The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-02-23
A QUALIFIED VICTORY,


of the battle has much in it to give al
comrades great cause for alarm.
Their enemies showed strength in mum.
bers and malgnancy of design quite equal
to anything that THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
has foreboded.
Though they were defeated, their defeat
had in it great deal more to encourage
them than their opponents. That SO mon
strous a measure as that introduced by the
Committee Of Appropriations, and intro
duced under circumstances to arouse the
hostility even of the advocates of pension
reform" should have received the support
that it did are matters sufficient to give
veterans the gravest apprehensions.
In the first place, the amendments en-
bodying the plan were a gross violation of
the comfy of the House, and discourtesy
to one of the most prominent standing COM
mittees. Without the concurrence and ap-
prevail of the Committee on Invalid PEN
sions-even without any notice to it or
consultation with 1.-THE Committee on
Appropriations invaded its province, and
prepared a measure revolutionizing the
pension system, and making the most sub
versive changes. This could not help arous-
ing the antagonism of the committee treat
ed so dscourteously, and of all who like to
see fair play and proper procedure in legis-
lation.
Next, it aroused the fears of all who are
opposed to the rushing through ill-con-
sidered legislation at the close of the session
Many opposed the amendments who wanted
more time to consider their scope, and I'M
derstand just what the effect Of such a
revolution in an important Department of
the Government would be.
Many Representatives voted against the
amendments because they believed that
the transfer would really take the Pension
Bureau out of politics n-an exceedingly
propose to have their party shorn of potent
partisan arm just as it was entering into
selves that the Pension Bureau can give.
This combination helped the friends Of
and retain The pension system as it is until
another Congress shall meet.
These are facts for the comrades to con-
slider carefully-even painfully. This battle
was only the first skirmish, in which their
enemies very stupidity placed themselves upon
disadvantageous ground, and fought with
the chances against them. 1t il not likely
that they will repeat this blunder. Tn the
next Congress they will plan more shrewdly,
and try to have the advantages of position in
their favor. They will then fight to the
death for a victory which will be much more
destructive to the hopes of the veterans than
this would have been had they won it.
1t is for the veterans themselves to say
whether they shall be victorious or not Pow
erful, well-organ zed, and determined though
our enemies may be, we can defeat them if
we will only stand firmly together and in
sst upon our rights. But it will need every
veteran standing resolutely in line with his
comrades and making his influence felt to
the utmost TO win the victory. There must
be no division in councils, no confusion Of
effort. Dividing now in the face of the en-
envy viii be fatal. We must be in solid
ranks, and fight every inch of the ground
from now until the end of the next session.
We must repel the ISLANDERS on soldiers that
fill the columns of papers and the mouths Of
public speakers. We must make every
newspaper and every politician understand
that their foul calumnies on the men who
wore the blue will not be endured, but be re-
scented by every means in our power-that
the mass of surviving Union soldiers are not
mainly made up Of shirks, towards, bounty
jumpers, perjurers. and such scum, but rep
resenting more hard fighting, more patient
endurance, more unselish patriotism than
ever the world saw exhibited before We
must sternly deny that the pension roll is
loaded down with undeserving men and
women, but that it is in the highest sense
"a roll of honor" which, so far az the money
paid ost is concerned, but meagerly repre-
sents the debt due from the Nation to those
who saved its life.
Comrades, this is an urgent call upon
every one Of you. Every man has some in
fuence, aud every man should see to it that
that influence is felt 1t is cause which
interests every one of you. To allow one
comrade or one class of comrades to be ira
duced is to allow yourselves to be traduced.
| Do not make the mistake of imagining that
when our enemies are disparaging other
veterans they are excepting you from their
calumnies. They are not. They are trying
| to break down soldiers as a class, and you
are just as much included as any one. You