The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-21

IEcsiueHb CieFeiduQ FeLOeu the Ce.
pendent pension bill which has become
a law under President Harrison. The
argument for this pension bill was strong
enough to have moved any man who was
In patriotic sympathy with the veterans
of the Union. II was fairly urged that
the government ought to pension needy
veterans rather than compel them to PEN
sion each other.
When these citizens became soldiers it
was with the distinct promise Of the gov
eminent, the press. the political platform,
the pulpit and the people that the ines
Unable service OF the Union volunteer
should not be forgotten, but be eubstan-
TALLY rewarded for all time. This promise
had been kept in the letter, perhaps, but
not In the full spirit in which it was
made and understood at the time. The
soldier had been granted some small privi-
ieges over the civilian in the requirement
Of a homestead upon the public lands. and
on proof of disability contracted in service
he was paid pension, but proof of disabil-
ity contracted in service today is difficult
in all cases and in many worthy instances
it Is impossible. The medical officers are
dead or undiscoverable: the medical rec
ords of the field hospitals were often
wholly lost, captured or burned or de-
stroyed by negligence. The officer under
whom. the veteran served Is not seldom
dead or removed beyond reach.
This was the patriotic and humane argu-
ment for the dependent pension bill which
Cleveland vetoed. 1t asked the govern
ment to grant $12 month to faithful
soldier who should be shown to be now
incapable of self-support. 1t asked the
government to help u faithful but dis
abled soldier, but Grover Cleveland re-
fused to allow it 10 become law
For a service of enormous hardship, priva-
ton, suffering and peril the nation during
the war paid the flower of our youth SIG a
month. No less than $50. 900 OF these young
men died wearing army blue between
May, 1851 and May, lS65. A large portion
of the survivors are more or less disabled
and the roll OF disability is rapidly in
creasing No doubt all of these men have
shortened their active working career by
several years. The nation may need troops
again, and We can not afford to deal
meauly with the classes of men upon
whom we must rely in the hour of war
As matter of state policy the Union vet
eran should be treated with conspicuous
generosity by the government since in
lack of large standing army we must
rely on the volunteer. The veteran was not
only soldier but a taxpayer. He rendered
personal service IN the war and then COM
ing home paid his share Of the war taxes
of peace like any other citizen, getting no
advantage in this respect by his personal
service over his civilian neighbor. The
soldier came home ana helped pay the
local taxes for bounties levied to secure
substitutes TO save civilians from service
The soldier WAS taxed to paw for his
neighbours substitute when he was taxed
10 help pay town bounties. and he taxes
himself today 10 pay the u. 4. L. pension
roll, over 10000 strong.
The man who did tie fighting ana maid
the same taxes as those who did not do
any lighting but voted 10 tax him to helm
ray for their town hounties and srb,tl-
tutes WAS not quite fully paid by the peo-
pie when he received SO land found
from the country. This WAS the argurnen;
for the dependent pension bill which
Cleveland vetoed, saying among other
things:
Il Is sad. but nevertheless true, that in the
matter o; procuring pensions there exists .
ajdespreai disregard cf t-Gth AMI good sith
ana there can be no doubt thst the race ate:
the pensions offered by tGls oil would rot on J
sylmuis,e weakness aud pretended incapac!ty
fox labor. bus pat further premium on dis
honesty sni meudscitv.
This same President Cleveland. VIII
vetoed the dependant pension bill. which
| became a las under President Harrison
| promptly signed the Mexican war pension
! bill, because the Mexican gar was Wal
/ wsEed IN the interest OF the pro-slayery
| Democracy, and the bill included arnons
/ its benelc.arIes thousands of Confederstes
/ making /: s popular measure with III,
! "Solid South" This record Of C.eyelan.
! cannot Re spoueei oul by few sentence.
( Of ''bGncom oe" IA his letter OF acceptan-e
! which form altogether too small plasse,
for so large wound as his repeated utter
anee of pension vetoes fUll OF small bee
! Wit directed az the surviving soldiers O
she armies Of tie [ nioa.