Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-08-17
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.


How the Pension Question Strikes YER
mont Veteran-some stern Facts.
To the Editor of the Free Press.
The anti.pension howlers may well be
left to work h cir own damnation but come
of the statements that have been made 10y
them should not be left to 60 uncbelIenged.
There are two classes OF these, the vicious
class the soldier haters originate, and the
ridiculous class the DR.. Mary Walkers of
the press give.
The widows of the Revolution we're first
attacked for the purpose of exciting this
general public to expect terrible raids from
the widows of the Civil war. Look up the
pension acts that gave the widows OF
revolutionary soldiers pensions and inter
view some of the widows those whose minds
are clear. and you will learn that pensions
for widows hose husbands were n OF pension
ed for disabilities of service originally were
not thought of at the time the women, now
living, married the soldiers. After looking
this matter up you will, probably, have
some thoughts relating TO the men who have
attacked these old ladies that you woull
not caro- to sse in print.
The peopls who can believe I'll at Almy is
still at large aud that an innocent mau was
hanged in his stead may bs able to believe
that tho shirks are the ones who have ap-
piled for pensions 10 these late days. Every
soldier can testify that the worthless sold
iers got hospital records many we're dis
charged, early in the war, to make room
for better men, and that they applied for and
obtained pensions as soon as they got home
and you will find them to-day horror
| stricken because pensions are being granted
now The men who fought the battles they
| ON bad a fro, ho mt FIR
the pensions that were their due until com
PEELED by want to do 80 are asking for PEN
sions now.
Judge Long has been given large amount
OF attention lately. Under sections 4G97
aud 4G9S, amended by ths act of June 16,
| 1880, men who lost both eyes, both legs or
both hands became so helpless, through
| disabilities received in service, as to require
the attendance of another, are entitlsd to
! SI2 per month. 1t matters not how much
the man may receive from other sources, he
has to bear the sutferings his service has
entailed upon him and he is obliged to call
upon another for assistance every day In
this connection it may be well to point out
to the antl-pension people the fact that un-
| der the law soldiers were entitled to gold
| payments for their service and to pensions
tor disabilities received through their SER
vice. There should DO no talk of generosity
before government releeLns its pledges made
at the time the soldiers were asked to enlist
There should be no tax of patriotism tn :
would require Of soldier his service, his
health aud possibly his life while the
money lenders, the sellers Of mules, pork or
shoddy will or would accept nothing less
than their own with usury.
The cheap demagoSues who got dsgruntled
| w ia a Ms n to all,
for the passage OF the ''per diem" are, some
of them, trying to pose as martyrs because
| Gen. " essart enforoes the ru % OF the order
at the head of which lie stands. The sold
| iers of the last war are in tolligeut and
as broad minded as the other citizens of
this couotry and these who count on pun
ishing a man for dong his duty and stand
ing for the right likely to be disap-
pointed.
Mr.. Commission Lochren asserts that
he is the friend of deserving soldiers. lie
should prove hii assertion true by putting his
special force at work righting the wrongs
done honest claimants. Let him look up the
claim OF an old man now living in one of the
small villages OF Vermont, who enlisted
early in 1861, who years ago proved hi, title
to a pension, who has had Gen Grout call
up his claim twice, has been told each time
| there was wanting the certificate of a
county clerk aud this has been furnished
each time. People who have worked in the
pension office and know the facts soy the
amount involved Is SO large the office is
waiting to have the old man die and SO save
the pension.
In an act approved June n, 1879 is the
following provided, That the Commits
sioner of Pensions shall have the same power
as heretofore to order special examinations,
whenever in his Judgment the same may
be necessary, and to increase or reduce the
pension accord ng TO right and justice; but
in no case shall pension be withdrawn or
reduced except upon notice to the pensioner
and hearing upon sworn testimony, ex-
cept as to tue certificate Of the examining
surgeon" Many who have applied for and
have been granted pensions under the Ac,
of June 2I, 1890 were tho1s who had had
their cases, under the general law, chung
up" and were compelled to apply under the
new la in order to get partial justice. III
Mr.. Commissioner Lochren will look into
these matters his blood will get very warm,
that 10 if he is in truth the friend OF dsssrv
ing soldiers. Is he a just man ? VIII he
pay as much attention to the righting Of
wrong done deserving soldiers as he has &c
suspending in an unlawful and in an under
handed way?
l have no personal grievance to right and
would not ask that any mans name be KEEP
upon the pension roll il It was placed Their,
by fraud. A PRIVATE,
Tunbridge, Vt, Aug. 8, 1898.
POLITICAL. POINTS.
Nay Norl,,s nrahib;tior St.ta copyantjo,