The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-16
Old Soldiers Turned Down BY Nc
Kinley administration.
, COL. KAIGHN INDIGNANT
SUCH A GOVERNMENT NOT
WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
Administration Decides to Grant No
More Pensions Because the Ding
ley Law Does Not Produce Suf-
ficient Revenue-Claims of Many
Utah Soldiers Are Rejected.

"A government that will not be gen.
erous to those who defended it in time
of trouble is not worth fighting for
The above apparently unpatriotic re-
mark was not made, as some might
suppose, by some traitor to the gov
eminent. On the contrary, it was that
of a man who is honored and respected
by all who know him; man who,
when lad, went to the front and did
valiant service for his country. A man
whose patriotism has been recognized
by his comrades in choosing HIM to
the highest position in the Grand Army
of the Republic in Utah. They were the
words of the department commander,
Colonel NJ. NJ. Kaighn.
The remark was made while discuss
ing the attitude that Mr.. Mckinley and
his administration have taken relative
10 the old soldiers in the matter of
pensions. Colonel Kaighn says that un-
der the operations of the Dingley bill
the government is falling behind in its
revenue, and that to make up the de-
ficiency Mr. Mckinley is trying TO cut
down the pension list. At all events,
the government has determined that
the roll of pensions must not increase,
and the only time that there is any
show whatever to get a new name on
the list is directly after heavy death
rate among. those already on the list.
He openly charges that the administra-
ton has adopted a policy that is mig
gardly in the extreme.
Utah Gases Cited.
Colonel Kaighn cited the case of Cap
tain Slower, who died some months
ago, who was a veteran with a splendid
record, but who was allowed to die
without ever having received recogni-
ton from the government he fought
for.
There is also the case of Jonathan
Williams, who is and has been bedrid-
den for many months, suffering with
consumption. While the government
has not turned him down altogether. it
is delaying action until the chances are
that he will never be permitted to en-
joy it.
Colonel kaighn is much incensed over
the treatment the government has ac-
corded Comrade Charles d. Goodsell of
this city, who served as sergeant in the
Fifty-third Pennsylvania volunteers.
Mr.. Goodsell has a good record and is
physically a wreck, yet the admins
tration that has paraded its love for
our soldiers has refused him a pension.
A similar case is that of Comrade
Howard Ellis, the well known photog
rapher in tins city, Who is a sufferer
from both rheumatism and heart dis
ease. He, too, has been turned down
wiraout ceremony, although in every
way worthy.
All this is done, too, in the face of
the requirements of the law of June 81.
1890, which provides for pension not
S11 per month for all dis
abled veterans who served for ninety
days, whose disability comes from any
source Whatever, except where said dis
ability is the direct result of vicious or
immoral practices. In none of the cases
cited by Colonel Kaighn does that con-
dition obtain. They are all men of
good moral character, men of sober
and Industrious habits, and yet, it is
cause the Dingley law is a failure as !
revenue measure.
Veterans Union Organized.
1t is alleged that this feeling against |
the policy of the administration is not |
at all confined to- Utah, but prevails |
all over the east. So great is the indig- I
nation that it has given great impetus I
to an organization among the Grand |
Army veterans knowns as the Union |
Veterans union. Among its objects 4
are the following:
ITO exact from the government |
proper appreciation of the services of |
The Union soldier in the preservation |
If the integrity of this nation, and just |
of his claims.
Practically. as we'll as theoretically,
% secure recognition of the right of
he Union soldier to preference for po-
'itions of public trust, and for employ
nent by the government.
To support the election to positions
If public trust of the friend of the
Union soldier, irrespective OF politics or
reed, and vigorously to antasonize
very man who is inimical or even
merely Indifferent to his interests."
So far there is no such organization
n Utah, but Colonel Kaighn thinks it
o be only a matter of time when a