The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-04-11


suppose that the big-bearted, generous
American people can for a moment desire
the infiction of all this misery for the
sake of saving few paltry dollars to
the Treasury? Can we imagine that a
people so quick with lavish response to
the appeal of misery in any part of the
worldwide have sent fleets laden with
food to the starving Irish, Russians, and
Greeks-who have sent liberal gifts OF
money anywhere and everywhere that
misery called for it-wish that their own
kith and kin-their fathers and brothers,
whose patriotism saved this Government,
and whose valor they remember with
pride, so harried and girded at by want,
that not infrequently they seek relief in
selfdestruction
No, Mr.. Commissioner, ten thousand
times no.
With what feeling will they contrast
a multiplicity of incidents-more or less
resembling that of Kneipp-with the
wholly unnecessary free gift of some
$16,O00,00O to a combination of foreign
bankers?
That S16,000,000 would have paid a
pension Of IS a month for one year to
the immense number of 100000 vet
Grams, or it would have kept 10000 vet
Grams on the rolls for 10 years. Think
of that.
We earnestly solicit YOU, Mr.. Com
missioner, to consider well these impor-
tant facts. The American people will
not endure to have these men and
women to whom they owe everything
condemned to perjury and starvation
during the last years of their lives.
As the rays of the sun dissipate the
vapors of miasma, so have the revelations
of the past two years scattered the clouds
Of misrepresentation and calumny hang
ing about pensioners.
Now, will you not recognize this in its
fulness, and become what the people
eagerly desire you to be-the minister
Of their generous gratitude to every man
who, musket in hand, stood by the flag
when the Nations existence trembled in
the balance?
When you come to retire from office
the success of your administration will
not be measured by the amount of money
you have saved" the Treasury, but by
the amount of suffering you have allevi-
ated and by the extent to which you
have carried out the Nations intention
that none Of her ex-soldiers shall be de-
MED the rights the laws confer. You
will not be gagged by the number on the
pension-roll, but by the number who are
not on it but should be. That some
man may have gotten few dollars more
than strict Interpretation of the law
would give him will be of no sort of
consequence in comparison with the fact
that many have been denied rights
clearly theirs. The public has no pa
tience with huckster-stand chaffering
over the allowance to man who did
not dicker and bargain when his coun-
try needed him.
You have nearly 100 weeks of office
yet remaining to you. Will you not
make each one signalize rising tide of
activity in the allowance of pensions
Will you not make glorious use of
the remaining span of your official life
by such an acceleration of the work in
your Bureau as will insure that before
your term shall close every man and
woman in the United States entitled by
Justly liberal construction of the laws
to be on the pension-roll shall be there
at fair rates? Do you not long for the
proud distinction of handing the office
over to your successor with all its bust
ness cleared up, with every rightful case
allowed, with every deserving man and
woman on the roll, with nothing left for
him but formalities and routine, and the
sad task of recording Deaths rapid
diminution of the ranks of the pen
sioners?
This would be a great achievement
for you and give you place Of endur-