The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-06-19
A STRONG PENSION ARGUMENT
Making Plans for the National Encamp.
ment at Detroit.

Making Plans for the National Epcamp-
ment at Detroit.
Col. j. w. H. Reisinger, editor of the
Meadville Pa.) Gazette, himself a gal
liant soldier from start to finish during
the war, presents the pension question to
his readers in recent article which he
has headed "Who Owns the Corn?" He
says:
A number of men once upon time
went into the woods to make settle
ment. They took up a large farm, cleared
it off and prepared to plant it is corn.
About this time the Indians appeared in
the vicinity and it became dangerous to
work in the field. The settlers divided
their force. One-half of them took their
guns, went into the woods surrounding
the clearing and patrolled while the
other half planted, hoed, gathered and
husked the corn. Now can there be any
question as to who owned that corn? 1t
may be said. with some show of fairness,
that the men who kept off the Indians
owned larger share than those who
took the safer place in the corn-feld, but
certainly they don't own any less.
The above may or may not have oc-
Cured, but the following did
certainly occur, as many living Wit
nesses can attest: The United States
Government was threatened with de-
struction by something far worse than
Indians. A million and upwards of the
citizens took their guns and went out
into the woods and kept line between
the Northern States and the hordes of
rebels who threatened the destruction of
the Government, and of the lives and
property of its people. They pushed the
line South as far as possible and finally
compelled the enemies of the Govern
ment to disband.
In the meantime the people who stayed
at home planted, hOed and gathered in
corn. They built railroads and manu-
featuring establishments. They put up
fine houses, and dressed themselves in
purple and fine linen, and Jared sumptu-
ously every day and Sundays. The be.
came blOated bondhOlders, and the Gov.
eminent was filled to Overlooking with
what they were enabled to gather to-
gether by the fact that the soldiers were
IN the woods watching the Indians.
Now, who owns the cornP
1t has been decided by Congress time
and again that the fellows who STAYED in
~ bilb DltlIt anu NOIhtu Ille GOInlglO
own the entire crop, and that, when the
other fellows ask any of it, the granting
of it is a matter of public charity. some.
thing like bunk at the poorhouse or 4
cold bite at the kitchen door In that
war some men loaned the Government
money, while others loaned their services
and many loaned their lives and never
got them back. Wives loaned their hus.
bands, fathers and mothers their chill.
dren, sisters their brothers and girls theiI
sweethearts, and, though three hundred
thousand of them were never brought
back, there has been little attempt &c
make the loss up and no ''act to strength
en- the public credit by putting theil
claim on gold basis.
The question Of pensions is simply q
question of the division of the corn, and
when any party arrives to that pitch OF
patriotism or good sense which shall
prompt them to promise of fair diyi
sion of the corn, the half-million sur
vivOrs of the men who watched the In
dians are going TO vote with that party
There is another point in the programme
which ought to be looked after. The
various acts to strengthen the public
credit and to pay the interest on certain
claims in gold may or may not be right
but they comport badly with the a6so
lutte Reputation of the soldiers pension
claim If he has not presented it within q
certain time. A Government which pays
the holders of its bonds more than agreed
to pay, and absolutely pleads the statute
of limitation against the soldiers claims
may well fear TO have its acts tested on
the imaginary apothecary scales held by
the Goddess of Justice.
Let the corn be fairly divided. II may
be patriotic 10 scatter flowers on a sol
dier's grave once year, but little fioul
put into the mouths of his wife and chill
dren once a month would be a more
practical variety of patriotism.-N y
Tribune,