The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-30
SIS OR SIG A MONTH";

| ldNOT IL Service eslSlou NIlie 10 US III =
ing that we change the rating from IS a
month to SO.
While we believe as firmly as they do
that SO a month is none too much, we
are quite as firmly of the opinion that
such a change would not be wise.
The all-important thing is to get a
Service Pension Bill through this Win
ter, so as to give immediate relief to all
those comrades who are not likely to get
any pensions at all during the continu-
ance Of the present Administration.
Everything should be subordinated
to this urgent necessity. There are
fully 100000 comrades who are receiv-
ing no pensions at all, who deserve and
need them, whose applications are on
| file in the Pension Bureau-tens of
thousands of them lying there for years
and who stand the slimmest chance
of relief until the Administration
changes. The condition of the greater
part Of these deserving veterans is deeply
deplorable. 1t was expected that they
would all be given relief by the passage
of the Disability Act of June q, 1890,
but this expectation has been wofully
disappointed by the Interpretation placed
upon that law. Since that interpreta-
ton cannot be changed before March 4,
1897, it is highly important that other
steps be taken to give them the relief
denied them. There are tens Of thou
sands of other comrades who are on the
rolls, but who live in daily dread that
the hard Interpretation of the law will
be extended to their cases and they will
be dropped.
The passage of Service Pension Bill
will bring immediate and great relief to
both these classes. BY making an al
lowance of at least So month manda-
tory to every man who served so days
and was honorably discharged it will,
without further delay, put upon the roll
at that rate every one of those 100000
long waiting comrades, and it will assure
those already On the rolls at that rate
that their pensions shall not be taken
away from them. 1t seems clear to US
that so important an object as this should
at once enlist the heartiest enthusiasm Of
every veteran and friend of the veterans.
But in order to secure this object we
must move with the greatest care and
circumspection, as well as with entire
unanimity among ourselves. We must
not allow any division of councils In
our own camp. We must unite on a
bill as unobjectionable as it can be pos
sibly made. We must have every pos
sible argument in its favor. This is
secured by making the rate one of So
a month, which is the same as that
granted by the Government to all who
served in Its previous wars. This fact
alone will be most potent in disarming
objections to the bill in the minds Of
the Senate aad the Chief Executive,
while an increase of the rate to S12 a
month would arouse many obstacles to
give US trouble, and might prove fatal
to success.
1t will be infinitely easier to get an
IS month bill through now and then
raise the rate afterward to S12 than it
will be to begin with so a mouth
rate. We think that every camrade
will coneede this.
The main thing is to get the Service
Pension principle established as basis
for further legislation. We are so reso-
Lutte in this that we would accept a Sc a
month rate, if we could not do better, in
order to establish the principle, and give
Immediate help to those veterans who are
getting nothing. But we do not think
this at all necessary. If we can get any,
thing we can get IS, and we can get IS
without doubt, if every veteran in the
United States, and all his friends, will
unite solidly in demand for the passage
Of such bill. Let us have this done
at once, comrades
Everybody fall into line under this SIS
q month standard.
PETITIONS FOR A SERVICE PENSION.