The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-10-31
CURE FOR PENSION DJsr, :.

|. No ono Will ACCUSE tne OregOniar
being other than a straight-from a.
shoulder republican journal. n
thoroughly orthodox and in line r,
the teaching and practices of its ,.'
upon b more prominent issues Of .,
day except in the matter of pensi.'
Upon this question it breaks loose n.y.
the masses of its party and places it.',
squarely against it's practice of ind.
criminate pension-giving. In a recss,
article under the headline "A Cure ~
the Pension Disease" it presents ;,
whole subject in a clear, forcible man
and embodies an appeal to the old uni''
soldiers to unite in an effort to corr
the present pension abuses as convinoi,
as it is pointed and sensible. The O,s
CONAN opens it's article with the rema.,
that:
The time has come when old so,1i..
will be called upon to declare wbeth.'
their patriotism grows out of a loyal y.
tachment to the government may a.
which they live, and love for the co mrtel
that is theirs by birth or adoption. ~
whether it is pnrely selfish and mercer
airy; whether they fought to save II.
union IN the high spirit of defense and
the perpetuaticn Of a government Of
the people, by the people and for the neo
pie" or for the spoils to be gotten out "
IT; whether they saved the union for tbs
people or for themselves; whether tbay
prevented the ship of state from beins
wrecked on the rocks of secession from
the pure desire to save it from destruc
ton, or only to get the salvage.
1t follows this with the declaratiO,
that the course of pension legislation in.
dicates that however warmly the spiri,
OF patriotism may have once burned !,
the breasts of many, its flame has lone
since died out and the government
whose life they once so CALAMITY Tough,
to save, they now consider legitimate Oh.
lect OF plumber. This is strong Language
but IN view of the unseemiy, unpatriotic
and most mercenary scramble for neD.
SONS no one vii question that it is lust.
fed. The Oregonian holds that a claim (
for pension based upon mere service in
the army is unpatriotic and declare
that, lit is to the lasting discredit Of The
Army of the Republic that tbe |
clamor for it comes chiefly from the mem. |
bers of that organization, and that br, |!
FOR It's support the demand would be met /
with the scorn it deserves by the very
men who are prepared to vote for it in 1
congress in subservient trucking to The /
power of the order" II III.
Oregonian were a democratic newspars
the charge here so unequivocally az |
polntedly made would be denounsl
by the pension grabber as "slime from
vile copperhead Sheet" or. more mild,
put, 1.-THE u~nwarrantable assertion of an
lnreconstructed rebel"
The Oregonian further declares tina, /,
he efforts of politicians to coddle to the !
soldier vote, combined with the self as
of a class of veterans whose sen
abilities are blunted, has worked upon
he selfish instincts of human nature ITO
'pread the pension fever like a plague
III over the country" The Oregon
PAPER has properly diagnosed the disease
t is a pension fever. Thousands Of
lnion soldiers who, a few years ago.
would scorn to accept a dollar from the
government simply because they served
heir country during it's hour of peril,
re now found among the vast army OF
nen beseiging the pension bureau, com
nuting their loyalty in coin and des-
oiling a government they once fought
0 maintain. But happily for the ma
ion the disease is bringing its remedy.
Deserving union soldiers are becoming
larmed; honest, fearless journals Of
9th parties are outspoken in condemna-
on of the law which permits such an
nslaught on the public treasury and
oldiers and journals are devising means
check it.
The soldiers who hold their honor
carer than eight dollars a month; who
we the government more than the ma,
onal treasury; who do not wish to be
anked among the pension grabbers;'
no believe this great country belongs
G,OOO,OO of people instead Of the
100000 veterans; who desire above
things to hand their names down to
heir posterity as patriots who fought to
the union for the love they bore
T, n who wish to maintain their self
'spect and the respect of their fellow
tizens, have inaugurated a move ment
hich has for it's object a revision of the
ension laws that will shut out the un
eserving from the pension list.
he organization is known as "The So
ETY. OF Loyal Volunteers" In the Ian
lage OF the Oregonian this society ex-
ects to make itself strong by the organ
alton of branches in every portion of
lie country, and hopes to arouse in the
osom of old soldiers that sense of pride
nd manly self-respect that will sweep