The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-09-22

the administration has been unjust TO the
pensioners OF the country. The suspension OF a
soldier once pensioned legally without notice or
hearing, is unprecedented as well unlawful
Snch a course is unworthy a great government
which was preserved through the services and
sacrifices OF its volunteer army. There is no
good citizen who desires that an unworthy per-
son shall have place upon this honorable roll
OF the nation, and while this is true, there Is no
good citizen who will condemn the striking
down upon or pdrts testimony OF any soldier
who has been judicially determined by previ-
Gus administration worthy of his place there.
Every soldier on the pension roll to-day is there
after trial and investigation of his case. He is
there because in the judgment OF the commits.
sioner OF penoions and the secretary of the in.
terror be has fully met every requirement of tho
law granting pensions to soldiers. Once there
he Is entitled to remain until IL Ia
shown by competent testimony Ia
which he shall have an opportunity TO reply,
that he is there by fraud and has no place
among the honorably disabled soldiers OF tho
war; No man should be condemned without q
hearing. No soldier should have the faint OF
fraud put upon him without an opportunity To
meet his accusers. 1t is like opening judg'
ment once rendered by competent court. The
burden of proof rests upon him who charges
fraud and assails the integrity OF the Judgment
and he cannot set aside that Judgment upon OK
parte testimony. The simplest and the most
fundamental principles of justice require that
man should have an opportunity to confront his
accuser and the witnesses who testify against
him understand that in the cases suspended,
the suspended pensoner has no access to the
testimony or the letters, or the information
furnished by those who complain against the
validity of the pension. All that is denied him.
He simply is advised that his pension is sus
pended and he is required to show why he
should be restored to the roll. The government
should be required in the first instance to show
why his name should be dropped from the roll,
and IL should be by clear and unmistakable and
conclusive evidence. The pensioner is dropped,
and without knowing why he is dropped, he is
required to show that he ought not to have been
dropped, and he is required to show that the
Judgment heretofore had in his case by an
authority as competent as that now passing
upon his case was justified.
I do not believe In the system which permits
the government to thus treat the defenders OF
its flag. condemn, with all the earnestness OF
my nature, q system that puts this stigma upon
my comrades in that great war which preserved
the Union More than ! 800 of the old Ohio SOL
diers paid from the pension office at Columbus
have been thus summarily dropped and dis
graced before the eyes Of their fellow-citiZenS
and the civilized world-an average of twenty
to q county, and the work OF the executioner
still goes on! How long is this injustice to
continue?
roll to-day, and the administration at Washing.
ton has reason to believe he is there unlawfully,
let the administration confront him with the
evidence in its hands and permit the old soldier
to meet his accuser, privilege which is relig
tously accorded the most depraved criminal in
the land He is permitted to meet his accuser in
open court Shall the veteran have less con-
sideration at the hands of the government
which he helped to save? Grant him this plain,
legal right, and IT, upon full trial. 1t is the judg-
ment of the administration that he has no right
to receive pension and does not fall within the
provisions OF the pension law, every soldier and
every other patriotic citizen will respect tho
verdict.
fprotest against the presumption of fraud be-
ing put upon the men who preserved this coun-
try, by member Of an administration who had
no part in the great work OF its preservation
protest against this cruel stigma being placed
upon them. / protest against this disgrace be-
ing put upon their wives and their children who
have esteemed the honorable record OF their
protector as the dearest heirloom OF the genera
tons to come These men who were willing to
die for their country must not be left helpless
and defenseless by their country. The patri.
otto people of the country have no thought OF
deserving them and will not permit their honor
to be impeached. At the national review Of
1865, stretched across the walls of the Capitol
In bold letters, to be read by the returning
army, was this motto: '"The only debt this
country can never pay is the debt 1t owes the
brave men who saved this nation" This noble
sentiment may be temporarily disregarded or
ignored, but 1t will be only temporary. When
the republican party returns to power, the
promise Of Lincoln and Grant and the people
who upheld them will be again the sacredly OBJ
served law of the land.
Now, my fellow citizens, must conclude.
have an abiding faith that upon the issues
which are before us and which divide us, the
right will triumph by the judgment of the
tribunal Of the people. Both parties cannot be
right have a confidence mistaken that upon
every issue presented by the democratic party,