The Republican journal., 1898-01-27
The Pension Question
Discussed from the Standpoint of a Soldiers
Widow.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SPRINGFIELD
REPUBLICAN,; 1t seems a pity that near
ly 33 years after the close of the civil war
the veterans should provoke so much dis
cussion as is current in the newspapers
to-day. | have always looked on the
veterans of the civil war as body of men
quite like their fellow beings. Like other
men, they have their faults and their vir
tues. When the civil war closed they
came back to their homes, took up the
burdens of citizenship and became the
bread winners of this great nation. After
few years had elapsed, many of them,
seeing the need of organization, and with
the undefnable feeling of comradeship
engendered by years of service, allied
themselves with the Grand Army of the
Republic.
Few who have been familiar with the
work of that organization doubt the
value it has been to the veterans both
socially and morally Very likely in
many cases it has proved a powerful fac
tor i'll the matter of securing pensions for
disabled members but if such is the case
it has done far more good than harm,
even i'll that direction. Men who were
faithful in the discharge of their duty at
the front are now faithful to their duties
in caring for the aged, intirm and INDECENT
comrade, and in aiding him to secure the
pittance which shall keep him from the
almshouse in his old age.
Ne one deplores the rank injustice of
the pension laws any more than the hon
est veteran who enlisted from pure pat
riodsm, and served his country truly
without thought of future reward or gain.
l.. 4
have elapsed since the firing on Fort
Sumter, for the young and middle aged
men to deprecate the vast sums paid out
ill pensions; it is also easy for them to for
get or ignore the service done by the men
who fought from 81 to 65. 1t would
be strange, indeed, if men who saw act
ual service and have had constant OPP
portunities since the wal to witness the
evidences of weakness and infrmity of
the veterans, did not have more sympathy
for those in need than m3n who were then
babes in arms. From the veterans them
selves We should expect intelligent SYM
pathy, and while they may deplore the
loose laws which seem framed to benefit
those who should not profit by them, they
should have enough of the spirit of com
radeship to give their brother soldier the
same benefit of doubt that the common
law gives the suspected criminal.
OF course DR.. Stebbins in his capacity
as hospital steward in the 46th regiment
ia nine months regimen) and near the
close of the war as a contract surgeon at
Readville must have seen much suffering
and considerable service, therefore, his
sympathy for his comrades must be strong
What he says in regard to bad laws, poll
tics, simulated diseases and durable ones,
will, l am sure, find a responsive echo in
every honest heart, whether it beats with
III the breast Of the man who wears the
bronze button, the man who did not
accept the opportunity, or the one who
has grown to manhood since the war
closed. Many of Dr.. Stebbins' statements
are open to criticism. 1t is safe to say
that under existing laws no soldier could
secure pension upon his unsupported
testimony that he was kicked by mule.
In that case the mule would stand just as
good chance for pension as the sol
der would. | think an examination of
the records would show that quite as
many pensions were granted for ''cura-
bic diseases during Dr.. Stebbns' incum
buncy az before OF slnce.
DR., StebbinS wants the examining sur
geons to be composed, as tar as possible,
OF surgeons who served aS such during the
civil war. | do not know how many there
are LETT in Hampden county, but in
Springfield | think | am correct when /
say it would be limited 10 one man. Dr.
A. K. Rice, who was a regular surgeon in
the navy Ii the average age of the army
surgeon was % at the time of enlistment,
they would be apt to be rather an old set
OF men now. No one disputes the sound |
sense and logic of the majority of the |
statements mace by DR.. Stebbins. OF
course, he has known of the existence of |
these abuses tor many years, even when !
he was on the examining board. Prob |
ably the time to sound the war cry did !
not seem 10 be ripe until now. We all |
know there are a buses. It is shameful |
thing for men in Springfield who own fine
residences and are comparatively wealthy, |
to accept pensions, even for wounds. 1t |
is shame for a wealthy real estate owner |
to receive pension under the dependent |
pension law; ana every name ought to be !
published.
1t is also a burning shame and dis |
grace to the laws and the country for a |
veteran who served three or four years in |
a Vermont regiu ent, and who is now
utterly helpless and constantly suffering
from excruciating rheumatism contract |
ed IN the service, with a sick and totally !
helpless wife, to receive a pension which |
is not adequate to his modest house rent. |
Gases like this are among those that es-
cape notice of tie frightened taxpayer |
and the other critics. 1t may be a fad |
Just now to cite the generosity of the
government, and show up the loose laws
which are SO easy for the veteran, and SO
hard for the poor taxpayer, but there is
no teacher like exp erience. Comparatively !
few except those who have tried for wears
to secure just pensions under existing
laws, and the pension sharks who |
work for them, know how the laws are
nedged about to protect the government
instead of the beneficiary.
1t would be useless to recapitulate: the |
puolic does not know nor care how hard |
the work is for John Smith or the Widow
Jones to secure pension. They read the |
appropriations for pensions aud are
straightway scandalized. They think that
vast sum goes directly into the pockets of |
lazy, shiftless class. They are not as
far sighted as the astute deacon, who, |
when he gave so cents to foreign missions,
gave IS to get it there. Other appropria-
tions, such as clearing out western rivers
which it would be cheaper to fill up, es-
cape entirely the observation OF the man
who forgets that there was war, and real
ICES nothing of the young manhood crush
ri