The National tribune., 1896-04-30

Oregon the " Flower Spot" of all the country /
passed through.
There is certainly great future for this
country. rs il has all the natural resources
that any country is in need OF, and the climate
is superb.
OF course. / was somewhat homesick for a
while, but ! expect to make this my future
home. Any one desiring to know more of
Oregon, can write mc Your &C. friend
c. Ranking, Yoncalla, Ore.
AN OPEN LETTER.
To The President IF Loyal Home I'mkers:
There is that scattereth yet increaseth !;
and there is that withholdeth more than is
meet. which tends TO poverty"
This is the Bible quotation to which THE
/ NATIONAL TRIBUNE Of recent date calls the
/ attention Of tho Nations representatives.
Does The NATIONAL TRIBUNE mean there
is that scattereth wretchedness broadcast
among the helpless that increaseth their de-
spair because il is universally Endorsed by
silencc2
Surely this must be the true Interpretation
of the text. or IL could not apply with such
exact fitness to the situation of those aged and
! gricf-striclcH veterans, who have no more boys
for sacrifice in case of war, or TO vote those
Congressional Representatives, into office.
Once upon a time the press was filled with
laudation af a pension bill that would shower
innumerahlc blessings Oh the dependent parents
of deceased soldiers. They were assured of
the Nations care in headline, chapter, and
verse.
Then a great hush fell around these old
folks without a home, whose mission of useful
ness to country and office seekers had been
acrom pished They dropped out of language
as well as the newspaper columns. Even those
clerCvmen who preach Memorial Day sermons.
Only invoke Divine protection for dependent
wives aud children OF comrades who have
answered the last roll call. Then they stop rs
if they bad hrnat trouble.
/ have listened and searched Tor five years,
but have nei her heard prayer nor read
plea for any kind OF recognition of these surplus
fathers and mothers. except the few residing
in State or National Homes. What is the cause
OF this reiiccnce? Is il shame, because there
is that withholdeth more than is meet that
tendeth to dire poverty and neglect of those
almost in the shadowy valley to poverty of
heart and poverty Of patriotism?
Loyal Home Worker.
INEQUALITY OF PENSIONS.
DEAR I.HW. AND &C: Yesterday picked
up an old newspaper and about half way down
a column my eye fell the following words
in large type: What miserable. mean Gov
ernment we have got" Instantly the patriot
ism in me, and | am brim fnl of IT, took ofIense,
and went right 10 the foot OF the article 10 see
who was thus maligning 9 Uncle SAM" and dis
covered the writer to be " Bah" j thought it
could not be so very dreadful if it was from
Bab's" pen. so went on to read
The Army is, 10 degree, our aristoCracy.
We want the who 20 from West Point to
4 be a credit 10 rs, and TO be spoken Of wherever
! they may be American gentlemen. And
! what do we doe when j say We mean the
I Government.l Expect them 10 live well, en-
/ terrain well, dress well. And for this they are
giren-well, rot the amount of money that a
I In 7 ir a
| ] could not help saying Amen to this.
| There is no other country that love much,
4 yet 10 is q burning disgrace that actual parsi-
| mony is embodied in the matter of officials
salaries Not only does this hold good in the
treatment Of the Army, but after a soldier has
become disabled so that he has TO be discharged
so broken in health that be cannot earn a
liYing-what does this great Government do
but refuse to pension hin, except in approx
mately rare cases.
1 Or, IL a pension is granted, il Is done after
I long delay. and tie pttance raises his ire in
stead OF his gratitude. As one lady rcms rked
to me- it was nothing but an insult to give
hun ther hnsland) SO paltry sum for his
great disabilities"
Then, too. there is such discrimination in
the granting OF pensions. The most prompt
and munificemt of these given to those
must unworthy. Three petitioners present
themselves 10 my mind. The first, that Of
1 soldier who responded TO the call OF '6l. and
! who was in active service in varions capacities
until the close of tie rebellion in 20. As long
/ as he had the strength TO earn living FOR him
self AID those depending him, he asked
nothing Of the Government; but at last sick
ness and other misfortune overlook him, and
nearly six years ago he asked FOR help. Dad he
/ get it2 Not he; is he likely to do So and
had it not beeH for tue kindness of ngighb0r
! in advancing supplies he and his family would
I..-n ss~alf In Wftsse l.-.
necessities Of life.
More than The potato bin has been
empty, the pork barrel the same, and the last
4 dust OF -four used up. But, thanks to
1 Uncle Sam, before the family became very
/ hungry there was something else to cat. Yet
4 ia this family patriotism is their religion The
4 battles, three and five years old, know how TO
sing Tramp, Tramp, Tramp" and Marching
1 Through Georgia" and they look at the pict-
ures in THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE, asking
which are the old rebels" aud which are the
nice soldiers with blue clothes. like papa"
Within stones throw Of this mans house
lived anol her soldier no served 80 days in the
war Of the rebellion, and whose papers were in
suci a shape that ie could not gam ADM ttance
4 into Grand Army Post. Less Than a year ago
he died. His widow is able bodied, in vigorous
1 health, with no one depending on her. She is
undeserVing in the extreme, having a scanda-
/ lOus tongue that will blachen the character Of
even her OWN mother and sisters. This woman
| immediately applied for pension, and the
/ Comm issioner. like the unjust Judge gave her
/ "A good sum. = because of her much asking" At
least. that is the only apparent reason: that
very apparent
The third case is that Of lady in delicate
health. who las two little girls depending upon
her. Her husband WAS prominent i'm Grand
1 Army circles. having been Department officer
several times. The character Of this lady is
above rcproach. ! have known her personally
for 10 years. and never knew word or act OF
hers at all unworthy OF perfect lady When
| her husband died. little more than a year
since she applied for pension, but her apni.
cation rejected the ground that she had
too much property. The property brought her
no income, and how she can live is a problem
wish Mr.. Lochren would solve.
These examples Of discrimination arc not
overdrawn nor in the least highly colored. i
can furnish names il desired and the facts caii
be verified by responsible parties. May June.
PASSING ~ REVIEW.
Mary A. Stewart Ruff Colo writes that her
beloved husi and. Elisha C. Stewart veteran
OF 20. r. ftb Iowa, who served four years and
two months. was in 70 engagements and
marched with Sherman 10 the Sea. answered TO
the last roll call on earth March % 1896. She
asks the sympathy and prayers OF all TIE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE family, aud will not be
disappointed
John A. sOldner, who is enrolled in the Con.
} vefEation Club. is interested ia drawing, and
would he glad to hear from others who draw
Also exchange postal autographs. His sisters
! Mary A and Ella A Solducr yYould like a "