The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-09-24
CLEVELAND AND OLD SOLDIERS.


The annual encampment of the Grand
Army. at w Washington. mas attracted o great
many of the old veterans to the national
capital. where they are again marching be-
meath the stars and stripes to the inspiring
strains OF martial music.
There Is no politics in the G. A. X. en-
campment," said q Grand Army man TO q
Journal reporter yesterday. but il is safe
to say that Grover Cleveland will have
very few admirers in the crowd that is
gathering at Washington this week.
Cleveland's luminosity to the soldier Is of
the most intense character. His vetoes of
private pension bills not only deprived
many a deserving soldier of his rights. but
placed man. of them in positions of do
pendence, or left them in destitute circum-
stances.
But the official act which aid most to
injure the soldier was his veto OF the de-
pendent pension bill. On Feb. ii, 1857, Mr..
Cleveland vetoed the dependent pension
pendent parents and honorably discharged
soldiers and sailors who are now disabled
and dependent upon their own labor for
support This measure had the support
and approval of toe q. A. IL, and was
passed at their request. but like many
sion Legislation it failed to
commend itself to either the judg.
ment or mercy of the then chief executive.
In the course OF his veto messag &c he DELHI
erately went ont of his way to reflect upon
the integrity of the Union soldier, and
made use OF the following language: Re-
cent personal observation and . perience
cOnstrain me to refer to another result
which will inevitably follow the passage
of this bill. 1t is sad but, nevertheless,
true that already in fhe matter of procur-
ing pensions there exists u widespread DIS
regard of truth and good faith, stimulated
by those who, as agents, undertake. to es-
rablish claims for pensions heedlessly en-
tered npon by the ex pectanL beneficiary,
and encouraged. or at least not condemned.
by those unwilling to obstruct q neigh
boris plans. In the execution of this pro-
posed law. under any interpretation. a.
wide field of inquiry would be
opened for the establishment of facts
largely within the knowledge of the claim
ants alone; and there can be no doubt that
the race after the pensions offered by this
bill would not only stimulate
and pretended incapacity for labor, hut
put q further premium on dishonesty and
mendacity. If this bill should become a
law, with It's tremendous addition TO our
pension obligation, ! am thoroughly con-
WINGED that further efforts TO reduce the
federal revenue and restore some part of il
to onr people will and. perhaps, should be
seriously questioned
"Mr. Cleveland further furnished esti-
mates and figures of the cost of the pension
sy stem, and after showing how far below
the actual Der OF claimants and the
total expenditures In relation 10 pay ment of
pensions all were. not alone since
the late war. but during all the years since
the foundation of our government. he pre-
dicted ruin and nnwarranted extravaganza.
and vetoed the bill for the principal reason,
as afterwards stated by him. that If. APP
proved. the pet hobby of bis ponderous
imagination. tariff reform. which now. I'M
disguised. appears IN the form OF free trade,
could never be attained.
The period between the disapproval of
this act. Feb. II. 1887, and the passage of
the dependent pension bill approved by
President Harrison June -, $50. was over
three years and four months. AT the rate
OF Il. per month. and no lower rate was
provided for in the law, it would amount
To nearly $500. Ii can thus be said that
every de pendent soldier. mother or father
now pensIonedn nder the act of jun 20,
1890. no matter what the rate of the pen-
sion, was deprived by that veto of nearly
$500, a bounty ma~gnaninously offered by q
grateful people,"