Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1890-07-09
PEN SION B
Erom th4 cnsasxo Tntsr O.

One great pledgs OF the HCp16x1n
pasty may nov BE- sst down 81 rcdoemed.
TINS dep II -. peaslon bill, q aGI11d
NtOn IN conference. passed the Sonate
Moniay. The bill nOw goes to the PFesi.
dent. There 10 mo- question what hc will
do. He IL Q . pen don yetoer. Hs did
his fs6t ng in person sad NOT By proxy.
According TO ths estimate of senator
Davis Of Minnesota, Chairman of the
COMMITTEES, the expenditures under this
bill will DO about $40 900, 900. With an
absurd show Of exactnsss. Senator Cor
m IL Of Maryland estimated that the ex.
penditure under it would aRcrcrate
S5s,s73,054. He should have added the
pennies while he vas about II. He might
as we'll attempt to count the flies on the
Democratic party.
Tho exact nmount 10 . matter Of indif.
florence. OF course there is q reasonable
limit 10 expenditures for any purpose, no
m stter what, but this money is kept rfoht
here ct home. The interest on govern.
ment bonds IL largely sent abroad, and
the rest, for the most part, goes 10 swell
the bank accounts Of the rich who spend
a great deal Of their money abroad, Or In
the purchase Of imported luxuriss. But
the pensioner stays right ct home, and
nearly everything he buys 10 OF homo
production. No other expenditure made
by the Government 10 20 emphatieally :
home affair, little else than POURING wster
into . tube which empties into the els.
tern from which the water was originally
tiken. The nations Of Europe are taxed
to death to support standing armies in
idleness, but the pensionsr is free to On
gage in the ordinary pursuits Of life.
. gcordins to ability and bent. The Amer.
lean people have never felt the feather.
weight Of burden from any pension
appropriation.
Senator Hawley. himself q gallant sol
der, seems to be somewhat ~oyerssnsitive
under the unkind criticism Of those Who
are disposed to think that the claims OF
soldiers arc being pressed too far. 70 is
not good form, perhaps, in New Eng
land to indulge in what NJ. DepSw calls
sentimental politics, but the time will
W coms whom any soldier need fear
that the veterans Of the Union army will
put themselves or allow themselves to 10
put In the attitude Of aims takers. This
conference bill 10 q disability bill, neither
more nor less, and each year IL adding to
the percentage Of disability. A soldier
may havs come out Of the army without
/. scratch Or an silment. and yet develop
In time . disability directly traceabls TO
~ suo NV1us ANVIL WV
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 tho Chi
caRo pension office. 1t 10 the soldiers
dream Of Ingsrsoll 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, md Vest of
Missouri to whine over the proposed pay
ments Of . disability pension bill 10 sug-
gestive Of the inquiry. why was not
all this money saved and given to the
poor?"
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 10 the de-
tenders Of the Union cannot be measured
by laws. The legislation Of Congress-
should conform to the pledges made by
q loyal people, and be SO enlarged and
extended a. to provide against the possi-
bility that any man who hcnorably 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-
tion on the subject should be hewed.
No nor is asked, no less should be
offered.