The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-11

that would take q penny from any PEN
sion that had been granted to a deserve
ing soldier
PgNsIoN REFORM.
The committee had recommended
several amendments which it thought
would institute reform. The first
and he thought the most important
was that providing for the transfer Of
the pension bureau from the interior to
the war department. Such transfer
would lessen the amount OF money ap-
propriated for pensions and would not
deprive single deserving soldier of the
pension which he now had or which he
might hereafter btain. The pension
bureau could not be taken out OF the
arena OF politics until it was put where
political influence did not count. Mr.
Mutchler then proceeded to argue in
support OF the changes in the pension
laws recommended by the committee
on appropriations.
There were, he said, tbousands-and
many thousands OF men who were on
tho pension rolls to-day who had made
more money during the three months
OF their enlistment than they had ever
earned before or since, and yet who had
never heard the whistle OF the bullet or
tho roar OF artillery. As to the propo'
sition that no pension shall be paid to
nonresident, who is not q citizen OF tho
United States, except for actual disabil.
ity, he said that heidi not desire to SEQ
any pension refused TO foreigner who
had been injured in fighting for the
preservation OF the union. But for.
eigner who had never gone into battle,
but who had gone home with his pocket
full Of money, ought not to be put on an
equality with the American citizen. To
support such man abroad was an out.
rage.
Mr., Grout admitted that the amount
OF money required for the payment Of
pensions was large one, He was op.
posed to the transfer Of the pension
bureau as proposed by the bill. He
did not think that such q transfer
would take the bureau out Of the do
main OF politics.
PATRIOTS VS., HIRELINGs.
Mr.. Tarsncy in speaking in favor Of
the proposed amendments said that the
man who hazarded his lie for his coun-
try was a patriot, but tho man who
hazarded his life in war for any gov.
ernment, or in any cause under con-
tract for his hire, was a hireling merely,
and every obligation OF the employer
ceased when the stipulated hire was
paid. In tho name OF tho hundreds Of
Thousands oil patriots who in 1861 and
1852, not stopping to inquire what wage
or bounty would be paid, impelled only
by love Of country and sense OF
patriotic duty, went forth and
hazarded their lives that the gov.
ernment might live, he de-
nounced as impious the doctrine
of contract relations between them and
their government. The half million
pensioners on the roll did not consti-
tute one-twentieth OF the voting and
tax paying population OF the country
and tho others who bore the burdens OF
the system were becoming dissatisfied
and discontented. They would not
have the name OF ono deserving soldier
stricken from the rolls, nor would they
havehis allowance reduced ono tarthing.
But they had right to protest against
being taxed to support those who had
no claim on the gratitude Of the country.
Without closing the general debate
the committee rose and the house took
recess, the evening session to be for
the consideration of private bills.