The National tribune., 1891-01-29
TIM PERSONALITIES, PROGRAM.

completed plan Of campaign, and they are
so confident Of its ultimate success that they
have no hesitation in publishing il 10 the
world, that all may know just what they
contemplate doing. They are embOldened TO
this by the result Of The elections last Fall,
which they assert was popular and unmis-
taxable condemnation Of the whole pension
system. The Philadelphia Times, which is
the leading anti-pension paper in that city,
gives the campaign plan TO the world, and
supports il with all Its editorial power 1t
is as follows
! ]. Repeal the disability feature Of the pension
4 law Of last year. and make II apply only 20 cases
\ OF dependent soldiers who have rendered actual
i military service
?. Repeal all pensions granted by special acts Of
+ Congress, excepting those granted TO widows OF
4 soldiers who shed exceptional luster upon the
heroism Of the Nation. Under our present exceed
ingly liberal pension laws all who cannot obtain
pension by regular application should be excluded
3, Repeal all pen ions TO soldiers who are awarded
only t. OF q per month. Such pensions imply no
such disability should be necessary to obtain n
i pension.
.. Every pcnsionod soldier who holds civil
Office National State, local, that pays larger
salary than hs pension. should have his pension
suspended during his official term
8. Every soldier provided for ia soldiers Home
should receive no pension while thus cared FOR II
his disability caused by military service and lac
Inns dependent family, il should be provided for.
G. The attorney or pcnsionagent fee in every
pending crse should be reduced to 81 FOR each APP
plioalion, aud no Zee Whatever should he allowed
DO any new application. This would save the sol
I diers OF the country many millions and tear up
/ pension frauds by the roots.
7. Competent tribunals, composed entirely OF
! civilians should be authorized in every community
/ 60 receive and perfect every pension application
/ without cost 20 the applicant, aud also To review
/ every pension already granted on application OF
amy citizen presenting probable caurse for such
inquiry.
This has The one merit Of frankness ii
is an open, full-in-front attack upon nearly
every principle for which the Grand Army
Of the Republic has been struggling for
years and upon which it appealed 10 the
people and won victory.
The first proposition is for the repeal Of
legislation for which the comrades as a body
contended for for fully 10 years, and through
five Congressos-upon which Mr.. Cleveland
was defeated for reelection, and upon which
Gen. Harrison gained the Chief Magistracy.
The second would reserve widows pen
sions mainly TO those women who have po-
lilical Influence
Instead Of doing justice 10 pensioners by
raising al allowances TO at least s. a month,
for which the comrades have yainly con-
tended, the third proposition would cut of
altogether tens Of thousands Of as good sol
diers as were in the army, and deprive them
even Of the meager relief now given them.
The fourth proposition is brutally unjust.
What pension an official may be receiving
has no more 60 do with his salary than il
would have with The price paid him for
saving cord Of wood. lie renders certain
service to the Government. State or Munich
pality, aud is paid by the one or the other
for il, just a. private party would pay him
SO much for blowing an acre Of corn or lay
ing Thousand brick The pension is abso-
lately outside Of the matter in one case as
the ether
The fifth proposition is Of the same char
acter.
The sixth proposition il intended 10 stop
pension-getting by depriying the veteran
Of the assistance Of an attorney. Noattorney
could afford TO pay any attention whatever
to pension cases for such Zee. The present
fees are so low that the vast majority Of
attorneys in the country viii not touch a
4 pension case, except az matter Of friend
ship for some particular claimant, and no
attorney can make the business profitable
unless large number Of cases are concen-
trated in his hands. To cut down the
4 fees would be 10 drive the best and most
competent attorneys entirely out Of the
( business, and leave tie veterans a prey 10
shysters and incompetents and efectually
stop nearly all pension allowances. This is
what the soldier-hatefs hope 10 accomplish
by attacking pension attorneys.
Think Of the meanucss Of the seventh
proposition. Every soldiers pension, present
or prospective, to be submitted to a COM
mittee Of citizens from the membership Of
which every man who served in the army
shall be excluded. This committee, prob
ably, made up Of old fossil copperheads aud
stay-at-h0mes, who believed that "men
went 10 war 10 make money, and We're paid
well for al they did, would take precious
good care that very few pension cases were
allowed. Or If the committee should be
made upof political strikers, il would follow
that pensions would be given those who
voted right" and the loss Of his pension
would be held over every pensioner ia tn.
ro~cu, 10 make him support "ihe regular
ticket" more abominable scheme, il
every way, could not be devised
Weare much obliged to the pension hater
for thus clearly outlining their intentions
Veterans win know just exactly what {,
expect from them.