Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-02-26
Farmer Wallace Makes g Good
Plea tor the FOreign-Bo
Veteran.
Xantippe Claims She is o Female,
and Gives Zezula
Pointers.
Another Correspondent Writes in
q Lighter Vein About Both
of Them.
Veterans in Any Land Still Veteran

EDITOR TRIBUNE: A bill is now pend
ing before congress, that provides for
striking from the pension rolls of the
United States all pensioners now resid-
ing in foreign countries.
This is a most outrageous proposition,
and springs from a spirit of base ingrati-
tude. 1t is only necessary to refer to
the causes that led to the wal in 1861,
the repeated urgent call for troops, the
magnitude of the war, the loss of life, of
limbs, health, of eyes, of hearing, and of
mind, to convince any reasonable citizen,
native or adopted, that this bill should
be killed by a vote so unanimous that it's
author would forever retire from public
life. The government solicited the SER
vice of these pensioners, was at. that
time thankful to accept them as soldiers,
and all promises that we're made to
native born volunteers were made to
foreign born. There was no distinction
made-all troops in honors and emolu-
ments were to share and share alike.
These foreign born soldiers served their
terms of enlistment, they marched the
same long march, fought bravely in all
the battles, endured all the suffering
and fatigues Of war, and the fact of their
being on the pension rolls should prove
to the satisfaction of all that they re-
ceived their wounds, or became disabled
in the service and in line of duty, fight
ing for our government. In all the PEN
sion legislation before, during and since
the war of 1861, no proviso or stipulation
has been made as to where these foreign
born pensioners should make their
future homes, and nothing Of that ma
ture was ever before introduced in con-
gress, and nothing of that kind should
be in congress now.
If such a bill as this should pass con-
gress it should be amended by making it
the duty of the survivors of the late
war to visit all the national and NUM-
cipal cemeteries and destroy the head
stones that bear the names of adopted
citizen soldiers, and to raze to the
ground the monuments erected to the
memory of Lafayette, Stuben and Pu.
laski of revolutionary war fame. They
should be instructed to Grace the names
of all foreign citizens from regimental
and company rolls of honor. The ma
tional records should be overhauled aud
all resolutions of thanks expunged.
Don't stop by cutting off their pen
sions-compel them to return what has
been paid them, and then turn what is
left of manned and deceased bodies
over to the tender care of guardians of
the poor in foreign lands.
Does the author of this inhuman pro-
position know that in order to get their
pensions these men had to prove when,
where and how the wounds we're re-
ceived? Does he know that since these
pensions were allowed, they have report
ed quarterly to officers of the pension
department. their whereabouts, and
nave been often re, examined by pension
surgeons? What more do you want of
them? They are not available FIR the
next war, they are not in our public
streets with signs strapped across their
bodies asking aims, they are not in our
soldier homes or county poor houses.
Wherever they are send them their law
full well-earned allowance and send a
grateful nations greeting with it. Be
worthy, patriotic, Americans, or pull
down the flag and go out of business.
FARMER WALLACE.