The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-09-22
Pension Policies.

ADMINISTRATIONS, please publish the letter
herewith so intelligent readers can form
their own conclusions Of Tvs statements
which are mostly matters Of history and
record.
II had criticised the policy of either adj.
ministration, the newspapers friendly to
the other would have published it with
alacrity, and endorsed me as an authority
in pension matters, instead Of making mer-
ry in charging me with trying to create
new party for the exclusive use Of attorneys
and advocates.
Allow me o add an extract from pri-
vate letter just received from gentleman
residing in Washington, ID. c., who saw my
letter to Senator Thurston. He says: "Your
letter to Senator Thurston Is splendid |
have many friends in the Pension Bureau
unfortunate and deplorable condition.
cannot understand the position Of the adj
ministration We expected the greatest
sympathy from the President in that de-
partment. T. j. DEAvITT.
MONTPELIER, VI, Sept. 8, 1897.
Hon. J. M. Thurston,
U. s. Senate.
DEAR SIR:-My answer to inquiries OF
anxious veterans to know what effect the
change of administration has had on PEN
sions, is a disappointment to those who had
right to expect in the new both friendly
and do-something administration. II
there has been any improvement in the
granting Of pensions the first six months of
President McKinley's administration over
the maladminit tration Of President Cleve-
land, it is too slight to mention. The great
increase OF applications for pensions by
Union veterans, who manifested lively
interest in the election of comrade McKin-
ley to his high Office, with fond hopes of his
immediate correction OF pension abuses, has
renewed activity in the Bureau Of Pensions
and in the pension boards Of examining sur
geons, while the pensions granted have been
like angels visits-few and far between.
In the domination of his desire to break
the solid South politically, President Nc
Kinley in his inaugural address departed
from the time-honored custom of Republ-
can presidents to make appreciative men,
ton Of the service Of Union soldiers in the
War Of the Rebellion and suggestion as to
pensions, and made no mention of either
Union soldiers or pensions, winning at once
the approval of pension hating newspapers
OF the South for thus silently and negative
ly approving the anti-pension policy Of
Pre- sident Cleveland; policy never before
known in the American government. A
policy which viewed in the light Of the lib.
eral pension laws enacted by both the great
political parties, unrepealed on the statutes
Of the United States, is tyrannical, with suf-
fering, sorrow and death in its results, so
wicked that God took Cleveland and scat
tered him; and when he left the Presidents
mansion at the end of his office he had no
home or party to return to, his wife and
children going one way and he another,
with the people proclaimi & "good rid
dance" President Mckinley has nowhere
ute red one word in rebuke of that policy.
He appointed as commissioner of pensions
a politician with no special knowledge of
the pension laws, a resident of the South,
where there is no desire for pensions for
Union soldiers; which is about the only
thing in this nation that those who fought
to destroy the Union do not share equally
with those who fought to save it. 1t also
LATIN OBJ lnu Atu1n tr;
otism from treason, and Abraham Lincoln
from j fferson Davis.
The Tennessee commissioner of pensioners
announces, as if with astonishment, that
there are nearly million of pensioners on
the roll. To modify the surprise such au-
nouncement might give the public. he adds
that the death-rate among them is large, IL
not gratifying. With new applications
pouring into his flee at the rate of forty
thousand month, land the work OF receiv-
away" he says, " keeps many clerks busy"
to be settled by death of applicants, he be-
lieves the high-water mark of pensions has
been reached" President Cleveland's
missioner Of pensione at the beginning Of
this anti.pension policy for four years ago,
pensions had been reached, when it was
nearly S20,000.000 higher than now, with
over 100000 pending claims awaiting adju-
dication, 10000 Of which were ready for
pension certificates to issue. Those claims
that had waited long are waiting still, ex-
cept those settled by the death application
following that announcement under the
false cry Of fraud, began the policy of cut
ting down and cutting off pensions that the
law had bestowed as vested rights on dis
ment 81 SOC, COO month, and at the end Of
the frat year OF that policy $4,000, 900 Of
the money Congress had appropriated for
pensions remained unexpended, causing
great suffering among needy veterans and
filling charity homes and poorhouses with
the defenders Of the nation, as never before
God forbid that this shall become a Repub-
lican policy, with no General John A. Logan
to expose 1t. 1t is far from being Demo-
cratic policy. The first Democratic admin
istration since the Civil War, when Presi-
dent Cleveland confined his animosity to
pensions to vetoing pension bills, increased
the annual disbursement OF pensions, " hich
had never exceeded S61 COX, 900, to $89, 0O0,.
600, and during the last four years Demo-
cratic Congress passed beneficial pension
laws and was not too dignihed to re-enact
existing pension laws TO rebuke the strange
and unlawful business carried on in the
bureau Of pensions.
The act of June 81, 1890, was little less
than a service pension law and was opposed
by congressman on the ground 1t would, ac-
cording to the estimates then made, in
crease the annual Iayment of pensions to
more than S250,0O0,0O0. The largest ap-
preparation, however, has never exceeded
S165, OO0. 900 and ia now down to $4,000
600, with more than one-half the applicants
under that act, with equal merit OF those
granted pensions, undisposed Of or rejected
by this anti-pension policy, that rejects
about nine cases in every ten, while under
all former administrations from eight to
nine pensions were granted in every ten
cases considered. A payment Of $140, 000,-
900 year under existing pension laws is in
deed small " hen we consider that the War
OF the Rebellion, the greatest of the many
centuries, was carried on by armies rivaling
in numbers the tabled hosts of Xerxes.
This is the richest nation on earth and
growing richer at the rate of $1,000, 900 a
day, with bread enough and to spare, and
corn to burn as we'll as to eat. The peo-
pie OF New York city on Easter Sunday
spent So, 000, 900 for cut flowers and $4,000
600 for chewing-gum, and S10,000,000 for
peanuts are paid annuity by our people. The
granting of pensions is like planting the
rose OF Sharon; 1t makes the desert rejoice.
The nation appreciates the patriotic devo-
ton to 10y atty and gallant heroism with
which the Union soldiers endured the hard
ships and fought the battles of their coun-
try during the War of the Rebellion to pre-
serve its existence and perpetuity as a ma
ton Of freemen, and demand that the pen
sion laws be administered in the same
humane and liberal spirit with which they
were enacted. President Mckinley can