The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-08-09

Of Indiana. The portion OF the address Of
President WILLIAMS which the association
formally approved was the following: LAS
an organization and in view of the great
and peculiar hardships and suffering en-
dured as prisoners, we believe special COM
pensation Is due US. For number of years
bills have been presented in Congress look
ing to such measures as we felt due US, but
so far all appeals have awaited Us nothing.
For twenty five years our government has
never so much as given Us a vote OF thanks
for the sacrifice we made"
The report of the further proceedings OF
the association says that among the reports
committees made was one embodying bill
to be presented AZ the next session Of Con-
gress on behalf of the soldiers who were In
prison for a period Of not less than sixty
days or more, providing they shall receive
81 for every day Of their confinement from
the government.
Such proceeding as this goes very far to-
wards making the much-vaunted patriot
ism OF our veteran soldiers contemplate, q
nero rhapsody OF words. and calculated TO
lessen the esteem one wishes to iceland
which one does feel in spite Of such catch
penny movements as this set on foot by
President WILLIAMs-for the old Union
soldiers. Imprisonment is one of the for
tunes Of war; il men IN consequence of i'll
treatment, or exposure while imprisoned,
received injuries it would entitle them to q
place on the pension lists, just as it does
the soldier who received injuries in a battle
or through exposure on the field. One Is
perpleXed to know what reason to
give that would justify the discrimi-
nation asked for in favor of those
who suffered in prisons above those who
suffered, meanwhile, on the field of battle.
When service for ones country is made an
excuse for begging, it becomes disgusting.
The veterans of the late war owe it TO
themselves no less than to posterity to see
10 IL that future generations have some
other recollection Of the war handed down
to them than the length OF the pension
rolls. Let them not be impressed with the
idea that the brave soldiers who saved the
union by fighting and suffering for 1t, lost
their self-respect in their old age and be-
come mere mercenary money -grabbers
through pension schemes.
Again we say that the present genera
ton owes more to these men who saved the
union than it will or can pay; just as a
child owes more TO its parents than 1t ever
can pay. The only way the child can pay
the great debt it owes its parents for their
solicitude, for their loving care and protec-
ton during the years of its helplessness, Is
for the child in its turn to take upon itself
ha of ant To- =
the kindness it received from its parents on
to the generation that follows it.
1t is the old philosophy of CoMPTE
as we have eaten the fruit
from the trees planted by the generation
which preceded us, in gratitude let us
plant trees that the generation succeeding
US may have fruit TO eat. So if we are in
debted to the valor ana sacrifice of the
generation which preceded US for the pres
ervation Of the temple of our liberties, let
that generation remember that it, too, was
indebted to q former generation for the
temple itself, and that it was not builded
without much sorrow and great labor, and
was sanctified by the blood and tears of
brave men and noble women. And let
them further remember, and let Us not
forget it, that We OF this generation may
have our revolutions and rebellions that
shall call upon US to endure all that former
generations have endured in the cause of
country, home and liberty. We take our
chances in these things with those who
preceded US and those who shall follow
after Us. And we trust that our fathers
will teach US that patriotism is above be-
coming mercenary.