. and in p years from now We
will have 100, 100000. We have paid our cred.
itors in gold coin, principal and interest, aud
now cannot We pay our obligations to the
soldieTsr
81 may have spoken on the subject too long,
but people do not understand it. We have the
safest and best army in the world. We pay for
war while lighting. aud when over our men
pass into the ranks of labor.
Germany and England pay their officers,
aud nearly all the great estates came into the
family as pay for service in battle, while what
is paid to our army is paid to those who nght
its battles. aud not 10 those who look ON.
You have here in Sandnsky Home estab-
lished by Ohio, and whatever is paid By the
city or county or State is a debt of the Nation,
and ought to come cut of the Treasury Of ths
United States. and they viii pay il If yOa
insist upon il" IApplaGsa.l