The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-01-25

any means. 1t Is true the nation Il
not In default, but still there are obi.
cations of millions of dollars. legal.
equitable and honorable, which ough,
to be paid at once. especially as the
wall is, too much idle money in the
Treasury. Most prominent among
the obligations referred to are the
pension arrearages due the old sol.
diers of the late war.
At the beginning of the war, to Ia.
duce and stimulate enlistments, Con.
gress passed laws offering bounties to
volunteers, and also pensions to all
who might be wounded or disabled
In the service, as we'll as the widows
and dependent relatives who might
fall in defence of their country.
These pension laws are absolute on
their face, without any conditions,
and promise to protect all who prop.
erly come within their provisions,
More than two million soldiers enter
ed our armies under these laws, and
no one can now saw how many OI
these patriots would have remained
al home had not these ASSURANCES
been given. They were the very es.
sence of the contract of enlisimsui
between the soldier and their goYey7
ment. The promised pension fDr,.eh
the consideration in such coDract.
and thus became VISITED rightso the
soldiers. and an irreyokabe 5bliga.
ton on the part of the government.
The Constitution forbids tn States
from passing any law impaiing the
obligation of contract o vested
right. Can Congress pass sun a law ?
Surely they ought not.
There was nothing in thse origi'
nal pension laws requiringclaimants
10 file their claims by or within any
given time. The sharpesiand more
intelligent of these beneficaries came
forward, promptly demanded and OBJ.
tanned their full rights Many of
the slo wer and ill.infornd held back.
and Others have. for a tine, felt too
proud or Well-to.dO to ak of the gov.
eminent. especially il its straights,
for their just dues.
Some years after tie close Of the
war Congress passed one or more laws
limiting the payment of pensions
from the time the claims should be
filed in the Pension Office, in lieu Of
the time when the right of pensions
first accrued-that Is to say from the
discharge or death of the soldier. In
1879. per chap. 1877, Congress saw the
wrong of these limitations or, restric'
tions. and passed what was known
as the Arrearages Act, carrying the
pay back to the beginning of the
right, thus equalizing and putting all
pensi Jners on the same footing up to
July /, 1880. But this act. by it,
own provisions. ceased to hayess q;
feet after that date, 80 all INVALID
claims filed since then only carrypay
from the date of application.
Had not these meritorious benef.
Charles right to trust in the falkland
stipulation of their government
which, by their valor they saved.
and withhold their claims if they
saw proper. and present them at such
times as suited them, without the
risk of forfeiture g? The truth is these
acts of Congress taking away from
the disabled soldiers large parts Of
their leffaI rights. are simply acts Of
confscati0n, not against the enemis
of our country, but its benefactOrs
the very ones Congress by solemn
laws promis' d to protect and reward.
Confiscation laws were passed during
the war against those in armed hos.
tilities against their country and liz
laws. but even these were very ten
derby and mildly extraordinarily
at all. More than fifteen years of the
first pay of pensioners who fiIei
their claims since July l. 1881. stands
to.day forfeited by acts of Congress.
1t is not doubtful that the Supreme
Court would Hold such Legislation
unconstitutional.
The pension laws IN reference TO
the late wsr rest upon quite different
principles from those of any former
wars. Such laws were. enacted by
Congress, pensioning the old soldiers
of the Revolutionary war, also that
of 1872 and the Mexican. but these
laws were acts of gratitude. bn&
after the wars to which they applied
were over. and there was no congress
siunal promises or contracts at or he
fore enIistment-nO plighted faitt
with the soldiers IN those days, who
took their lives in hand to make OF
save country. Is il right or fair to
give pensions to some since 1862 '6S
or '64, and to Others only since 1880,