Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-09-19
G. A. R. ON PENSIONS.
DECLARE THAT OLD SOLDIER Is
LOOKED UPON AS A BURDEN.
Constructions Have Been Givcn to Laws
by which Unjust Restrictions Have
Been imposed Week of Testivity
Brought to a Close by a Barbecue.

Louisville. Ky, Sept 13.-At 10 o'clock to-
night when the bugle was sounded for the
grand march Of one of the most brilliant
balls ever given in the South, the Grand
Army encampmcnt of 20 passed into his
tory Eight thousand of the leading cit-
zcns of Louisville and visitors from abroad
participated i'm the function.
when the delegates reassemblcd to-day
the report of the committee on pensions
was presented. In part ii was as follows;
"rhc Grand Army of the Republic, in
national encampmcnt convened, speaking
not in its own behalf nor in any wise for
its own interests but for it's worthy, needy
and suffering comrades, who. in the days
OF their youth, gave to their distressed
country all that they had and all That
they held dear in order that the Union
might be preserved intact, and that the
sunlight of liberty might shine undimmed
throughout the whole land they loved IN
all its parts, appealing to the whole peo-
pie for justice, soemnly protests against
policy which would deprive, diminish or
impair the liberal provisions made during
the past thirty years for the man who had
| borne the battle, and for his widow and
orphans.
In recognition of the sacred trust inn
| posed upon them by the immortal Lin
coin ana the unseItish services rendered,
4 grateful people has strVen for a third
of century to measurably relieve the
suffering of its distressed veterans and
make recompense for the trials they had
endured and the services they had rem
dcrod. But as the years have passed,
! the smoke of battle blown away. and the
war itself become a memory and passed
into history. a generation has come on
that knew not Joseph, and in some quar-
tiers the old soldier has come to be looked
upon some what in the light Of burden
instead of great and patriotic privilege,
as he should still appear when viewed IN
his true character. Defcrring TO this
vew-whoily unworthy Of great ana pat
rotic NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. nave been
given to laws, wise and in themselves
by and under which buri ems ana restric,,
tons nave been imposed upon tHoSe III
able to stand up under theh' ana the
just PROVISIONS authoEZed nave n'rIl
-grudgngly doled out as though laws
passed IN the INTERESTS Gl tnG pFilSo"ot
aS just recognition OF the oDnsauohS OF
*le country were cFIlhinAl laws 10 ne
strictly construed ana the pehelclaIt
thereof were enemies or parasites seek
ing unjust admission to the treasury OF Ihe
United states.
Preceding from no position heretofore
taken, rea1lmm!ng all our previous declar-
ati0ns ON the subject, we specially demand
a liberal and just construction OF tn" laws
passed for the benefit or the pensloner 10
the end that his declining years may not
be hara@sed with debts born Of d.Slrust
or the difficulties thrown around him by Il
rigorous and restricted construction of
laws passed in the effort to relieve his
necessities"
The repo1- was unanimously adopted.
The list of officers for the ensuing year
was completed by the selection of J. Il.