The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-03-23
[Conttnaicd from an maze. |


ed Governor Rich and Secretary Of State
Washington Gardner entered and were
heartily cheered as they took their places on
the platform. Each of these gentlemen
entertained the audience with a few happy
and earnest thoughts.
L. N. WALKER.
Senior Vice Commander-in-chief Walk
er, of Indianapolis, was introduced next.
He said that the country's best arms were
its schools; its best protection, Its homes;
and its safety, the intelligence of the masses.
In the G. A. II. they had representatives
of all political parties. But there was a
class of men who were not represented.
This was the anarchists. Only loyal men
were there. The speaker further said that
there was no room in this broad land for the
man who did net like this country and II he
did not like it he had better leave. Only
those who wished to improve were wanted
here, A glowing tribute was also paid to
| the army nurses who followed the soldiers
into the field and who saved so many lives
| by their efficient care.
WEDNESDAY EVENING
At the armory Wednesday evening the
crowd was even greater than on Tuesday
and the enthusiasm more apparent as the
| speakers touched on the topics so near to
the welfare of the old soldier.
| Past Department Chaplain White made a
| fervent prayer and President Parkill said
| that as they came together to light another
campfire after the glorious blaze of the pre-
yious evening, he knew that it would take
but little to fan the embers into flame and
| the battles could be fought oyer again so
| wildly that we of the younger generation
who had never formed In line could get
sparks of enthusiasm that would make the
| love we had for them and for the country
stronger, still stronger. We loved them
because OF the dangers they had undergone
and hope they love us because we honor
them. "Yours is the joy of recollection OF
valiant deeds; ours looking at the brave
example, an inspiration for purer politics
and better government" He called upon
wM. sHAKEsPEARE
to lay on the first fagot and he did it and
did 1t so grandy that it will not be soon
forgotten. In part he said:
think can speak impartially on pensions,
for l now draw one. l have drawn one since
1864 and, frankly, l expect to draw one so long
as l live, provided the government helped
save continues to be worth saving.
II the President of the United States can,
from his high and exalted position, destroy the
love and confidence that the country had and
still has for the patriots who offered their all
| that the country might live, then woe TO this
country, then goodbye to patriotism, goodbye
to liberty, bood-bye to republican form of gov
eminent. (Applause.)
| But, my fellow citizens, in all candor / do not
| think the man who has ordered the return of
the flags captured in battle from rebels in arms
| against the union, or who ordered old glory to
| be taken down from the government building at
Honolulu, that freedom-loving people had aised,
| or who says in a message to Congress that
thousands of neighborhoods have their we'll
| known fraudulent pensioners" will be capable
| OF destroying the love that our countrymen have
for their citizen soldiers
| If the Pre- sident does not furnish the proof of
| his terrible statements, terrible because of the
| honorable Office he fills, then all honest men
| must turn from him with contempt and scorn as
| one who must go down into history as the mon
umental liar of the nineteenth century. (Cheers.)
| And now for the man whom this monumental
accident and fraud appointed pension commits
| sioner who was to be the eagle eye to ferret out
| fraud, who discovered out of the thousands of
| well known pension frauds" that one man in
| Michigan with his arm off above the elbow and
| a running wound in another part of his body
| was drawing $22 per month more than this man
| Lochren an ex-parte examination of the files
| thought he ought to have and which had been
granted to him on full examination. Is that
| the kind of fraud the President referred tor
| But we are told that Commissioner L0chren had
| a good record as soldier and that he gained
| imperishable renown at Gettysburg So much
| the more shame for him. If he had died on the
field of battle he would have left an honorable
name. tremendous applause)
| You are well acquainted with a gallant and
| intrepid soldier who in the assault on Quebec
| gained renown and an honorable wound, and
| who at the battle Of Saratoga made name that
| history might have been proud of, one that
| American patriots would have gloried In for all
| time, one on whom the Continental Congress
| heaped honor upon honor and yet he betrayed
| his comrades and country at West Point. Who
| does not know the fate of poor Major Andre and
| that he suffered an ignominious death because
| of the treason of gallant and brave soldier?
| Mrs General Picket, who holds government
| clerxship, whose husband was a prominent
| rebel general and who led the famous charge at
| Gettysburg that, had it been successful would
undoubtedly have made the rebel cause tri
umphant, draws Mexican Widows pension.
| DO Locnren or Cleveland go wild over that pen
sion and many others of the same lSinds Ipause
for an answer. "a voice: mot they.'D
The average pension under the general law is
sl57 65 per year, or a little oyer Si2 per month
| But this same commissioner tells us he
| dropped 49, 800 from the rolls in 1893; 25,005 by
] death If death does not call any faster for re.
cruits in twenty eight years the last old soldier
will have ceased to draw pension. Then these
men, Cleveland and Lochren. if alive might re-
| joice that what they have tried to accomplish
| time did with sure and certain hand. There
| are on the pension rolls ten persons drawing 81
per month. There are 1914 drawing 50 per
| MONTH some at S2.25, $3.50, 81 49, 500 at 49,
| some at S3.12K 10 at S3.75 nearly $4,000 at 81
per month"; or 1886 different ratings. What sort
of disability could man be rated at 81 per
month, or s266 23s
| JUDGE c. ID. LONG
gave careful review of the pension ques-
ton and as he proceeded he showed how
| near to his heart were his old comrades and
the terrible insults heaped upon them by
Lochren made his blood boil. He will take
his case which was not for himself but for
comrades from Maine to California who
have sent letters by the hundreds and thous-
ands during the last two months, to the
highest tribunal He has answered