The National tribune., 1892-02-11
'.The Penalty 81 Treason is Death


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: see an article
in the rfttsburg Chronicle Telegraph Of Jan. =
headed: Backed by Veterans" in which il says
that an attack on the pension laws is to be made
in the present Congress. with the hope Of re-
ducing the pension appropriation % $50 OOO
The writer thereof says that the movement
will not be inauguraied by The members Of
Congress- but will be the work Of an organized
body OF soldiers who believe that reform is
necessary and that millions arc being ex-
pended annually for pensions % men who have
no right 10 the money.
He goes on 20 say that the organic aiOn which
proposes this revolution in pension matters
had its inception in Washington, where it has
been working for some time quietly, but ef-
fectivcly, and is known as the Society Of
Loyal Volunteers and that this ASSOCIATION be-
lieves in teaching and maintaining among
other things, these lessons: that the war was
for the preservation OF the Union, and not for
conquest or revenge. Now, have quoted con-
siderable Of the article referred to- and will not
impose upon your valuable space further than
20 use a few words Of comment upon the above
quotations. In the first place, / viii define the
term Veteran as Webster gives it, which is
as follows One who has been long exercised
in any science or art. particularly in war"
Now, "a the term veteran is not wholly appli-
cable to an oil soldier, il may mean either a
veteran coward, veteran secessionist, a
veteran blathcrskte, or a veteran fool etc, and,
when applied % an old soldier. 10 is Just as ap-
plicablc % q man who wore the gray as il is 20
the man who wore the blue.
When he says that the war was for the
preservation Of the Union. etc, be doesn't ex-
press himself as clearly as he might have done,
and presume ID is so intended The war was
waged by the South to disrupt the union Of
States with q reyengefgl spirit and a detcrmi-
nation 20 conquer when the people loyal to
the National Government rose up in a body 10
keep back this rebel horde, and to preserve the
Union. The people Of the south did not rise
up 20 preserve the Union, for the Union was
all right until they endcavOred TO break it up.
He uses the term Loyal Volunteer" This
does not express clearly which side these Volun-
teers were or now are loyal to.
The whole article Is written without using
any language that would lead the reader %
imagine on what side these Loyal Volunteers
fought. There was an organization came 70
light about 81 years ago, which had its in
ceptiOn in Washington also, and which had been
working quietly and quite effectively. IL was
not known az Loyal Volunteers but By another
name that has become odiOus. even 70 the
people Of the South. and this organization re-
feFred TO that is now 40 work may be some Of
the same old school Of rebellion days. For
there is no organization that wishes 10 strike as
mOmcntOus blow 40 the interests Of the old
soldier is or can be loyal % the National
Government. There may be a few men who
are drawing larger pensions than is in pro-
portion 10 their disability, and also some
fraudulently obtained, but this state Of affairs
cannot be remedied by general attack upon
the pension system by any organization that
has its inception in Washington or anywhere
else.
With the present effective system Of affair,
/ By which the Pension Office is conducted. il /:
nearly perfect, and with the present corps Of ex
/ pgrts, 10 seems almost an impOs5biiity for then
/ 20 commit blunder or % let any fraudulent
cases pass through. Reformation has beer
I going on for years and is now, as ! said before
/ almost perfect. Still there may be q few
/ plumbers aud few frauds committed. But fol
a set Of men to step forward at this late day
and propose a reform sufficient to lower tho
/ pension appropriation SIO0OOOOO0, is palp1bly
/ too preposterOus for any consideration. Were
such q bill as proposed passed by Congress to
reform the pension system, and an entire new
/ corps Of men, from the Commissioner down, put
/ to work. there would be an entire new set Of
/ plumbers committed and frauds perpetrated
| without number, and the valuable experienced
| which has brought the pension system to Il;
present high state of perfection all lost. If the
| Government would employ these WOuld-be re-
\ formers 10 travel the country over to hunt uI
/ these fraudulent claims and pay them 90 pei
cent. Of all money saved to the Government
/ they would starve. If Congress should pass
| law to revise or reform the present pension
/ system, il would cost 100 times more 70 do il
\ than it does 10 pay the supposed fraudulent
/ claims that are now borne upon the rolls.
I The present Congress is composed largely o.
\ members from the Southern States. Many Of
| them have been in Congress for years, and have
/ always voted against any and all pension bills
| that have come before that body, aud are there
/ now, arrayed in open hostility to any pension
/ legislation that is for the relief of the noble
men who fought to preserve the National
I Union, and I can discern in this move of the
\ so-called Loyal Volunteers the same influence
/ that is exercised in Congress. The entire ex
penditure Of the Pension Office for the last
/ fiscal year was Sl1s,5i5, 959.71. Out Of this
amount there was only about SJ0O0,0O0 dis
I tributed in the States lately in rebellion, fol
the payment of pension claims to Union soldiers
who reside there. This is one Of the principa
\ reasons why the southern Congressman are Op.
/ posed to pension legislation.-J. 5. B., Captain
49th Pa, Latrobe, Pa.