The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-09-14
FAVOR LIBERAL PENSIONS
REPORT or COMM TTEE OF EACH
STATE AT 1HE ENO.AlIPMENT.

II NSuihoh ~ oiiNN w hiSA NSNAN
Deprive the Provisions Made for the
Soldiers Widow and orphans-A spirited
Debate Regarding an Act Imposing a
Penalty for Violation of the Veterans
Pension Law-Indianapolis viii be the
Headquarters.
Louisville, Sept. 13.-When the dele
gates to the G. A, r. national encamp-
ment reassembled to-day several hum
dred failed to respond to the roll and
the absentees were roundly scored by
Colonel Lawler, who objected to the
drudgery of the work being left for
few. The report of the committee on
pensions composed of one report from
each state was listened to with pro-
found attention. In part it was as fol-
lows:
The G. A. r. in national encampment
convention speaking not in its own be-
half nor in anywise for its own inter-
ests, but for its needy, worthy, and
suffering comrades, who, in the days
of their youth gave to their distressed
| country all that they had and held dear
| in order that the nation might be pre-
served intact and that the sunlight of
| liberty might shine undimmed through
out the land, appealing to the people
solemnly protests against policy which
would deprive, diminish or impair the
| liberal provisions made during the past
| thirty years for the men who had borne
! the battle and for his widow and or
| phans In recognition of the sacred trust
| imposed upon them by the immortal
| Lincoln and the unselfish services rem
| dered A grateful people had striven
| for a third of a century to measurably
| relieve the sufferings of its distressed
veterans and make recompense for the
| trials they endured and the services
they rendered. Wise and liberal con-
struction had prevailed, in accordance
with recognized legal principles appli-
cable to remedial legislation so that
the remedy sought to be provided should
be finished and the trust so imposed and
recognized fully and faithfully carried,
but as the years have passed, the
| smoke of battle blown away, and the
war itself become a memory, a genera
tion has come on, knew not Joseph
and in some quarters the soldier has
come to be looked upon somewhat in the
light of burden instead of great
and patriotic privilege as he should
still appear when viewed in his true
character. Deferring to this view
wholly unworthy of a. great and pat
riotic eople--constructions have been
given to laws by and under which bur
| 4 +,,io hor hao i'm.
posed upon those ill-able to stand ur
J under them, and the Just provisions
, authorized have been grudgingly doled
, out as though laws passed in the IN
terest of the pensioner as just rec
ognition of the obligations of the coun
try were criminal laws to be strictly
! construed and the beneticiares thereof
were public enemies or parasites seek
ing unjust admission to the treasury O.
the United States.
!, The representatives of the people II
$ congress, recognizing the deep senti
s ment of gratitude which justly per
G vades the entire community when re
| moved from the insolence of office sol
, emnly declared by appropriate legisla
G ton that a pension once granted upol
+ acceptable and accepted evidence con
n stituted a vested right of which th
q | possessor could not be deprived eX
: | cept by due process of law and w
insist that this salutary and patrioti
: | provision shall be carried out with tn
a utmost good faith to correspond wit
the high character of the obligation
c recognized as owing. No nation tha
q is unmindful of its duties to it's de
!, tenders can expect that hearty, un
! grudging loyalty which is the pride an
4 glory of the American soldier and w
demand for our comrades that jus
treatment that the country gladly con
- cedes. No niggardly cutting down @
a pensions under the guise of reissues
4 no partial and grudging allowance tha
:, cut here and pare there will meet tn
:, full measure of due that the countr
owes it's surviving heroes Nothin
short of full measure dealt with a
, honest hand and a liberal heart wi
=, ever meet the appreciation of the An
- erican people and for this we conf
=, IDENTIFY appeal to the grateful, patriot
| sentiment of the whole people and carr
estly believe that our appeal will ne
be in vain. Receding from no pos
ton heretofore iaken, reaffirming a
our previous declar atoms on the sui
ject we specially demand liberal an
,t just construction of the laws passe
for the benefit of the pensioner to til
,e end that his declining years may NJ
~ be harassed with debts, born of distru:
or the difficulties thrown around hi
IL by a rigorous and restructed constru
i'd ton of laws passed in the effort
E. relieve his necessities.
Comrade Sample of Pennsylvania d.
al clared that the report did not go fs
e. enough. The encampment should d
90 mand the restoration of every vetera
IN dropped from the rolls with the pa,
Id ment to him of every dollar of wfic
he he had been unlawfully deprived. TIL
a. sentiment was cheered, but the repo
Id was adopted.
to There was a spirited debate over
lie | resolution praying congress to pass
Us law imposing penalty for violation
n the veterans pension law. The con
e, mittee reported against the resolutio
i'll but General Adams of Massachusett
Id Mr.. Anderson of Washington, Corpor
Tanner of New York, and Mr.. Tow,
as send of Ohio made forcible speech