Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-09-17

soldiers. Bot, notwithstanding all these
grand tokens of a Nations love and graft
tude. Mr.. MASON ssys;
BUTT was grander TO gather up the poor old
soldier. all helpless and homeless, and provide
1rhis comfort in the soldiers home.
And be continues:
You have among you many old soldiers, once
independent and prosperous bu. now struggling
with poverty. fgh ing brayely the battles Of life.
Many ofthese men went into the army in mid
die life, leaving comfortable and prosperous
homes They returned 10 find their places oecu-
ried by o,hers-that business modes and centres
had changed: many Of them have been unable
10 regain their business standing. Life has been
DO them since then. an unequal task. Their
stay al home ueigllors took the leadin their alb
seucs. and have kept t. Then when the soldier
asks for a liberal protection and assistance ofthe
Government. be asks but simple justice He is
no tramp. seeking 20 reap where be has not
soyyu. OF TO gather the fruits Of anothers toll he
is no baggar, asking crust from the Nation s
table for charitys sake.
Wehsve d right then 20 expect, nay, to demand,
that every soldier who lost his health or was
manned fin the service shall be provided for by
the country, and that an equal protection shall
be extended 20 his widow and orphan children.
Brt. itwilne said. liberal laws have been made
to cover an such cases. Yes, giant that the
present avs. 70 far as they are intended 10 APP
ply. are quite sufficient ifproperiy administered
bat they 90 not 20 far enough. There are many
soldiers who are today suffering from diseases
contracted in The army, who are not able 70 con-
meet their disability with the service. In many
instances the disability did not develop until
wears after they had left thu service. Their con-
slmuons naturally strong and vigorous, resist
ca the disease for years. These men cannot be
rcnsioned under the present law. Many Of them
are POOR and needy Even some OF them-men
who. twenty-five years ago were strong and Wig
orous. men who stood Dy the side of you in the
thlckest the tight, who stood where only brave
and true men dare 20 siand-sre to-day, sad to
tell. exiug out miserable existence In the aims
houses. This isa burning disgrace to the Nation.
10 lsa poor return for The services they gave the
country.
And NJ. MASON advocates that:
CONGRESS ati.s next session should pass as its
very first ac. a law placing upon the roll all
hono-ably disc arged soldier who are, from any
cause. unable TO provide for themselves But
this IS s.iu not enough Congress should so one
s.en further Itsl1uld place on the rou at the
age of sixty years OF some specified age all
honorably discharged soldiers.
As Mt MASON says, this would not be,
properly speaking, pension. 1t should
be made "a roll Of honOr-a retired list. "
This is true and just and right.
Vow, let us look at the matter Of pen
sions as it stands. Yesterday the REGIS
TER gave a full review Of the subject since
the close Of the war, including Commits
siouer TANNERS bandit work in the Pen
sion Office, and it need not now be ex-
planned that in a short while our annual
expenditure for pensions will reach $780,
600 OOO, which, capitalized at 3 per cent,
would represent a national debt Of five
billions Of dollars. Now, $3.50, 700 GOO is
vastly more than the sum necessary to
give every honorably discharged Union
soldier a pension, yet what is being
done yearly with the vast pension APP
preparation? It has mostly been tpant
by the Republican party for partisan pOlit-
ical purposes, and the deserving soldiers,
or many of them, at least, have been al
lowed TO starve, or live in aims houses
such were, and are, the political necessi-
ties Of the Republican party. Exceeding
little Of the $4,000, 600 over and above
last years pension payments, for instance,
went to provide for needy and deserving
old soldiers. The bulk of it was gquan-
dered in rerating the pensions Of those
already amply provided for by the govern
uent-some Of the greatest benefciaTits CT
TANNERS layishness being rich men.
The nation, az Mr.. MASON truly sage, is
grateful TO and desires to care for those
who fought to preserve it, but our nation
al policy has been such as to almost dis
gust the nation with the whole matter and
if oontinuedImust inevitably cause such a
reaction ibat the old soldiers will not get
even Justice The Republican party alone
is responsible for this. During the four
years of Democratic control, out of the
quarter Of a century that mss elapsed since
the war. more was done for the veterans
than was done during sll the foregoing
years Of Republican rule. This utterance
Of President CLEVELAND is celebrated;
The pension lst should Be so roll Of honor. F"
And he tried to make it so. That the
policy Of this administration has been the
reverse Of this it is not necessary further
to demonstrate. It is sufficient 10 quote
but one Of it's numerous disgraceful decis-
ions, namely, that a disionorajle discharge
is no bar to pension.
The REGISTER heartily sgrees with
Commissioner MASON that every hOnora-
bly, discharged old soldier after he has
reached q certain sge sho1ld be entitled to
a pension. And had the political necessi-
ties Of the Republican party been less and
its honesty aud regard for the defenders Of
the nation more such a law might long
ago have been passed.
The National Democrat Of Washington,
says
While The Republican party held undis-
puted possession Of all branches of the
Government and feared no reverse the
rates of pensions were low and the dis
bursements small. 10 was not until the
Democrats got possession Of the House Of
Representatives and threatened to get the
Presidency that the two political parties
began bidding against each other for the
soldier vote. This is no figure Of
speech When Corporal Tann& lest