The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-04-23
THE GArLED jade wINCEs.

The so'dier-hating press-writhes under the
scoring that we gave lis iniquitous "pro-
gram" Of hostility to the pension-system.
Ii spends most Of its space and venom in
denouncing THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE act
ing on the old lawyers advice TO the young
one: When you have a bad case, abuse the
opposing attorney" il calls THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE "a weekly journal devoted TO the
systematic robbery Of the Government by
unmerited or fraudulent pensions" "
filed with appeals to the cupidity of the
veterans" a mercenary demagog y .
which has coerced reckless pension legisla-
ton, until the expenditure for pensions
under enacted pension laws, viii now be
four times the entire revenues Of the Gov
eminent when Abraham Lincoln was elected
President" pension-sharll organ" ETC.,
etc.
After having relieved its system Of this
venom, il proceeds to lamely defend its
wicked program" il says:
The pension shark organ deliberately falsihes
the first clause Of the pension-reform platform
presented hoy this journal. Il .meaning the first
clause Of The platform, probably docs not demand
that the dependence Of the soldier shHll be The
result Of military service, but il demands that the
claimant shall have been IN actual military ser
vice" All honest soldiers who are in want, that
is not the direct result Of vice. should be reason
"a
that IL misreprcscuicd this journal, unless b. Is
incapable Of understanding the paiuost English.
What blathering humbug this is! What
the Times now pretends TO want is exactly
what the Disability Pension Bill gives,
which it has been attacking with all the
yiulence 1t could command. II extolled
Cleveland for yctoing just such a provision,
it denounced unsparingly the Dist Congress
for passing just such n bin, and President
Harrison for signing il. The FIRST clause Of
its program reads:
Repeat The disability feature n ne pension la'c n
last pear and make 10 apply only to eases OF de-
pendent soldicry who have rendered actual MILF
tnry service.
1t now tries to sneak QUITO this by giving
a distorted meaning 10 its own muddled
language. Common sense says f il repeats
the disability feature it repeats the whole
Of that portion Of the law. The talk about
combining it to dependent sodiery who
have rendered actual military service is
simple nonsense, for the reason that the law
as it stands upon The books to-day does that
effectually. Every man who is entitled TO
its benefits had 10 "render actual military
service" in some capacity, in the 30 days or
more which had to elapse between hisaclual
muster-in and honorable discharge
In a similar bluudcring way tie Times
tries 10 explain away the meaning Of its
second and third clauses, which are hostile
10 special pension laws and to s. and 81
month ratings.
As 10 lis fourth clause the Times says:
No salaried olIice-hoidcr, National, State. County
OF municipal should be a peusiuner while holding
public office. The pension shark calls u iueGabie
mcHunes-, bat the proposition r. manly and nou-
orHliic, while the soldier who nccap's pay a.
officer. aud again us a pcisIoner, aud the pension
shark who aids him ia such abuse OF generous
Government. viii bc judged by Hn overwhelming
majority Of all patriotic citizens displaying the
"iucfiab.e mcauucss " 81 tlic case.
Again, We say, the proposition is incnlbly
mean, and could only emanate from the
mind Of a small-souled soldicr-hatcr.
The National, State County, or municipal
Governments under which a pensioner holds
Office or employment have rs absolutely
nothing 10 do with the pension that he
receives as they have with the income a
civilian oficeF may receive from farm or
house which he may happen TO own.
II has no more right 10 stop the pension
in the one case shan the income in the other.
The pension was earned by another and
totally different kind Of service than that
which be is nov rendering. The vast ma
ioriiy Of the pensioners who are now holding
public Office or employment are Postmas,cTs
at some crossroads or hamlet, where the
salary is begRarly in amount or they are
watchmeu, janitors, messengers, laborcrs
etc, at pi'ifu salaries.
TO take away their little pensions because
they are getting a few dollars a month in
some other employment would be depth Of
moauness that only such a confirmed enc
my as the Times could suggest.
The same remarks apply to the fifth
clause Of the limc.s program, which would
take away the pensions from the inmates of
/ Soldiers Homes.
The sixth clause in the Times program is:
The attorney OF pension agcut fee ia every pend
ing case Should ic reduced Co 81 foI cach applca-
ton, and no Zee whatever should bc allowed in any
! new application The would save The soldiers Of
Toe country many millions aud tear up pension
frauds by ,AC roots.
The Timcs saws Of this:
The Sixth domHud made by this journal for
pension reform strikes The pension shark aud The
/ pension thief -quarc.y between the ewes aud the
head a. the pension sharks hoUIs featfuly over A.
The honest applicant for pension should have 40
need ior pension agent
Possibly the honest applicant FOR pension
should have no need for pension attorney,
I I.--4 an a.. .-,.... 4. a.. ,