The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-02-24
TgE war on PrNsIONs.

Congressman O'Neill, who misrepre-
sents Massachusetts in the National
House has received solid chunks of frozen
truth in reply to letter he wrote the
National Commander of the q. A. r..
O'Neill is catching it all around as he
deserves, but for all that the debate goes
on and it is probable the Democratic
Congress will pass some such measure
next year should this be stopped by he
publican President and Senate-the
House has passed it, The letter of Com
mander-im-C Chief WeisSert is as follows:
PROVIDENCE. Feb. 18th, 1898.
Hon. Joseph II. o. NeAi, House Of Repre-
SentdtiUes. Washington, ID. G.
notice i'll the morning papers you
quote me in approval of your proposed
amendments to existing pensions legis-
latiOn affecting pensions of inmates of
soldiers homes. Later, l received your
letter of the 4th inst, asking endorse
ment of some interviews, said to have
been held with me on that specific point.
Uncertain whether represented or mis-
represented in that interview, l say to
you that, while am in favor of legisla-
ton giving major portions OF pensions OF
inmates ei homes to his family, yet if he
has no family, | say let him have it all,
For your proposed amendments gener-
ally, as published, have no favor. They
are all calculated to restrict benefits
heretofore accorded surviving veterans
or their widows. Your restriction to
less than 5000 per year is particularly OBJ
noXiOus. because it requires public &C
acknowledgement of poverty. Health and
loyalty were all that Lincoln asked of us
when you were babe and we were bat
ting to preserve a Congress for you to
sit in.
l commend for your consideration the
words of another son eff Massachusetts,
as he voiced the country's estimate of
the services OF the founders OF the Re-
public, who were survivors in his time, l
lefer to Webster. Your warfare in ad-
vance on those who, in the providence of
God, may become soldiers widows, is
utterly repugnant to even average man
hood. In the body of which you are
member, sits many man who fought us
man fashion, open and above, front face.
Gordon, his face scanned with the track
of Union lead; Butler, short one leg;
Wheeler, the wild rider who gave us so
little rest, and that sturdy fighter, Moore
of Texas; they were line of battle sol
diers in time of war; but l hazard the
prediction none of them could be induced
to lead in such fight as you are max
ing. You cry out against the sum total
of the annual appropriations for pen
sions, and capitalists and towards COM
prise the majority of these who applaud.
Figure the total of all pensions fro n
1865 to 1898 and it is little more than
the amount paid in the same time for in
terest alone to the bondholders. He
bought his bond always below par, at
times as low as thirty eight. The men |
now have the honor to command and
their deceased comrades endorsed those
bonds with their hearts blood, and by
their valor put them on the road to par
and at a premium in the financial marts
of the world. With tremendous unan-
unity they stood for honest money in
peace. insisting that Uncle Sans promise
to be bOndholder should be redeemed at
100 cents on the dollar with all interest,
and payable in gold.
The next President of the United
States goes into Office, having been voted
for by hundreds of thousands of veterans.
] have no criticism for their course. The
soldier earned the right to vote as he
pleased-be it Democratic, Republican
or POpuliSt. If some of them, advanced
in years, enfeebled by disease, saw fit to
totter to the polls and vote the Mugwump
ticket, that is their right. But beg you
to stop this warfare which will drive
------N~-a.-J- ss.-tv'O- ovustucrdU1Un vi UUner
matters germane to our system of gov
eminent and tend to weld them into an
early solid political mass. Your present
course, persisted in, renders that nearly
inevitable in my opinion. (Signed)
A. G. WEIssERT,
Commanderin-C Chief G. A. r.