Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-07-24
THE PEN SION BILL.
from the Chicago inter Ocean

trIOm bn6 chicago 1nG0r ocean,
One great pledge of the Republican
Inc dependent pension bill, as agreed
upon in conference, passed the Senate
Monday. The bill now goes to the Presi-
dent. There is no question what he will
do He is not pension vetoer. He did
his tight ng In person and not by proxy.
According to the estimate Of Senator
Davis of Minnesota, Chairman of the
committee, the expenditures under this
bill will be about SAC, 100000. With an
absurd show of exactness, Senator Cor
man of Maryland estimated that the ex-
penditure under it would aggregate
$78,673,054. He should have added the
pennies while he was about it. He might
as well attempt to count the flies on the
Democratic party.
The exact amount is matter of indif-
ference. Of course there is reasonable
limit to expenditures for any purpose, no
matter what, but this money is kept right
here at home. The interest on govern
ment bonds is largely sent abroad, and
the rest, for the most part goes 10 swell
the bank accounts of the rich who spend
great deal of their money abroad, or in
the purchase of imported Injuries. But
the pensioner stays right at home, and
nearly everything he buys is of home
production. No other expenditure made
by the Government is so emphaticalIy a
home affair, little else than pouring water
into tube which empties into the cis-
tern from which the water was originally
taken. The nations of Europe are taxed
to death to support standing armies in
idleness, but the pensioner is free to en-
gage in the ordinary pursuits of life,
according to ability and bent. The Amer
loan people have never felt the feather
weight of burden from any pension
appropriation.
Senator Hawley, himself gallant SOL
der, seems to be somewhat oversensitive
under the unkind criticism of those who
are disposed to think that the claims of
soldiers are being pressed too far. 1t is
not "good form, perhaps, in New Eng
land to indulge in what Mr.. Depew calls
sentimental politics, but the time will
never come when any soldier need fear
that the veterans of the Union army will
put themselves or allow themselves to be
put in the attitude of aims takers. This
conference bill is disability bill, neither
more nor less, and each year is adding to
the percentage of disability. A soldier
may have come out of the army without
scratch or an ailment, and yet develop
in time disability directly traceable to
the hardships of the field. Then, too,
many of the %boys" are now old men,
some of whom are not prepared for the
rainy day, and should be made comfort
able through the Pension Bureau.
There is no more pathetic sight than
the long procession of pensioners wait
ing in line on pay day In front of the Chi
cago pension Office. 1t is the soldiers
dream of Ingersoll in real life, bringing
back to the mind all the pathos of the
most sublime war ever waged on earth.
For such men as Senator Berry of Arkan-
sas, German of Maryland, and Vest of
Missouri to whine over the proposed pay
ments of disability pension bill is sug-
gestive Of the inquiry, why was not
all this money saved and given to the
poorP"
We have said that this bill redeems the
pledge of the Republican party. The
plank of the national platform referred to
reads thus:
"The gratitude of the nation TO the de-
tenders of the Union cannot be measured
by laws. The legislation of Congress
should conform to the pledges made by
a loyal people, and be so enlarged and
extended as to provide against the posi-
bility that any man who honorably wore
the Federal uniform should become an
inmate of an almshouse or dependent
upon private charity"
That is the Republican doctrine on
pensions, and to that line all legisla-
ton on the subject should be hewed.
No more is asked, no less should be
nfParad