The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-11-02
SOLDIERS PENSIONS,

Chief of the GRAND army, on bolulers
Pensions-Let Every Soldier and Pa
trotio Citizen Read,
Gen. Paul Vandervoor,, of Nobrosks,
spoke for the PopulisJ party, in tue
ocnaefer Opera House, Canton, on the
eve ruiug of OcIober 25Ih, A portion OF
uis remarBs wore devoted to soldiers penS
sious, As Gen. NaudeTVoort has spsnt III
winters IN Washington, and is ons OF the
beet known aud most fslJntui trienus OF
the Udion soldier in the United Statesi
friend OF Gen. Graut, aud companion OF
Gen. Logan in war and in peace, his
speech 10 one that must command uniVeI-
sal credence among the soldiers and oil
patriotic citlzsus. During nearly oil Tue
Ims tbaE Gen, Vandsrvoort covers with
uis speech he was member OF the Grand
Army Pension Committee OF the United
stAtss, and lSbored before the CongresN
sIonaI Pension Committees In season and
out of season, without any compensation
for tne interest OF old soldiers, he even
surrendered his own pension Tor disability
contracted at AudsrEonville prison, that
no one could say ne had personal interest
in the question,
Gen. Vandervoort said:
The Republican lesders, when politi-
cal campaign 10 woRipg, claim the benefit
| OF oil legislation favorable TO the soldier.
" 10 an open secrei that OF this time Ohio
| is swarminR with agents OF the Special
Examination Division of the Pension Bu.
reAu, whose duty IL 10 to bulldoze U nited
States pensioners by declaring ttat u the
Democrats retain power no more pensions
will be granted.
An examination of the reco-T~ ~ Cows
2ress shows tLai 'ue n.A Va. ,ILII.s
ARE AraRes of pensions was Introduced
December 8, 1874, in the Senate aud re-
ferred to the Committee on Pensions.
This bill was reported back to the Senate,
rutth I'D lan
page 729, Congressional Record, Forty
Ihird Congress.) Hon. ID. ID. Pratt, Re-
publican Senator from Indiana, who was
chairman Of the committee on pensions,
said:
II am instructed by the committee
TO report adversely on she Senate
bill 9S5, providing for ,ne
payment OF arrears OF pensions. The
committee learned on correspondence
with the pension officer that IL would re.
quire upward of 100000 yo meet the
requisitions of this bill. For economic
reasons, a. well rs others, the committee
think the bill should not be entertained"
Senator Pratt moved the indefinite
postponement OF the bill, and that
motion was carried. The arrears Of
pension act was thus effectually killed for
mat Congress by the Republican party.
The House of Ihe Forty fourth Congress
va Democratic. Many psIitions, memc-
king payment of arrears OF pensions.
These were referred TO she committee
ana promptly and favorabIy considered,
aud the committee formulated bill TO
pay the arreArs, and repor,ed IL to the
House for passage and General A. V.
Rice, of Ohio, a brave aud gallant U nion
soldier, VINO had lost a leg IN she service,
moved TO suspend the rules and paSs it
blouse bill No. 2S03O (Record, Forty.
fourth Congress, second session, page
1861
General Rice said: Its provisions are
eIninsntly juss and proper. No words of
mine Can appeai 50 strongly 10 the just
Less aud proprieIy of this measure as
does sno cJudIuon of Lnose for whom this
Tehsf Ia bskru.m
G ueia, Rice's motion prevailed, the
rules we're suspended, and she bill passed
the House March 3, 1877.
Tue Senate WAS Republican by large
m joriIy. Immediately upon the bill be-
Ing read, Senator Ingalls,, Republican
from ka uBas, moved that IL lie on the ia
bic, and this motion was agreed to; aud
thus this bin to pay the soldiers arrearages
of pensions was killed by Republican
Senate Isee page 2l6S, Record, second
session, Forty fourth Congress,) making
the second time the Republican Senate
defeated arrenrsRes of pensions acts.
The next House was also Democratic,
and the Senate was very close. The
House again passed the ARE ass OF pension
act June 10, 1873, and abe same bill passed
the Senate, Jan. 16, 1879, but she Repub-
leans would have defehtG d it., had not six
rebel soldiers voted for 1t, Their names
are Hill OF Georgia, Butler OF South Care
lima, Gordon of Georgia, Cockrell of Mo,
haTris OF Tenn, and Macy of Florida.
Take the equalization of soldiers boun-
ties, which passed the 43d Congress in
1875, and a more just enactment never
veto it? Gen. Grant told me that he al
ways regr cited this action. "But,n said
he, II was in the Vice Presidents room
In the Capitol during the expiring hours
of she AZ Congress-. When Inis bill was
brought In for my signature, Senator
Sherman of Ohio, and Senator Edmonds
OF W.. followed the messenger into the
Vice Presidenps room, aud said II / sign
ed that bill, 1t would bankrupt the trea,-
ury." "Ihis shows" said Mr.. Van Der
WORT, "who induced Gen. Grant
to veto this just and pa
triotic measure, simple matter of
justice to every soldier of the Republic.
Take the bill to pension prisoners of |
War. That measure was defeated, fret in |
the house by the action of Gen. Grosvenor,
an Ohio Republican Congressman, and In |
the senate, was kept in a pocket by SsnA,
Tor Harrison, (Afterwaros PresidsID of |
l1dIena, and senator Hawley, OF Con-
could not afford IL.
But take the last act In the great series |
OF acts on this question; the Dependent |
pension bill, sometimes called the Pauper |
bill. IL is a we'll known fact that the |
Grand Army asked for the Service pen
ZION bill, and in the campaign of 1888,
Gen. Harrison, then a candidate for |
President, told me in Indianapolis he |
favored the Service pension bill, and |
authorized me to say &C, and at President
request, went on the stump 10 |
six states of this Union, telling the Union |
.oldiers that the election of Republican |
President and Republican Congress
nehnt n Service pension lay. But how |
We were deceived and betrayed, the re cord
shows.
No sooner had Harrison been elected |
han the whole party changed front, and |
II banquet held In Washington, Just as
Congress was meeting, at which Reed,
Julius G. Burrows and other
psrty leaders were present, and which |
attended, Ii was agreed that the party /
could not carry out lite promises for SER
vice pension, and in after conferences Nc. |
kinley lead the party In the defeat OF a
service pension law, and he aided TO de
Tent il on the floor of Congress.
Gen. Van Dervoort said, when he found
he party lesders had decided to violate
To most sacred pledges 20 the soldiers
who did the fighting and to pass law TO \
pension those who did the least fighting
le decided to IehVe the Republican ohFty. |