The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-03-11
PENSION LEGISLATION.

Il
legislation before it has died with it
This includes the Per Diem Bill, which
had progressed so far as to receive a
favorable report from the House
Committee on Invalid Pensions; the
Picker Pension Bill, which was passed
by the House in its first session and
was quietly slain in the Senate by the
anesthesia Of pigeon-hole in the rooms
Of the Committee on Pensions; and
many other measures of more or less
merit and importance.
Consequently, all pension measures
for the next Congress must be begun
anew. 1t is of the highest importance
that we begin at once to make mp our
minds exactly what we want, formulate
the measure, and unite solidly in a de-
mand for it. We can only get what we
want by united effort. Nothing is so
| fatal to all pension legislation as any
| division, or seeming division, of mind
among the veterans as to what legisla-
ton they desire. This is instantly taken
advantage of by our enemies, and many
| of our professed friends, to defeat any
and all pension legislation.
There are many more men than any
of the comrades suspect who are only
too glad of an excuse, however flimsy,
to vote against pension legislation.
Nothing pleases them better than to
find any symptoms of disagreement
among the comrades, and they encour-
age and exaggerate it to the utmost.
This was the main reason of the fail
ure of any Service Pension legislation
by the recent Congress.
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE correctly
divided the situation before Congress
began its session. We saw very clearly
not only the imperative needs of the
comrades who had not received any
pensions, though their claims had been
pressed for years, but also that the only
hope for them lay in the prompt pas
sage of a straight Service Pension Bill,
which would give every one at once at
least So month, until fuller and more
adequate measures could be passed. AS
we clearly explained at the time, our
intention was to get this bill through,
and then, when things were more pro-
pitious, to secure additional legislation,
including the Per Diem features, the
addition to the disability ratings, etc.
1t was, in fact, The NATIONAL TRIBUNE
Per Diem Service Pension Bill, which
we have been advocating for years, di-
vided, SO that the foundation principle
could be adopted first and the supple
mental part later.
Ii, as we stronly urged then, the
veterans had solidi6ed upon this and
earnestly urged its passage we could
have had every honorably-discharged
veteran in the country in receipt of
pension of IS a month more than year
ago, and now be ready to take up the
Per Diem feature and the additional
to disability" etc, and press them. But
this was not done, the seeds of discussion
were sown, the result was the introduc-
ton of the bill to make the minimum So
month, with the Per Diem added for
service longer than three months.
Whatever may be the merits of such
measure Its introduction was fatal to
any hopes of Service Pension legisla-
ton. 1t was pushed just far enough in
Congress to distract and divide the CON-
rades, and then, having served its pur-
pose, it was allowed to sleep quietly on
the calendar until the end came.
We do not mention this for the pur-
pose of animadversion. We recall it in
sorrow, as the losing Of whatever oppor-
tunity We had, and something to be
avoided in the future.
Had we seen any chance for success of
the Per Diem Bill. we should had have
advocated it with all our power, because
we believe that even So month is
much better for the comrades than moth
ing, and We should have hoped to raise
the rating in the future.