The Advocate and news., 1898-03-09
The Attack on the Pension Roll.

1t CRATES harshly on the ear of a vet
eran to hear some Of the language used
by men who never bore arms In their
arraignment Of the administration OF
the pension laws. These ugly attacks
usually come from men who live in fine
houses, attend club dinners and smoke
50-cent cigars.
When the election of Abraham Lincoln
was made known to the country, prep
arations at once began in the Southern
States to separate from the Union and
set up another government within the
territory of the United States The
South Carolina Legislature had bill
before it on the 10th day Of November
only a few days after the election
to raise 10000 volunteers. On the 18th
day Of the same month the Virginia
Legislature was called together and
large meeting was held at Mobile to
discuss the situation. Charleston had
similar meeting on the 18th, and the
Georgia Legislature the same day voted
a million dollars to arm the State.
And so it went on from day to day
until, on the 18th day Of February, JEFF
ferson Davis was inaugurated President
of the Confederate States Of America.
In the meantime arsenals, postotfices,
custom houses, ships, forts and army
stores belonging to the United States
had been taken by men in armed rebel
lion against the government and laws
of the country.
And when, after the bombardment Of
Sumpter, the President of the United
States called for volunteers to enforce
the laws of the Union and to regain pos
session Of government property, the men
whom these GROWERS are now swapping
and snarling at dropped everything and
answered the country's call. Seventy
five thousand, hundred thousand, three
hundred thOusand-in the end nearly
three million-of these loyal men made
soldiers of themselves and through them
and their services during those four
years of dreadful war the union was
preserved and Webster's prediction full
filed
And now, when the survivors Of that
grand army of the republic are falling
out Of these ranks at the rate of 10000
year, and those still living average
sixty years Of age, they are obliged to
listen to these modern copperheads
whining because appropriations for pen
sions are large.
A few weeks ago the Advocate and
News published table showing that the
payments of interest money to the few
holders Of our bonds have amounted to
over thousand million dollars more
than all the pensions paid to the up
ward Of two million soldiers, their wild
Ows and orphans.
Why don't these fellows howl at the
coupon clippers? The greenbacks--the
soldiers money-were deprecated in or
der to create market for the bonds"
80 said John Sherman in a speech sub
mitted to the United States Senate on the
18th day Of December 1867. Then Con-
gress arranged for funding the war debt
into coin bonds, and by 1882 the bonds
that had cost about 60 cents on the
dollar were selling at 125. During the
years from 1880 to 1890 the premium
paid by the government in buying its
bonds before they were due amounted
to upward of 100000, 900, and the interest
that had been advanced on bonds not
due had reached $66,OO0,OOO. During the
years 1894 and 1895, bonds amounting to
$262, 400 were sold without authority
of Congress, then in session, in order to
accommodate few spectators, and
these soldier-haters looked on and said
never word. Indeed, one Of them,
Joseph Pulitzer, by name, invested, or
offered to invest, million dollars in
these Wrongfully issued bonds.
Who has ever heard one Of these high
steppers complain of anything that goes
to help the class that hired substitutes
during the time that fighting was going
on?
If ever Populists get power, good
part of the pension money will come
out of the incomes of these hypocrites.