The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-11-21

| propriate legislation that pension once
granted upon acceptable and accepted evil
dence constituted a vested right of which
the possessor could not be deprived except
| by due process Of law and we insist that
this salutary and patriotic provision shall be
carried out with the utmost good faith, to
correspond with the high character Of the
obligation recognized and owing.
No Nation that is unmindful of its duties
to ifs defenders can expect that hearty, I'M
grudging loyalty which is the pride and
glory of the American soldier, aud we de-
| mand for our comrades that just treatment
| that the country gladly comedies. No mig
gardly cutting down of pensions under the
guise of reissue; no partial and grudgiDg
allowances that cut here and pare there,
will meet with the full measure of duty
that the country owes to its surviving
heroes. Nothing short of full measure,
dealt with an honest hand and liberal
heart, will ever meet with the appreciation
of the American people, and for this we con-
fidently appeal to the grateful, patriotic
sentiment of the whole people, and earn
estly believe that our appeal will not be IN
vain.
Receding from no position that we have
heretofore taken, resffirming all our previ-
Gus declarations on the subject we specially
demand liberal and just construction of
the laws passed for the benefit of the pen
sioner, to the end that his declining years
may not be harassed with the doubts born
of distrust, or the difficulties thrown around
him by rigorous and restricted construc-
ton of laws passed in the effort to relieve
his necessities.
1t will be seen that in the above there
is not syllable against further pension
legislation. 1t is a vigorous arraign-
ment of the present policy of the Pen
sion Bureau in multiplying legislation
which has already been passed, and a
vehement call for justice and right in
the administration of the laws. So the
National Encampment understood it,
and its reading was frequently inter-
rupted by reclamation. Nor was there
the slightest opposition TO further legis-
lation in the few remarks that were
made prior to its adoption. These MAIN
ly followed the lead of Past Commander
Semple, of Pennsylvania, who felt that
the report should have urged the restora-
ton to the roll of all those who have
been unjustly deprived of their pensions.
But the National Encampment felt that
at the time it was not expedient to 60
further than to earnestly protest against
the present Interpretation and applica-
ton Of the pension laws.
When the Journal talks about its re-
curing s75,00o.o0O year to put
Service Pension bill into operation it
simply shows lamentable ignorance. A
little very simple arithmetic will show
this. There are not to exceed / 100000
ex-soldiers and sailors alive to-day who
served during the war Of the rebellion.
Quite a number of these are ineligible,
on account Of not possessing an honor
able discharge. But say that there are
just 100000. A Service Pension of
IS month is 500 year. So that if
not one Of these men were on the rolls
at any figure il would cost but S96,000,-
900 year to put every one of them on
the rolls at IS month. Any school
boy could tell this. But there are over
100000 of them already on the rolls, at
rates which vary from Sc month to
S72. Careful estimates by those best
informed on pension matters place the
cost Of carrying out a Service Pension at
not more than s30,000,0OO year at the
outset, and will this rapidly decrease.
Against this must be offset the immense
saving from the cost Of the present con-
duct of the Pension Bureau, with its I'M
ending examinations of small cases, its
army of clerks and employees, its Boards
of Pension Examiners, its appropriations
of hundreds of thousands Of dollars by
Congress for special Investigations. ETC.,
etc.
The matter Of sufficient National
revenue will be speedily settled when
sound, able men resume control of the
Government, and take the steps the
country has commanded them to take
for the restoration of prosperity and the
proper protection of our workingmeD,
farmers, manufacturers, and agricultural
industries. 1t is not necessary to ask
for increased duties to pay pensions.
They are demanded by the people as a
just and proper protection to working
men and farmers, who have suffered
intensely during the past years for lack
of them.