Telegram-herald., 1890-02-28


Ehe nation ~ss redeemed az great prios.
Bat these are not the only. n0< sssn
the main fgur-s on WHICH the veterans
no~ sss- their claims. The most prooni-
nenE organizaSaon. aside from the Grand
Army Of the R@pablsc. Is the State
Services Psnsson associations Of Indiana
AMI Kansas sad other states, now acting
as one. and tbs following extracts are
from their late appeal for TIE passage
Il the Dali introduced IN the senats By
Ingalls,. OF Kansas. and 40 TIE house
D. Cnssa1e. Of Indiana:
Delay simply means waiting for
death. 70 save money and defeat our Just
claims. Aid. 70 be Of benefit, should be
zIvsn when the energies begin - waas.
The average age Of our comrades nov
living Is over 50 years. The early draft
on their vitality MAKES them premature
~ old, taking not lssS than five 70 fifteen
years OF Of the life Of every one who
served one year or more. We therefore
request this legislation now. Human life
was poured out as freely aswater in the
running streams that the nation might
live. It was certainly as valuable as the
gold OF the money lender and govern
ment creditor in those days Of peril.
TILE SOLDIER AND THE MONEY LENDER.
The contract with all such persons
has bcen kept to the letter. and their
debts have been more than doub@od in
value by legislation obtained through
congress in their behalf, with interest
thercon paid promptly at regular inter
vAh, while We received our pay in a de
preciAted currency, amounting 70 a mere
pistanoe towards securing the comforts
of life 10 our families during our absence
from our homes in the service from 1861
20 1855. Therefore, as al act Of justice
and equalization OF the losses sustained
by Us during the war, we request of our
representatives and senators in congress
the enactment Of these Just measures
into law for our relief, and we request it
now.
"All who are opposed 10 these meas
ures OF relief will misinterpret our mo
tives and charge us with wild schemes
Of finance and imitation. This is not
true. We nswer that, with the pres
ent revenues of our government main
tanned as they are, these claims can
De met and paid without financial dis
tress or disturbance. The sum of money
necessary. combined with existing pen
sions, paid out quarterly to our COM
rades, will Immediately enter into circu-
lation, and will go far towards reviving
and irrigating the channels of trade, TO
the advantage of the manufactures, mer-
chant, mechanic, laborer and farmer.
Our claims are reasonable and just, and
will add no burdens in the way of addi-
tional financial debts TO our people, not
dollar of which is loss to the people
or leaves the country, but which. on the
contrary, very largely assists in creating
additional wealth and increases the ma
tional revenues necessary to pay the in
creased pension list.
After showing that an enormously
large proportion of present pension rat
ings are for less than IS per month and
very many less than 81, the address con-
tinues: This division Of rating goes far
TO dispel the generally received idea of
the 'boundless hberality' of our govern
ment to its defenders in the. late war,
which is further modified by the unrea-
sonable laws and rulings thrown around
the administration of the pension office.
which reverse, in their application to
soldiers claims, the common Law prac-
tice of our courts.
up 70 June 80, 1888, the almost incon-
ceivable sum Of s., ,652 ,0O0, 900 has been
paid TO holders of our national bonds on
account of the war of the rebellion
81, 153, ,090, ,964 of this amount for interest
alone. For the same period, 1885 1888,
there has been paid for the pension list,
including pensioners of all wars, $946,-
3s7 $50, but a trifie over one-fourth the
amount paid the money lenders. Gentle
men, the time has come when nothing
short of radical revision and simpli-
flying Of the pension laws will do Justice
and clear the files Of near 500, 900 pend
ing claims, which, under the present law
and system of work in the pension
Office, will not be settled in ten years, if
not another claim was filed in that time.
Putting off a service pension law ten
years longer means that 800, 900 more
soldiers must die without Justice
Gentlemen. you cannot afford to longer
ignore full and complete settlement of
this matter beyond the sessions of the
Fifty-first congress The national debt
with its interest is no longer burden
some. If one half the present popula-
ton could provide ways and means to
meet the great expenses of the war
surely it Is not impossible now to paw the
honest debt due the soldiers who saved
the Union. If the revenues are insult
fcient constitutional measures are still
available and should be used to provide
the means to do 40.
1--WE respectfully call the attention of
congress TO these facts in connection with
the subject Of pensions, and hope your
honorable bodies, the house and senate,
viii be able to sec in the measure here
with respectfully submitted to your re-
I spective members Just and equitable
solution Of the pension question, and
pray your favorable consideration of
same and speedy action thereon
Respectfully submitted
'-Gu- r SToRFoSr. President Indiana
| State Service Pension Association.
-E. r PARKE. President Kansas State
Service Pension Association.
''S. NJ WEsLE. President Massachusetts,
/ State Service Pension Association.
To the figures cited above the petition
| srs might well have added this curious
and most suggestive fact For the frs;