The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-08-28
A wall STREET MAIL..


on the pension question. in long leading
editorial, entitled "The Grand Aumy's HUI
initiation, il says:
til not possible 90 view without regret deepen
ing into humiliation the action of the Grand
Army of The Republic NJ Boston in committing
itarlf 20 policy Of iudscrimiuate raiding upon
the National Treasury. IN doing it has mndciis
organization political institution. has allied It
with the mcrceusrics and bounty jumpers of the
MAR, md given II over TO the tender mcrccs Of the
dcmaEops who selhshly seek 10 make stepping.
stones of the soldiers ya!or and 10 the pension
agents whose patriotism is closely circumscrihed
by Their puTso-strEugs.
Tins is familiar talk. We have heard it
in almost precisely the same words every
time the veterans have aslld for justice at the
hands of the Nation We had it when we
asked that those who had lost arms or legs
or eyes, should be rescued from actual want;
we had it when weasl,ed that the ridiculous
ratings Of 81 a month and upward should be
raised to decent amount, and il came in
perfect storm when we demanded that
hroken-down soldiers should be taken from
the poorhouses and given enough TO main
tain themselves outside of those abodes of
want and pauperism. The most obviously
Just demands of the veterans have ever been
met with just such praiingas this. The old
soldiers have been admonished how much
more honorable and praiseworthy it was to
bear their wounds and disabilities, their sor-
rows and priyations in complete silence,
than to disturb sleek, comfortable people who
had grown rich of the results Of their valor
and sacrifices with complaints OF the coun-
Iry's neglect.
The National Eucampment did not
sanction an iudiscriminate raid on the
Treasury" II simply spoke in favor doing
Immediately an act of justice, the precedent
for which had the sanction Of the immortal
Washington, and was urged by him upon
/ the earlier Congresses, though the country
was not then a thousandth part rs we'll able
/ TO do il rs the country now Is. The Nation
+ has given service pensions to the soldiers Of
/ al preceding wars, and in not one of them
+ did those soldiers do anything like the
amount OF fighting per head, or endure the
/ hardships, Of the average soldier of the war
/ Of the rebellion. The heroes Of the Rev
/ olution. the War of 1912, and the
/ Mexican war made no indiscriminatc raid
on the Treasury" when they asked for and
were given a service pension. The grateful
people, fully realizing the blessings which
had been won for them by these men,
thought a service pension was very slender
recognition Of their merits.
The Bulletin goes on:
! The course Of The debate in the Euonmpmcnt
upon tie service pension resolution has not been
made public.
Very fair outlines Of the debate have been
made public, and we are sorry that verbatim
reports Of all the speeches made on both
sides have not been published in all the
papers OF the country, for We never listened
to ADLER arguments than were made pro and
con. They were elevated in sentiment,
patriotic in the highest degree, and pre-
scented with splendid force and conciseness.
We wish, for The credit Of the GAR, that
the whole country could have heard them
There can, however be but one Interpretation Of
the action Of TIE veterans They have chosen 10
throw contempt upon the theory Of Mr.. Mckinley.
eel forth in manly phrase at Wednesdays Camp
Ere. that this country worth saving for Itself
alone aud they have adopted tie shameless doc,
iriue OF Gen. Butler that te soldiers enlistment
was contract Tor the pay" That Is tie utter
Hucc Of a drnaaog, and entirely worthy OF ils
origin; but the theory which il rets forth IL one
against which the soul Of every sclfrcspecling pat
not must revolt and u be believed that II
represents tie sentiments 81 thc great body u our
4 Nations defenders ia the field. what makes tho
American soldier honorable Is hts uuselIsL dcvo
ton What makes the American citizenship pre-.
ciouz 81 The Joy 81 sacrifice which il inspired by il
Other soldiers have fought JTavely, others have
laid down their lives ia good "a cause; "a II on
soldier has been conspicuous before the world iiai
been because the world has seen or thought Il la,
seen, IL Ism neither tl5e thoughtessucss Of isuor
uucen 81 tie petiuess Of cupidily but "A deibcrat,
and solemn selt-immo'atOu upon the altar 81 cOuI
try. u what ilc achieved mud what he endured
were e-s tLsu lh-; II lis resumption Of danger au,
hardship was Hot a sacrifice bat bargain If b,
did not respond wiih loyal affection to The cry o
bis country, but sold himself 10 hcr needs, au,
stopped 60 uuHiyze Tie contract before putting hi
Laud 10 d. then. indeed we may sull admire lin
for lis va'OT hut he must -ink Ia mems esteem l.
o. level higher tl.an that Of the Iicssau inercc
uaEies Of our Revolutionary war only us tie caus
81 which he was engaged was Hober.
What rubbish this Is. Whatever ma,
happen to-day cannot change what happcue,
q years ago. Even If the seIcseeking 0
the veterans now were as gross as th
EpEltia pictures il, il would not change til
Z fact Of their glorious salfsacriGco ther
They Iell homes Of peace aud comfort; the
i, left pleasant, profitable yocatiousi they lei
: parents, swecthcarts, wives and children, {
enter the field Of hardship and danger, AN
/, follow tie bitter, cruel trade Of war Tor hire
long years. The money inducemeut va
simply no iHducement a all. They did ~
q get as much in q month as they would hag
-e made as home in week There was Il
ID hope Of em0iument or reward Of any kin
d to gid the hasdships and dangers thcy q
d countered. When they enlisted the Goveu