The National tribune., 1895-10-24
WHAT'S aJUSTTCE-9

4
her battles by land and sea, and towart
their widows and orphans.
This is exceedingly necessary now
We are hearing much Of this justice nov
on the stump and in the papers w
shall hear more of it this Winter in tn,
speeches and debates in Congress. Every
body says We should have "justice," bu
peoples ideas as to what constitutes jus
tice have as wide-ranging latitude a!
their ideas as to what constitutes temper
ance, "sound money" and protection
to our industries
We must begin by formulating among
ourselves distinct outline of what con-
stitutes the basic elements of justice, and
arraying ourselves solidly in an unwaver.
ing demand for that much at least. Only
in this way can we hope to secure any
thing. BY united effort we can get
all that we ought to have.
If one group of veterans in one State
demands one thing, and another in an
other State something else, we shall get
absolutely nothing. Congress and the
press will be only too glad to play us off
against one another, and make this a
pretext for refusing us anything at all.
We have had this experience SO often
that it has been indelibly burned into
our memories. How often have we
seen it that where there were perhaps
1000 comrades fully agreed as to one
thing, 10 or 90 chronic kickers would
demand something entirely different,
and the papers and politicians who did
not want to give us anything would in
dnstriously pretend that the 10 or 20
were as numerous as the 1000, that
they were "more truly representative
veterans" and SO on, endlessly.
We have now the people more
strongly in our favor than ever before,
and We are more closely united among
ourselves, but there is still very much
to be done to put ourselves in the best
shape for securing our rights.
Let us, therefore, without delay, decide
upon certain things which we must have,
and let every comrade, from Maine to
California, and from the Lakes to the
Gulf, join heartily in demanding these
things. Let the public, the press, the
politicians, the office-holders, hear the
same demand everywhere. Let it be
talked, written and urged, as if there
were nothing else in the minds of the
comrades, nothing less will satisfy them,
and that they are firm in the belief that
that is what the country owes them. If
this is done there is no doubt of success.
If we begin upon it now, we will convince
the members of Congress-who are vet
at home among their constituents, and
now actively naingling with them-that
they must take suitable action this Win
ter, and we shall have made long step
towards securing our rights and bringing
relief to our suffering comrades.
What we want first, is Legislation
which viii make really effective the Dis
ability Act of June q, 1890. We want
the Juggling with and notification Of that
act peremptorily stopped, and every man
entitled to its benefits given them at
once, without future quibbling or delay.
We want that law directed to be carried
out In the fullest meaning and sense
given It when it was enacted into law.
We want its shon and clipped dimen-
sions restored to its original form and
scope, and the men who have been un-
Justly denied the rights it conferred upon
them restored to its benefits
This is imperative.
Next, we want q Universal Service
Pension.
We want every man who honorsbly
served the country in the army or navy
put at once on the pension-roll at at least
So month.
The time has come for this. Almost
the lifetime of generation has elapsed
since the close Of the war. Every man
who followed the Flag then has passed
the meridian of life, and reached the age
when be has the right to expect from the
Government that provisiuu for his de-