Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-03-09

That Stalwart republican paper, the
Cincinnati Times Star, has this to say
of the abuses of the pension system:
The sooner the republican journals
get out of the business of contending
that the earth and the fullness thereof
shall be given to the old soldiers,
whether worthy or not, the better it
will be for the republican party. We
have shown in these columns repeated
ly that the recklessness of the repubii-
can party in pension legislation and the
abuses which have grown out OF lax
laws did almost as much in the last
campaign to retire that party from
power as all the efforts of the democ-
racy combined. In the matter of pen
sions the republicans have shown an
utter disregard for the counsels of such
able patriots as President Garfield,
who, years ago, when the pension roll
called for an annual outlay of less than
$50, 900, ,000, said the time had then come
when this amount should annually de-
crease; that its Increase would almost
amount to criminal extravaganza. The
pension roll ought to bel a roll ofhonor.
It was originally intended itshould be,
and not roll admitting the names of
persons willing to grab everything in
sight, 1t should be roll OF men only
who suffered for their country, and not
roll admitting the names of fdeserters,
of skulkers and bounty-jumpers.
We venture the assertion that there
not an old soldier in this community
who can not give the names of several
members of his company or regiment
who became deserters, who were sud-
denly taken sick when the long roll
was sounded, or who were found hid
ing behind fences and stone walls with
their muskets thrown away whenever
there was any fighting to be done. An
examination of the pension rolls will
almost without an exception find these
same names leading the list. The re-
publican party is not alone culpable
in this business of generously bestow-
ing money upon unworthy objects.
The democracy has sinned, and sinned
grievously, but the republicans are
held responsible, for they have been
most in power while this extravaganza
was going OH.
There is no paper more thoroughly
enlisted in behalf ofthe interests of the
true soldier and the worthy pensioner
than the Times Star. 1t would be the
last paper in the world to discredit any
pensioner who is deserving, but it is
against the multitude of the pension
ers who are not worthy, who do not
need government aid, and who would
not deserve it if they did need 1t that
criticism is aimed, and on their ac-
count revision of the pension roll is
demanded. An old soldier, a member
of Vermont regiment, recently wrote
to the Portland Oregonian these words:
"Since the passage of the arrears of
pensions act about every shirk and
utterly worthless veteran of my
brigade has been successful applicant
for pension-among them WAGNER
who lost his leg by tumbling off his
team while helplessly drunk, several
men who escaped from service by shoot
ing off their fingers, and a now wealthy
New England merchant who resigned
after less than three months service,
and fifteen years later claimed pen
sion on the plea that he could trace his
imperfect state of health to catarrh
iTUm WulCu Ao SuAci0u WHilO Al SCI :
vice.n
This is the kind of pensioners that
the Times. Star would discredit, would
hold up for public contempt. The pub
fishing of the list of pensioners in ev-
cry community would do much toward
developing the unworthy and wedding
them off the roll, but to transfer the
pension bureau from the interior de-
partment to the war depart--the effort
which was defeated few days ago
would do much more. No political
influence would be apt to tell if the
soldiers themselves had the unre-
stricted control Of the pension busi-
ness. The pension roll, its revision and
future care could safely be trusted to
men who at West Point were though.
" aducated at multiplication, division
and honor. The true soldier can be
depended on to never lend himself
toward rewarding coward. Under
the control of the soldiers themselves
the pension roll would be nothing but
a roll Of honor.