The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-06-07
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS MEET.
DenOuncinG the Charges
Made Against Pension Claims.

EDINBURG. June Especial. AT a
mass meeting of the ex-union soldiers and
sailors OF this city and vicinity held in
q. a. r. hall yesterday the following pre-
amble and resolutions were unanimously
adopted:
Whereas The public press of today is rooog-
nized q the mOder of public sentiment and
the great educator Of the masses, Is daily pub
fishing charges of fraud in tbs distribution Of
pensions and criticisms of the whole pensi on
system, which are without foundation in fact.
and which are detrimental TO the interests of
all ex-union soldiers and calculated 90 lower
them In the estimation of the people and to
lessen that feeling of patriotism with which
their deeds of heroism aud valOr naturally in4
spires the young and rising generation; and.
Whereas, These charges originating IN the
money centers of the East are taken MP and
echoed by the subdued but unreconstructed
rebels OF the South. and re-echoed and
augmented by the sOldier-hating demagogues
OF the North, losing nothing OF their sanderOus
virulence by being oft repeated; therefore.
be il
Resolved By the ex-union soldiers and
sailors of Edinburg, Ind, and vicinity ia mass
meeting assembled. that we most emphatically
deny the right of the aforesaid calumniators
TO Judge OF our right to draw pensions, that
right being granted US by law, passed upon by
educated and competent medical examiners
ana borne out hnG cOTrODOrhtt1 Dy uOnOrhDle
records OF service in the war department. some
thing not possessed by oOwHrdly assaaIlRnts.
who through the medium OF the press, traduoe
and Willy soldiers who drank fire at Gettys-
burg. waded through blood in the wilderness.
who tasted he'll at IT. DOnelson and Pittsburg
Landing. scaled the rocks at Lookout Noun
tain. grappled blOOdy-handed with death
anywhere from Nashville TO Richmond. or rot
ted and starved in the rebel prison pens Of
Salisbury. Libby, Belle Isle and Andersonville.
and left arms, legs and health among the de-
bris of an hundred CORY battletields
Resolved. That while We have implicit faith
and confidence in the honor and honesty of
those in authority. the secretary OF the interior
and the commissioner of pensions and believe
that q grateful government whose existence
today is due wholly to the valiant services of
her citizen soldery will continue to DO justice
to all, and that rights will be held sacred,
We can but feel that our selfrespect is
wounded, our manhood asssiled, ourselves and
our families insulted by the slanderous utter
anoes promulgated by the public prints, and
We hereby refute, deny. aud pronounce those
utterances wholly, maliciously and unquall-
fiedly false.
Resolved, That newspapers throughout the
land be requested 20 desst from the publIca-
ton of supposed cases of fraud against the
pension laws until they have tangible evidence
that such fraud exists, IN which event we
| pledge ourselves. by all the means within our
power, TO assist in uncOvering and bringing to
government, In defense of which two hundred
thousand loyal lives sacrificed. and the
best years of nearly two millions more were
| given. BE il further
Resolved. That IL is unmaniy, unfair. dis
| loyal and unpatriotc for those who stayed at
home during the dark days of the rebellion
and sheltered behind our battle lines in COM
fort aud plenty heaped-up wealth, or for those
unborn or TOO young for the service to criticse
aud maliRn those who upheld our coun-
tTy'S honor and preserved her institutions, and
rendered il possible for all to walk under the
protection of the fostering folds of the old flag,
not only within the confines of our own land.
but in any country on the habitable globe; and
! be il further,
Resolved. That these resolutions be published
| in The lNDIANAPOLIsS SENTINEL, the IndianAp-
| oils journal and the Indianapolis Nelcs, and that
comrades throughout the union DO requested to
meet and give expressions TO their views on
| the subject and that newspaper men. every
| where friendly TO the soldiers. be requested to
copy, and receive tho grateful thanks of those
| whose achievements guaranteed the liberty of
| speech ana OF the press.
JOSEPH A. WATSON,
A. w. WINTERBERG,
JOHN c. TREEsE,
Committee.