The National tribune., 1893-04-13

| read the totals Of the annual appropriations,
hut fail to recall that the foundations were
laid in struggle which itself was vast in
every agency, and especially in the hosts
who marched to battle"
He points out that four years of offensive
war, which rallied two-and-a-half millions
to the colors of bu. one Of the combatants,
meant an immense amount Of resulting OBJ
legations. Unfortunately for the veteran,
the levy made for his benefit is a present
burden, the service by which he earned his
dole is but memory"
Gen. Burdett rapidly sketches the devel-
ment of the pension movement in the Grand
Army Of the Republic. The first action
taken in this direction was in the eighth
National Encampment, held in 1874, when
| a resolution was adopted asking Congress
to increase the pensions of wounded and
disabled soldiers and sailors, and especially
of those totally disabled. In subsequent
National Encampments special attention
was paid to the delay in adjudicating
claims. The passage of the act of June 81,
1890, was the result of much effort on the
part of the Grand Army Of the Republic,
and to the National Pension Committee
much of the credit of the passage of the act
is due. He says:
II was not until the tremendous inroads caused
by the strain of war began to manifest themselves
by the premature decreptude OF many of their
comrades, and the common poor houses began 10
know their presence, that the Grand Army took
up the question of securing pensions for those dis
abed mud needy veterans who could not trace
their ailments back to the very period of service
The purpose TO provide for such as these. and
the popular heart has willingly given its consent
Gen. Burdett speaks at length of the
charges that the pension roll is incumbered
by names not lawfully entitled to be there,
and says that the dearth Of facts which the
most hostile have been able to produce is
the best evidence of the groundlessness of
these charges. Nevertheless, the constant
reiteration of these has produced an effect
on the public mind, and there should be a
dispassionate, non-partisan investigation,
which the veterans viii welcome. He con-
cludes with this touching utterance:
In the meantime the situation might as well be
faced Relief to the 1-payer is To come from the
scythe of the Great Reaper. The benefciaries are
old men now. II not be by the count OF years,
they are yet old because of the exposures and
decrepitudes which come from their service. Ali
but Que of the great leaders in battle dead;
division of their followers joins them every year.
little patience. and the account will be closed.
.*x
Col. Church says that there will be no
opposition among the duty-soldiers" to a
proper revision of the pension-roll. He
necessarily injure anyone, and that every
where are men who find frequent occasion
to thank God for the lessons they learned
in the army. The country owes much of
its progress to the lessons so learned. The
men who did the actual fighting are sop
posed to any legislation which tends to
make such service synonymous with pau
perism. They ask only that the country.
shall redeem its promise to provide for those
whose services have actually incapacitated
them from providing for themselves and
their families, that it may be saved from
the dishonor of permitting Belsarius to beg
for his daily bread" The Colonel, who is
not solid on his grammar and very shaky
on facts, dilates at some length upon the be-
stowal of pensions upon deserters and
coffee coolers" but has the frankness to
say that he does not know just how the
pension-roll can be revised. He gets on to
more solid ground when he says:
We know The general fact that the pension out
lay thus far In our history has amounted to r round
billion and half-a total which need alarm us
when we remember that this only equals our
present amount of expenditure for IS months, and
that We have, since the close Of the war Of the
rebellion paid nearly S. 00o 600 upon the prin-
cipal of the public debt, besides 81. COO 900 In
interest and premiums.
Col. Church favors establishing bureau
in the Office of the Adjutant- General of the
Army to prepare and push the claims of
those who think they are entitled to PEN
sions, and he is particularly anxious that
Congress should print list of pensioners,
with statement of the reason for granting
a pension in each case. There shonld be
added list of those who have applied for
either original or increased pensions. and
copy should be sent to every army officer
and to every organization representing old
soldiers, and one should be posted in every
postofice.
He freely admits that's far attempts to re.
wise the pension list have not paid their cost,
and points out that last year the 1900 Or 300
Special Examiners succeeded in convicting
only 1872 fraudulent pensioners, or fourteen
one hundred thousandths( .0001D of one per
cent. of the whole number OF pensioners
He wrongly attributes much Of this to the
;p1icpoeition nf comrades and ofbaro fo NV