The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-10-24
THE CASE we'll STATED
BY a Democratic Soldier Who
Lost His Pension.
TAKEN FROM HIM BY Roke SMITH.

Wss Granted . Pension of o1a Month
IS Under q Republican Administration
and Continued to Draw 1t Until the
Cleveland Administration Came Ipto
Powsr-Clear Statement of Facts.
A soldier whose pension Of s1s per
month has been taken from him makes
the following statement:
"When ] enlisted in the army in 1851
I was Democrat because my father
was Democrat and had just votod
once. served from 1861 to 1866 and
tried to do my duty, and after four
years. service was discharged and was
In fairly good shape physically. A few
years after the war, however, the effects
of my hard service commenced telling on
me and I was attacked by rheumatism,
indigestion and a general breaking down
Of MY whole system. I did not apply
for pension as long as I could make a
living by hard work, but when tho law
Of June ~, 1890, was passed, made
application and in a few months was
granted a pension of $12 per month, un-
der the Republican administration. I
continued to draw this pension until the
Cleveland administration came in power
when I was notified by Hoke Smith that
medical evidence on file in the pension
department showed that was not dis
abled in q pensionable degree" That
was lie, for had not applied for an
increase Of pension and had not filed
any medical evidence. At that time I
could not do any hard work ON account
of rheumatism and other troubles, and
as was given 30 days to file evidence to
show "why I should not be dropped
from the pension rolls" Immediately
got good affidavit from my family
physician stating that / was disabled
from performing manual labor" and
forwarded 1t to the pension department.
In few weeks received notice from
Hoke Smith & Company that the medi-
Cal evidence was not sufficient to reopen
my case and my name was dropped
from the rolls. I was still voting the
Democratic ticket and believed that the
party was in favor of "liberal pensions
to the Union soldiers" as they had been
declaring in their party platform. But
when Hoke Smith was appointed soon
learned that all these promises were lies
and only made to catch the soldiers
vote, for the Democrat party as party
are opposed to pensions, and they have
demonstrated this by the wholesale re-
lection and taking away of pensions
from thousands of soldiers.
I am now voting the Republican
ticket, and for the only party that ever
did anything for the Union soldiers, and
I hope every Democratic soldier will do
the same.
No soldier or colored man has any
good reason for voting the Democratic
ticket, for they are against us every
time and only lie to US during the cam
paign to get our votes.
1t is not altogether the question of
pensions that agitates and alarms the
soldier, but the studied and persistent
efforts Of those in power in the Demo-
cratic party to lessen the value of his
service and debase him in the eyes of
the nation. The Union soldier is proud
of his service, proud of his scars, proud
of his achievements upon the field of
battle and proud Of the flag, the emblem
of his nationality and the record of his
country's glory. His love Of country is
as pure, disinterested and answering
now as it was in the dark days of the
rebellion, when it was threatened with
disruption and ruin, and if the neces-
sites of the country require it at his
hands, he would voluntarily surrender
his nensiOn as cheerfullv as he risked
his life upon Southern battlefelds in
defense Of the Union, but he will repel
the cowardly and wanton attacks of
Democratic backstabbers upon his honor
and patriotism with all the strength of
manhood, and future elections will
show that he can fight the battle of the
polls as vigorously and successfully as
he battled with the Southern Democracy
in the days of their iniquitious efforts
to destroy the Union.
"Pensions Granted Ohio Soldiers"
Tn the nawsnaDarS all oyer Obio xva