New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-08
HERE'S THE SOLDIERS FRIEND
COLONEL 1ARSNEY's OPINION OF THEM.

HE ONCE SAD HALE CT THOSE on THE PENSION
list WERE RUNNERS AND FRAUDS. AND
NOW He Is BEGGING FOR THEIR VOTES.
co,onel John c. TarSncy. member OF Congress from
,hs Kansas City District OF Missouri Is on the stump
in this state trying induce Union soldiers of the
civil War to for Cleveland and Stevenson. colonel
Tarsncy has something Of record on the pension
oueson which ought To be interesting to Uni
erans lie was elected to Congress in 1854 defeat
Ing Major William WaFucr. the former Commander in
Chief Of the Grand Army of the Republic, who had
rrcvic,s!y represented the Kansas City district
Republican. Ia 1850 Z, lionel raIsney Wa r. elected.
In >ucust 1901. while In this city he seen by a
sword" reporter. The World OF August =. 1891,
sa,d tina, the Colonel was his way TO saratoga and
The North OF pleasure trip. and when the OCCASION
for paradng his views In PRINT presented Itself he
improved I, by dcnouncns pensions fof Union soldiers
IN unSparng terms. He not only declared
himself in favor OF repeating the Morrill, Pension
bill but said that he favored the passage of general
rw suspend,ng all pensions until IN se In interest APP
near before United States o:lccr and prove anew
,hcr right 10 be- on the roll" What feeling Of
tenderness Nr. TNrsncy must have for poor. infrm
veterans their aged Widows whose sole support Is
found in the mcagre pension which the signature OF
Benjamin Harrison has obtained Tor them! The
World" also said OF Mr.. Tarsney:
He was one Of the strongest Democrats on the
ne made some OF TIE most telling speeches that were
delivered against the abuse OF the pension system
He opposed the Morrill, Pension I'll. which became Il
law last June. and he moi only opposed but helped
T. defeat the Prisoners Of War BILL" This was the
bill which was intended TO give Union prisoners Of
war the small OF - day for the period they
we're confined in rebel prisons. Here are some of
The things he said 10 The World" reporter. us
printed in that paper On the date mentioned:
The Democrats viii have control Of the next
House Of Representatives. They will be held re-
sponSihle frr the expenditures of the Government.
Tie country demands economy. l see only one place
where n considerable cut be made and that is
IN the Pension Office. Under the pension laws now
IN existence the pension roll OF the United States
Will soon amount TO S2OO.OoO,00O a year, unless
something is done. We are already paving about
$500 900 year and under that iniquitots Nor
rM bill. which passed last year. the figures are
rising at enormous rate.
THE time has come 10 call n halt In this afair
AMI l think it would BE a good and a wholesome
thing To undo some OF the bad work that has already
been done. We ought to begin by repeating some Of
TIE bad laws that the statute BOOK am
only too ready and willing 70 take my share OF the
responsibility for such work. That Mofrili act
ought to be repealed right away 1t IS 90 broad ana
reckless and unguaried that it to open the
Treasury 10 every man who got 50 far as en-
Using in the Union Army. They all seem to think
that they ought 10 be pensiOned now, and they are
oil aDulyiGfs
y want 10 see taat Morrill, law repealed and !
want u sec the whole pension business transferred
70 the War Department. l have no hesitation In
so,1pg that strong effort will be made in both direc
tons al tic next Congress. The pension roll will
never be Thoroughly cleared of fraudulent cases until
a general law is passed SIspcnding all pensions until
these in interest appear before the United States
Of Ger and prove anew their right TO be on the roll
Ii would probably be reduced by onehah. for have
not shad w Of doubt that over 80 per cent OF the
pensions now paid based Oh fraud, COLLISION ana
perjury. -
1.-THE pension roll once a roll OF honor. what
genuine Union soldier with any sefrespcct wants to
be on that roll to-day ! am disguised with this
doerodation Of the pension roll To load II down with
AL army OF BURNERS and periurerS. who nave zone
all their fighting since the closed, is an insult
10 the real soldiers of the war. who With their de-
pendent relations, have alone the right 10 be there.
some of my Democratic colleagues have been KIM
enough to caution me against attaching the pension
ROLL Who has better right TO attack 1t, "oud ike
4, know And at this point l would Ike to remark
,5af no kind makes me so tred rs ine DtIio
GSsi to The Government always wants TO give two
dollars 10 pensions where the Republicans propose 10
XIV 4. on This question the Northern Democrats. as
rple are a rack 81 contemplate towards They
III, and act rs If they really believed That me
Drmocratic party was di9oya and unpatriolc
party that il deserved e. be suspcc'ea ana uTle
To- must offer in The abused name Of the mon
.oiS,er rnucb more than The Republicans VIII "icr.
A ulague on such Democrats. IN" PNi.l-
9, nrrtv which means T. retain ONCE ard power In
mis- country must cut down thc F1lSvvh "a ~ P'i
cent weed out all the bummers ana frauds ana see