The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-10-06
CLEyELANp,s INSULTS


To the Veterans o. tho wRr-VetO OF De-
pendent Pension Bill.
Nor York Adr9tiser
Reference was made few days aGoin
the Morning Advertiser to the fact thatin
January, 1887, Mr.. Cleveland approved
the Mexican Pension Bill, which grant
ed pensions to every surviving soldier
oil the army which fought in Mexico,
whether dependent or not, and that
in the following month OF February he
vetoed the dependent pension bill, a
measure providing that pensions should
be granted to all surviving Union
soldiers who had become dependent
through no fault or vice oil their own.
These old soldiers Of the Mexican war
are chiefly citizens oil the Southern
states. They fought to secure territory
in which the accursed institution OF hui
man slavery might be extended and
perpetuated. They are all pensioned,
without exception, rich and poor alike,
hale and hearty or sick and dependent;
and, ii dependent, it makes no diiler-
ence how they became so, whether
through unavoidable happening or
through vice, debauchery or even
crime.
The dependent pension bill provide d
that only those surviving union SOL
diers who could snow that they had be-
come dependent through no vice or
iault Of their own should receive PEN
sions, and they would have been re-
quired, If the bill had become Il law,
10 prove this fact This bill was prompt
ly vetoed by President Cleveland, who
in his message returning the bill TO
congress, used the following extraordi-
nB.y language:
"The soldiers OF our civil war, in their
paw and bounty, received such compen-
sation for their military services as has
novcr been received by soldiers before
since mankind went to war.
The really needy and homeless soldiers
OF the rebellion have been, to large
extent, provided for at soldiers homes.
1t is sad, but nevertheless true,
that in the matter OF procuring pensions
there exists a widespread disregard OF
truth and good faith. And
there can be no doubt that the race
after the pensions offered by this bill,
would not only stimulate weakness and
pretended incapacity for labor, but put
further premium on dishonesty and
mendacity."
In other words, Mr.. Cleveland signs a
bill to pension southern members OF his
own party for service in war fought in
the interests Of the extension and per-
petua,ion OF slavery, without requiring
these heightened southern gentlemen
to prove anything save that they were
soldiers in that war, and without ques-
ton whothor they needed relief or not,
hut refuses to sign bill TO give pit
lance to the old Union soldier, who may
have become dependent through mis-
fortune OF any kind, and insults him in
his old age and perjury by intimating,
first, that he fought for his beggarly pay
and bounty, and not from patriotism,
and that he has already received enough
and that ii he is old and in want he can
go to the pporhouse or soldiers home,
and be maintained like any other
pauper; aud, secondly, by charging
boldly that those who have already ap-
piled Tor pensions have lied to get them,
and have defrauded the government,
and that il the bill became law those
who would apply under it would lie
and pretend to be unable to work, and
attempt to defraud the government!
For cool malignancy Of insult this can
scarcely be surpassed. He is speaking
OF that class OF the community who left
wives and children, homes and bust
ness, aud everything dear to the heart
Of man, to fight for the preservation Of
their country, and, ii necessary, give up