The National tribune., 1891-01-22

which the veterans had set their hearts.
The regularity and simultaneousness of
these outbursts showed that they emanated
and were ordered from some central author
ity. They were not the spasmodic outbreak
ing Of individual editors antipathy TO the
man or the measures which the veterans
held dear, but were moves which had been
determined upon at some headquarters
which sent out instructions to every soldier
hating paper and speaker to open its or his
batteries Of defamation on the specified
Object.
/ For weeks-eycn months at time-every-
thing would be quiet. There would not
even be stray shots by the pickcts. Sud
denly the whole soldier-hating liae would
open like parks Of siege-guns, and the air
would be filled with smoke and noise.
Sometimes the object of this volleyed
defamation would he a man who had shown
himself particularly strong, persistent and
effective in advocating soldiers rights like
John A. Logan, John J. Ingalls, and others
Sometimes il was man like Commander
IN Chief Lucius Fairchild, whohad delivered
a fitting Tebuke 10 a solder-hating Presi-
dent for doing an act Of cruel injustice TO
The veterans Most frequently, however, it
was against some measure like the Arrears
Bin, The Prisoners of War bill, the Disability
bili OF the Service Pension bill, which the
veterans as body had asked for as measure
of justice.
When the batteries once opened, there
was a vile rivalry AS 10 which could say the
fal>cst, most injurious and slanderous things.
Truth, reason and decency were thrown to
The winds, and a cyclone Of lies and ISLANDERS
let loose.
Awhile ago the order was sent out from
the soldier-hating headquarters 10 turn all
The batteries upon the pension-atiorneys
and since then the land has rnng with
denunciations OF these faithful friends of
the veterans. Nothing has been too false or
vile 20 say against men whose only ofIense
is that they have served their clients well
and faithfully for absurdly small fees, aud
been instrumental in securing for them
immense sums justly due them, which they
would not otherwise have gotten. That
is the whole burden of their shining
The enomity Of their offending. The soldier
hitting papers confess with entire truth that
had it not been for the pension attorneys
there would have been few, If any, Of the
pension bills passed, and not -hundredth
Of the money that has gone out 10 the sol
diers would have been paid 10 them. Is not
this confession the highest tribute that could
be paid to the zeal and fidelity Of the attor-
neys2 Undoubtedly il is. il is an admission
that but for the ability and faithfulness
Of the attorneys the soldiers wonld
have been robbed Of hundreds Of millions of
dollaIs rightfulIy due them-battle-earued
and blood bought The soldier-haters cum
ningly conceive that TO break down the
peusion-attoneys will be 10 deprive the
veterans Of lhcir most effective allies. and
hopelessly cripple them in their efforts TO
secure the justice Their wounds and disa-
bilities cry aloud aud increasingly for.
II the pension-aEents can be broken down
and driven from The Gcid pension allowances
will virtually cease and hundreds Of millions
that rghtlully belong TO the soldiers and
their dependent ones will remain i'm the
Treasury, heaped up and idle 10 furnish a
powerful reason for reducing the revenues,
breaking down our protective system, aud
bringing about free trnde. This furnishes
/ the ammunition for the whole war against
the veterans. The free traders contribute
the money to carry on the anti-pension
campaign, and supply the animus and motive
power TO make it effective.
What il the absolute truth about the pen
sion attorneys? II is that no lawyers in
the country do as much Tor their clients, 20
through as long and tedious processes, and
secure as large sums for such small fees
ne the pension attorneys. This cannot be
denied. 1T is bOsh TO pirate about the
immense revenues Of the attorneys. The
fee IN disability cases is SIS for those which
have been prosecuted 10 a successful con-
clusion. For those which are not allowed
the attorney get nothing, though he may
have spent years in working them up. II
takes, as every pensioner on the list
knows, an average Of nearly five years
10 get pension case through. The aver
aye allowance il in the neighborhood
Of 81 600. We ask any lair-minded reader
where he can get a competent attorney 10
WoIi, an average Of Eve years on his cast, and
collect 81 600 for him upon a conditional
fec Of $25? Any reputable attorney would
charge him that much 10 take care OF hi.
interests IN horse trade Aud what is SIC
for securing an allowance under the Dis.
ability lawg The merest pittanoe.
As we have said before, the sole motive o.