The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-02-08
INDICATING THE VETERANS.

| them as a class which has been growing in
volume and virHlenee ever since the close of
| the war.
| II rs characteristic of mean, selfish and
eowardly natures that, as soon as the terror
of great danger is passed, they begin to
depreciate and condemn the services of those
who saved them from the calamity before
which they quailed in ahieet fear. Prob
ably one of the best reasons for blighting
Ham with the curse that has lasted to this
day was that, as soon as the waters subsided
and he found himself on dry land with the
prospect of long dry spell, he began mock
ing old Noah, and saying disparaging things
about the ark.
We know that when the Revolution ended,
and the Independence of the country was
secured, a large number of men who had done
nothing whatever toward securing the glOri-
Gus result, began systematic abuse of Wash
ington and his patriotic associates, and sadly
em5ittered the last years of the Father Of
His Country by their malignant detraction.
What has been true of all wars and all great
crises in the worlds history was no less true
IF the war Of the rebellion. The men who
made none of the sacrifices, hraved none of
the dangers, bore none of the burdens Of
tn Sc awful years, but instead diligently
sought out all the profits and advantages to
be gained, began at once to underrate the
men who saved them and the country. In
this hateful work they found willing asso-
ciaies in the men who had attempted to
destroy the country, and been defeated in
their nefarious designs. Baf1ed venom and
malicious envy joined hands in rancorous
league against the men who had rescued the
Nation. Passing years dulled the peoples
had gone, but took none of the edge off
The rancor of the soldier-haters. They found
generation which has grown up since the
war, and the millions of foreigners who have
fccktd across the ocean to enjoy the marvel
Gus prosperity which came as the rich fruit
of the services and sacrifices of the men who
saved the Nation.
The pension-roll furnished them an OBJ
iect for continual attack upon the character
Of the volunteer soldier, and an apparent
justification of it. What frightful batter
ing the men who fought for the Nation have
endured in all these years on the plea of
abuses of the pension-roll. UDfedged
scrihbleTs fresh from college, big with con-
ceit of their own knowledge and knowing
and caring more for the march Of XenophoD,
or Cesar's campaigns in Gaul, than the his
tory of their own country, foreigners from
whom the smell OF the ships steerage had
hardly yet been blown 10y the free air of
America, Joined with the unrepentant
rebels and venomous Copperheads in their
denunciations of the men 10 whom the
country owes everything. They We'd with
each other in the violence Of their abuse of
the veterans, until it seemed impossible that
any man on the pension-roll, or seeking to
get there, could be other than sneak, a
coward, shirk, and awiIlful perjurer. The
history of the whole world does not show
similar instance of such wholesale and
wicked slandering of the manhood of a great
Nation by its orators and writer's.
Almost exactly one year ago the party to
which most of the calumniators belong
came into complete power. They got entire
control of the legislative and executive
branches Of the Government, and had placed
in their hands every possible means of veri-
flying their charges They made extrava-
CANT promises of what they would do toward
purifying the pensien-roll," wedding out
the frauds" etc, when they were given the
opportunity. They have had the largest
possible opportunity for nigh on to 10
months. A vast army Of Federal officials
stood ready to lend what assistance was
necessary. Particularly. the aid of 65, 600
PostDasters was invoked by the pension
roll purifiers" A willing Congress stood
prepared TO vote any amount of money to
conduct investigations, and actually has
given some 100000.
The whele of the energies and power of
the great United States Government have
been at the instant service of the pension
reformers to uncover the gigantic frauds
over which they have been shrieking for
years-
Now, with all this rancorous determine
tion, this limitless control of mighty agen-
cies, this lavish expenditure of money, and
a year of time, what has been accomplished /?
Where has there been the exposure of any
OF the "innumerabIe, glaring, and notorious
! frauds"1 Where has been any uncover
! ing of "houey-comb of corruption
Never in the annals of the country has
there been such humiliatiDg failure to sub
stantiate charges. Never has there been
such ridiculously small mouse brought