The Oskaloosa herald., 1893-02-23
BRAVE ENOUGH TO SPEAK.


1t is failing, common to humanity,
to find men occupying leading places
who are too cowardly and timorOus to
take manly stand on current ques
ton, in which there may be found a
malicious as well ascOwardly opposition.
The pension question has developed
this class of men in a numerous way.
Men are found who owe very much to
soldier friendship the hOnOrs and pre-
ferment given them, but in the raging
storm about the heads of defenseleSs
pensioners they stand dumb, and main
tain silence altogether not in keeping
with bugle blasts sounded when votes
or faYOrs were wanted at the hands of
this same class of men-and women.
The concentrated hate that has found
vent in congress during the past few
days, through an alien copperhead
channel, has found some men not afraid
to speak, and to speak plainly on the
question, and one of these is the present
Commander in-chief of the GrandArmy,
Gen. Weissert, who has addressed the
following letter to O'Neill, of Massa-
chusetts, on the question. Other men
some of whom fought the battles in the
region beyond the spent balls, and who
bravely have bent the knee that fat
thrift might follow their favoring-
have joinedin the slander of men above
them in worth and virtue, and as against
the Gibbon-Rhea ct al crowd we set
these brave words of our worthy com
mander: r.
Il notice in the morning papers that
YOU quote me in approval of your pro-
posed amendments to existing pension
legislation, affecting pensions of in
mates of soldiers homes. Later re-
ceived your letter of the 4th instant,
asking indorsment of some interview
said to have been held with me on that
specific point. Uncertain whetherrepre-
sented or miSrepreSented in that inter
view, say to you that while l am in
favor of legislation giving major pOr
ton of the pension of inmates of home
to his family, yet, if he has no family, l
say let him have it all, evenif it amounts
to soc per day. For your proposed
amendments generally, as published,
have no favor. They are all calculated
to restrict benefits heretofore accorded
surviving veterans or their widows. In
the body, of which you are member,
sits many man who fought us man
fashion. open and above board, front
face. Gordon, his face scanned with the
track of Union lead; Butler shot in one
leg; Wheeler, the wild rider who gave
us so little rest, and that sturdy fighter,
Moore, of Texas. They were line of
battle soldiers in time of war, but
hazard the prediction none of them
could be indeed to lead in such fight
as you are making. You cry out against
the sum total of the annual appropria-
tion for pensions. the capitalists and
towards comprise the majority OF those
who applaud. Figure the total on all
pensions from 1865 to 1893 and tis little
more than the amount paid in the same
time for interest alone to the bondhold-
er. He bought his bond always below
par. at times as low as 80. The men
now have the honor to command, apd
their deceased comrades, indorsed those
bonds with their hearts blood, and by
| their yalor put them on the road to par,
of the world. With tremendous unan
unity they stood for honest money in
peace, insisting that Uncle Sans prom
| ise to the bond holder should be redeem
ed at 10Oc on the dollar, with all inter
est, and payable in gold. ;,
The next president of the United
States goes into Office, having been voted
| for by hundreds of thousands of veter-
o.. T bova no criticism for their
course. Tne soldier earned the right
to vote as he pleases, be it Democratic,
Republican or Populist. If some of
them, advanced in years, enfeebled by
disease, see fit to tOtter to the polls, and
vote the mugwump ticket, that is their
right, and beg you to stop this war
fare, which will drive them to lay aside
! their consideration of other matters
germane to our system of government
and tend to weld them into a nearly
| solid political mass Your present
I, course, persisted in, renders that in
evitable in my opinion"