The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-02-09
PENSIONS.
Views Of a Veteran Who Served from
Bull Run to AppOmattox.

"HERE has been much said and writer
recently against pensions and pension
| Il ers. The tide seems to be still rising
The Pension System" has been anathe
matized, the Long Pension Roll deprecated
and the Large Pension Appropriations de
nounced. "Insinuations of deception and per
jury" "Pension Frauds" Camp followers.
"Coffee-coolers" "Mercenares," and Beg
CARS" are some of the many unjust accusations
hurled at the system and its benefciaries
There are wild cries for Pension Reform,
"Purging the Rolls" Purifying the Lists,
"Cutting down the Appropriation" etc. /
appears to me the time has come for a word tt
be said in reply to this flood of misrepresenta
tion, as it seems evident that some of this talk
ing and scheming against the old veterans may
crystalize into legislation and much may be at
tempted.
l believe it to be an important question, and
one that ought to be considered and rightly
understood by all our people, and especially
voters Therefore, since Congressman Antony
has advanced as q skirmisher and opened fire
Oh the disability pension act by proposing it:
repeal, will you give old soldier a little space
| to respond to the attack through the columns
| of your paper?
Let me say just here that saw service from
Bull Run to Appomattox received wounds in
battle, and have suffered from impaired health
ever since my discharge in IS. and feel that
have earned the right to speak. l am not q
pensioner and never received a dollar Of Uncle
Sans money, except as pay for my services in
the field. Also, that believe in pensions fol
! all old veterans who need them.
Most of the maledictions against pensioners
and pension matters are general and indefinite.
| Nothing is definitely or clearly defined. They
charge fraud, but do not specify the fraudulent
act; they howl for reform, but until Mr.. Antony
| appeared did not indicate how they would
or 7 No. -
, from an old soldiers standpoint, and possibly
from a prejudiced one. 1t is we'll to remember
| also that most of the attacks upon pensions
| come from those who once attacked and tried
| to destroy the Government, and their Copper
| head" allies, their sympathizers. 1t is many
years since the war, and We have drifted long
way from the thoughts and feelings of the war
period.
We forget quickly. The new generations
have nothing to remember. People do not al
ways judge rightly Of past events, because they
| fail to consider them in the light of affairs at
the time they transpired.
| The pension question is not, or at least ought
not to be, party question. 1t is more mat
ter of principle and precedence than one of
| party policy; a matter of equity. justice and
good faith on the part of the Government.
| The question cannot be justly or fairly consid-
cred without taking into the account all that
| was involved in the situation and in the tre
| mendous struggle for the preservation of the
| Government; what the Government needed
| from the owners of its material wealth. and
what it required from its armed defenders;
| what it promised, and how it has fulfilled its
| promises to each of these classes. TO those who
endured the ordeal Of the civil war it is easy,
perhaps, to recall some, many, of these
things To tho generations that have como to
maturity since the war; and the millions who
have come from foreign lands. it may be more
difficult to understand. When our Govern
meut was confronted with the problem of self
preservation it had to do one of two things
submit or fight.
Two things were absolutely necessary for the
defense of the Government and prosecution of
the war-meu and money. To those who had
means the Government asked the use of their
money. To those who had patriotism it APP
peaed for the use of their persons, their brains,
their blood, their lives if need be- To the
ey-lenders it promised a return of the
money, with interest. III gold. To the soldiers
il promised food, clothing and S1l, or later
S13 per month. 1t also promised in case of
death or disability from disease or wounds to
care for the wives, orphans. or dependent par
enis of those who fought. Go; save the
country. and you and yours shall be cared for"
was substantially tho promise everywhere
often and freely offered.
1t may he said that the Government did not
promise to pay its soldiers in gold but certainly
it was implied. 1t promised to pay and it had
no currency but gold and silver then. More
than that, it will be easily recalled by many
who went early to the war that the recruiting
oficers-agcnts of the Government-issued
circulars calling attention to the fact that the
Government paid in gold, and contrasting the
value Of gold dollars with that of the wild
cat" and "shinplaster" paper money of that
day.
The war grew to mighty proportions, involv-
ing millions of men and billions of money
Gold went up and paper money went down.
Government ceased to pay ont gold, except AS
interest on its bonds and to foreign countries
This divided the soldiers small pay, and
doubled the purchasing power of the money
lenders interest.
The bondholder staid at home in com fort
cut his coupons in peace, and grew rich.
The soldier left his home, his business his
future hopes and prospects, cooked his coffee
and endured the hardshps aud discomforls as
best he could in the camp or at the bivouac;
hazarded his life land many sacrificed their
lives). that the Nation might be saved, and
meet its obligations to the bond holders
There can he no fair consideration of this
question if the magnitude of the war is not
taken into the count. The charge most often
heard is against the length of the pension rolls
and the size of the required appropriations.
Considering this, no modern war can pare
with it in the magnitude of its proportions, the
intensity of its fighting and the magnifcence
of its results More than 100000 Of enlist
ments. Out of these 114,658 were killed or
died Of wounds. nearly 100000 died of dis
ease, accident and other causes in the army and
the navy; making total OF moro than 300 900
men who died in the service. If we consider
the e.enlistments, more than one.seventh of
that mighty army actually gave up their lives
that the Nation might live. In war at least
four men disabled whcre one dies 1t is
safe to assume that at the close of the war there
were moro than 100000 of men suffering from
disease or wounds result Of their service
The Government made equally positive and
sacred promises to the widows, orphans and
dependent ones of the dead that they did to
the disabled soldiers Many who felt them
selves well at the close of the war, as the years
accumulated long since found that they were
utterly broken down. Is it any wonder that
the pension-roll is long and the necessary ap-
preparations larger Is it not more matter of
surprise that both are not longer and larger
Considering whst it promised, what it gained,
what it did and has since done for the money
lenders. and also tho fact that the Mexican vet
Grams have been granted service pension
which 1t has been proposed to incrsase-since
the Union veterans have been urging their
claims. is it not strange that every disabled
surviving soldier has not long since been placed
on the pension list? That it has not been done
Is an unjust discrimination. Again, take the
character Of the fighting. During the war
there occurred moro than 1000 skirmishes and
battles More than I'm ayaraue nf ona dov-