The National tribune., 1891-08-27

slow length down the coming century; but attsn-
ton IL not called TO the fact that the present PEN
sioners Of 1872 must be chiefly widows who when
comparatively young women. married soldiers OF
advanced years. and that the late Objectionable
dependent bill guards this point by providing that
the claimant must have been married to soldier
prior to the passage Of the bill Surviving soldiers
Of the Of ISL must now be % years Of age and
upward. and IL any considerable fraction Of 1900
Of them remain that war deserves to be classed
among promoters Of longevity.
No Union soldier asks any return for hts service
which the country is unable TO pay without oppres-
sion, and u the people think il better % maintain
standing army, awarding to MANNED veterans the
paltry pensions Of European Governments. the
way IL open. Then al meu will share alike the
burdens Of military service. nud no man will be
excused because he prefers 20 make money and be
safe; but IL will hardly develop the Ia hest type Of
patriotism.
And Il might be profitable to figure on the loss 10
the Nation by the withdrawal Of large bodies OF
from productive industry for a term Of years.
"In Continental Europe generally the best years Of
all able-bodicd men are demanded for military
duty. Germans must be seven years in the army,
and give three Of them 70 active service; the
French, nine years 10 the army and Eve in active
service; Austrians. 10 years ia the army aud three
tn active service; Russians, Is years in the army
and six in active service. In addition to this when
no longer members Of the army they liable to
be called on to do military duty for period vary
ing from two 10 FIVE years"
There is comfort. too, In the fact that the PEN
soner will at some time cease, while the standing
army. like the King and the corporation, never
dies.
No doubt there are undcservinz and fraudulent
pensioners, and we shall be under obligation to
him who will show how the abuse may be cor
rected. Nfultitudes OF deserving men get nothing
and their cause is not helped by denying every
mans right and proposing 20 deal with all on the
charity basis. We will applaud every honorable
effort 20 correct the abuses Of the pension system
for we have more invested in the country and are
more concerned for its prosperity than any other
class Of men but we do not ndorsc the doctrine Of
States Rights. in the matter Of pensions. be-
cause IL puts a double tax GA patriotism making
the States that rendered most ardent support %
the general Government pay the largest bills.
And we are not Of opinion Chat patriotism viii be
increased by Wholesale charges of fraud and per-
jury and robbery against the a. a class or
by holding pensions up 10 public suspicion, side by
side with socialism.
While we are correcting abuses let Us give at
tention to the tide Of criminal and paupeF immi-
grafton that 6l4 our iails and poorhouses burdens
orr payers. subverts National morality, and
threatens our free institutions; let us turn our
thought to the state OF affairs that encourages mo-
nOpoles and trusts, combinations and corners, and
favOrs the accumulation Of millions By foul means.
We are ia fully a. much danger from Plutocracy
and Auarchism az from pensions and Socialism.
We might even ask why a Nation which cheer
fully pays drinkbil Of 81 900 100000 should be
exercised over the cost Of pensions, constantly
and persistently over-stated.
The men who lent their money or their credit to
the Government in the hour Of need and so made
sHScess possible, deserve well Of their country"
and have been well-trcated by their country.
Their loan has been regarded not only a legal
obligation but a debt Of honor and has been
paid, principal and interest, in gold, meet
and right. THIS would not, and could not. have
been done II the men who wore the blue had not
sanctioned and Insisted on 10. And "a the men who
offered their lives have stood true TO the who
offered their money II iIl belts the latter 20 dis
count the claims Of those who survived the ptiless
storm Of war
The men who offered neither, the temple huek-
sters who sought TO profit By their country's woes
and who now appeal 20 the baser sentiments Of
human nature, are unworthy Of anything but
utter contempt.
We are certainly not yet burdened beyond en-
durauce else why this mighty influx Of men and
money, seeking TO escape the intOlerable burdens
Of Europe and 10 avail themselves Of the better
conditions that prevail ia this pension cursed cOun-
trys Whenever the Government shall seem to be
ia financial straits willing to contribute out
Of our poverty TO tide IL over the crises Just as we
assisted New York to completes the BarthOldi
Statue, and viii build the Grant monument
II ''the Great Captains" remains are removed To
Abingdon out unth the people cease 20 wax itiJ
aud prosperous we see no reason 10 adopt Free
Trade simply to reduce the Treasury surplus and
enable Eastern importers and money lenders 10
heap up more millions.
IN conclusion, let say that the writer Ia ut
teTly NJ variance with the facts in regard TO the
nature and purpose Of the Grand Army, or else n
membership Of II years has not enabled me 10 I'M
derstand IL.
II is not in any sense a political organization"
and any attempt on the part OF Il bosses and
=" workers" to use 1t would result disastrOusly 10
them.
Ifhe will study the history Of his country he viii
learn that there was Northern side in the
great struggle that il n trial OF arms between
the North and the South. but a defense Of the Ma
ton against The assault upon the Nation life that
the for the preservation Of the Union in
order that Government OF the people, by the
people and for the people should not perish from the
earth and that there were about quarter Of
million soldiers from the South in the armies of
the Union.
And if the Union soldiers have "misapprehended
the temper Of their gallant but defeated foes" IL
has been in attributing 70 them a mngnanimity
equal to that which has characterized themselves
though even this apparent lack we have charged
10 the politicians rather than 10 the men whom we
knew worthy fOemen on many bloody field
Our foes now are not the men who crossed saber
and bayOnet with VS. in lSCi-5, but the cOnspratOrs
who would sell the hope Of humanity for a mess OF
political pOttage, and who voted the war failure
almost upon the eve Of Appomattox.
G. w. MILLER,
Co. F. 9th Pa. Reserve Corps Commander Post A.
Department Of Pennsylvania, GAR, Latrobe,
Pa.
TRIBUNETS.