The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-25
BRYAN ON PENSIONERS.

Whatever else may be Sal0 OF the
Republican party, no foe, however Bit
ter can charge it with any want OF
patriotism. 1t is loyal to the idea OF
government of the people, intensely
loyal to an undivided national union OF
states. 1t is therefore as party the
first and most pronounced friend Of the
ex-Union soldier. No other political
marty of this country makes the SOL
dier's welfare a principal tenet All
the pension laws are of Republican In
spiration and origin. Republican con-
crosses and administrations have alone
increased and broadened the scope OF
pension legislation and appropriations
Did they dare both the Democratic
and Populist parties would not only de-
nounce the pension policy of the gov
eminent. but would scale it down and
finally cut it Off. These are facts or
universal knowledge. A Democrat
ex-Union soldier would not trust his
own party with his pension. Cleve-
land. the only Democrat president since
the war;, who in not being a soldier Is
an impossible pensioner, has not only
criticized and slurred the pensioner,
but so far as he could by his official
acts he has attempted to deprive them
Of their legal status and claims.
Bryan, the present nominee Of the
Democrat, was not a soldier. He was
too young, but his prejudices against
the soldier are those Of Cleveland and
his party. Bryan does not talk of pen
sions. nor Of what the country owes
the ex-Union soldier. In truth he does
not talk any Democratic tradition or
holding save that of free coinage OF Sill
ver,-which is repudiated by many OF
his party as Populistic. But Bryan
has talked in the past. He has record
on the subject of pensions. He was
at one time an editor. His paper was
the Omaha World Herald. On No
yember IS, 1882, when he was dong
the editorial work ON that paper, he
took up the question of pensions and
here is what he said:
The next session of congress will have to
wrestle with one deficiency of $S6,OoO,ooO.
This is on account of pensions. The ap-
propriat.ons for pensions for the next year
must not be less than 100000. 1t is
therefore easy arithmetic TO perceive that
the appropriation that congress must
mako for pensions next session must ag-
gregate not less than s1Ss,ooo,ooo.
This tremendous sum would in itself Do
enough to run a reasonable government.
One would not complain If IL were an
honest debt, but a large proportion is not
debt. because it was never earned by any
act of patriotism or heroic service The
government is held up and despoiled Of no
mean portion of this, and it seems help
less to defend itself. One cannot help
heing curious to know how many more
wears it viii take to exhaust the genera
ton which feels itself injured by the war.
II is safe to say that never did a genera
tiou display such remarkable longevity.
That was William Jennings Bryan
before he dreamed Of running for pres
ident The sneer, the uncalled for
slur. the ill-concealed regret that so
many of the preservers OF the nation
should still be living shows where his
heart, what kind of a patriot he is, and
where he would be in the hour OF the
coslntry's extremity should he at such
time be the occupant of the White
II