The National tribune., 1894-03-15
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
ENLOE'S SPEECH.

SIGECh.
Hon. B. A. Enloe, of Tennessee, of whom
and from whom the veterans have heard
much, was very properly selected to make
the main speech in defense of the present
pension policy. Enloe is a leader of that
class who are constantly protesting that they
desire every honorable veteran to be prop
erly pensioned, but yet never by any chance
find any veteran exactly good enough to be
pensioned, nor any pension law that is not
unduly liberal. Always beginning with
some cant about his love for the deserving
soldier he never fails to say the most rancor-
Gus things his imagination can devise about
soldiers as a class, and those in particular
who happen to be under discussion. He be-
longs to the generation which grew up in
the South during and after the war, and
which has hatred for the Union soldiers
far exceeding that entertained by their
fathers who fought them in the field 1t is
analogous to that of the Northern Copper
heads, who hated and traduced the men who
were so much more unselfsh and patriotic
than they as to go to the field and fight for
the country, while they staid at home
and showed their fangs and Kissed.
Just what Enloe means by his cant
about deserving soldier" or a liberal
pension" is SO far mystery, because no man
who served on the Union side during the
rebellion has earned that praise from him,
and probably the smallest of fractional rates
OF the Pension Bureau are deemed by him
unduly liberal"
Enloe began by setting up this man of
straw, and belaboring him Justify:
want to the color of the mans eye, want
to know the complexion of the man politically
want TO the who will rise in his place here
and say that the Government shall not have the
power 10 protect its Treasury against fraud II
there is any gentleman on this side or on that who
wants TO get up and take The position before the
American people. vino Is willing o stand up in the
face Of the American people and say that the power
shall not be furnished 10 Executive officer of
fraud and against perjury and against forgery.
want to see the gentleman who has the courage TO
do ii.
Now, what was the sense of all that
brabble?
Who is there in the whole United States
who has opposed pension investigation +?
Who has Offered the slightest obstacle to
any legitimate and honest inquiry into all
the circumstances connected with pension al
lowances?
Who is there anywhere that says that
Government shall not protect itself against
fraud?
Have not the veterans and their friends,
one and all, without exception, courted in
vestigation, challenged it, and offered their
assistance in making it.?
What gigantic impudence man must
have to talk that way, in face of the we'll
known attitude of every organization of
veterans in the country and every friend
and advocate of the veterans.
Enloe is not only slanderer, but
wretched Pharisee.
He came into the House loaded to the
guards with stuff to bolster up his asser-
lions, but this was quickly riddIed by the
skilful cross-questioning of Representatives
Tawney, Mahon, Marsh, Grosvenor, and
Thomas, until he had to appeal to the
Speaker. Mr.. Marsh forced him squarely
into the admission that he was suppressip~
material facts in regard to the service of
members of the 1924 Ohio, which was one
of the main bulwarks of his speech.
An illustration of the hypocricy of his
cant about deserving soldiers and "Iiberal
pensions" was his labored attempt to show
that Justice Long was not lawfully entitled
TO even $50 month. If Justice Long is not
deserving veteran" We should like to