Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-10-19
Report of the Committee on Pensions.

At the late meeting of the Grand
Army OF the Republic, held at Indian
apolis, the committee on pensions
made a report strongly se~nsuring the
attitude OF the present administration
toward the old soldiers. The pre-
amble to the resolutions sites in
touching language the deeds of valor
and sacrifices made by those who
offered their lives to preserve the
Union, and quotes from the utter
ances of Lincoln to show how sim
cerely he espoused their cause. AS
the Grand Army of the Republic is
non-political. its utterances cannot
fail to have weight in every quarter.
The resolutions adopted are as follows:
THEREFORE, The Grand Army of the Re
public, in National Encampment assem-.
bled, speaking for that great army of be.
loved comrades, many of them too poor.
too bruised. too broken, to withsta nd the
strong arm of the government when adj
ministered with an unfriendly hand, proud
OF the good name and fair lame of the
American Volunteer Soldier, interested .ar
beyond any other person or organization
that the pension roll shall in truth aad. in
fact be-what it is in theory-a roll of
honor, and ever mindful of it's cardinal
principle, ITO preserve honor and purity
N public affairs, F" scouts and 6anies these
iUdiscriminate charges OF universal fraud
and resents the imputation that because
~, IN ~ rxortbu s.,,.z..
that discredit shall be cast upon the entire
roll, and this great body Of bra We and pat
riotic citizens shall stand disgraced before
the country. We demand that there shall
be no step in pension legislation;
that no pensioner shall be deprived OF his
property without due process of law; that
the presumption shall be in favor of hon.
esty and fair dealing; that the poor and
iowly shall not be put to unnecessary, ex.
pensive OF oppressive process to preserve
their meagre pittances; that the sacred
trust in favor of those who have borne
the battle shall be sacredly observed and
sacredly administered; and we do now
solemnly and deliberately
Resolve, That the Grand Army of the
Republic looks with solicitude, not to say
alarm, upon the proposition, that after
sufficient tribunals nave been established
by law before which questions have been
presented and adiudicated, upon evidence
submitted and examined, and upon which
n grateful nation has accorded pensions in
this their hour of need to- those who in its
hour of need stood between it and death,
the officers Of that nation, administering a
public trust, have arbitrarily deprived
without notice or an opportunity to be
heard, our needy and distressed comrades
of the rights thus solemnly adiudged and
confined to them.
We DECLARE, That every presumption
should be made in favor of such records sc
made; that no presumption oil fraud shall
be INDUCED in against them, and that nc
change be made in the pensions so accorded
until after charges have been made and
evidence in support thereof has been pro
duced, of which charge each pensionsr hai
had full notice and a full and complete OPP
p~ortunity to be heard in support of tn,
pension SO accorded to him; and it ii
further
Resolved, That as the commissioner o
PENSIONS, by his recent Withdrawals OF tn,
obnoxious rulings which had been so gen
ally condemned. has virtually acknowl
edged the incorrectness of such rulings, W,
deem it his further duty t. at once restor,
to the rolls the thousands of pensioner.
now standing illegally suspended.