The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-02-14

Tup yAMpIRrs OF THE NATIoN.-Boston,
February S.-At the meeting Of the Boston
Reform Club, held this evening, Ex-aover-
nor Chamberlain made an able ana eloquent
speech, many points OF which were up
plauded to the echo. .
the feature of the evening. lie had double
barrclled subject and handled 1t with rs
much skill rs n South Carolina sportsman
handles his doublc-barrelled shotgun. HIS
remarks ON the dependent pension bills and ON
the race problem were equally to the point
lie contended that there is no race problem as
such, that the negro in the South is making
better progress than at any time since his
freedom; that instead Of being race problem
the negro question is political problem
engineered for the sole benefit of the
Uoars and Chambers and lngnllses OF
the North, and that the Governmeh'
has done all that it can do for the
negro i'm his social and political life. iiis
views upon this subject, however, merit
fuller notice than can be made in this report
and are worthy of publication in extenso
Governor Chamberlain y comments upon tnc
dependent pension bills contained terrible
arraignment of the Republican party, ana
ought to bring the blush of shame to the
checks of every honorable soldier OF the he-
public Among other things Mr.. Chamber
lain said
There were enlisted into our armies be-
tween 1861 and 1865 no less than 2,II2,oo
men Deaths and dcscrtions reduced that
number by about GOO, 900, leaving about 2,2oo-
600 soldiers surviving the war Or these
as | have stated, 4S9.OOO are now on the
pension rolls leaving, less deaths occur
ring since 1860, about zoo, 600 unpcnsioned.
i il raGar1el- -as pronaole
impossible, of course, to sly how many oil
this number arc or will become dependent
but our best pension experts estimate the
increase of our pension list ut from Ho,oOO
to 100000 under the operations of such Il
bill-rcsultng in an increase of disbursc
mcnts for pensions by something Ike 800
100000, making the annual pension cxpcn
tliture not less than 5000 ,0OO,0OO.
''Thesc calculations arc necessarily prob
lcmatic, but that the increase in the pension
list and of pension expenditures will be cnor
nous no one can question. 1t seems probable
both these will be doubled.
But no pccunnry considerations exhaust
or duly present the cnornity of these schemes
Such pensions, such terms of pcnsian, arc m
exha,lstlcss corruption fund, to dcbauch tho
conscience, to undermine the manhood, ano
dcbase the sense of patriotism, of our soldier:
of the civil war. What manly soldier does
not value above all else, the pride of memory
and of duty done in that war; Docs he ask
us to put him on the paupcr roll I" Offer
fsa HA'i aba NJ tRHRARsr 70 QUE. 70 s"Pl%r
soldier looks with DISGUST and coutcupt o,
such offers. IT misfortune shall ovcrtakc hin
lie will depend. like other men, OH the sup
port Of family and kindred, the charity q
friends, if nee he, hut not on cnsions pal,
from taxes conpulsoriy collected from th
entire community. Much ia honor Prcsi
dent Cleveland for many other reasons of
public nature. | honor him, perhaps mos
of ALL for his brave and patriotic fight agnins
special pension bills and the stupcndous cor
ruption AMI wrong of the dependent pen
sion bill which he vetoed and killed. The
same substantial scheme Of plumber is now
nfuo; i'll the Senate. as hay" sa. ,l"..h:
if half dozen Republican Senators will
dare to record their votes against it-cspccinl-
~ doubt if Massachusetts Senator's will
dare to oppose il. The courage which fought
the great nnte-war conflict of ideas the
courage which fought the great war itself
and blazoned our history with its brightest
pages, seems to be wel-nigh lost.