The National tribune., 1900-02-15

| tleTe tlldt tnere was even Il SuSpiclOu OF.
| ] know from my own observation and from
the letters have received for many years
and the men with whom l have come i'll
personal contact that there are infinitely
more men off the roll who ought to be on
than there are men on who ought to be off.
Mr.. President. neither am ! one of those
who are frightened at the fact that we are
| paying S14O,O0O,00O year. We had the
greatest war of modern times. We had the
greatest army of any modern time. and we
| had the greatest battles. We talk about
the batties in South Africa and i'll
other places. Why, Mr.. President. look at
| those who went down in one single en-,
gagcment. What would tie a great army
IN almost any other part of the world were
left dead on the field.
| There was no army in the world that ever
gave four years of such service as our men
gave. There was no other army in the
world that ever met such opponents as our
men met. There was no army i'll modern
| times where the cold steel of the hayonet
was used as it was used in the late civil war.
| Can men go through those things with
out lowering their vitality? And when old
age comes on them, when the men who
ought to he stalwart and strong because
| they did their service TO their country find
| themselves weak and aged, with country
| the richest on the face of the earth. with
| more untouched measures for taxation and
revenue than any other people in the world,
with people that is spending more money
than any other people in the world, we
ought not to be afraid of doing what we
contracted to do when We took these men
into our army.
1t is true, Mr.. President, you paid a
great sum of money, S2,500.O00,O 900, in
pensions. You paid it to maintain the
honor and the decent character OF the
Nation, You paid $500, 900, 900 more, or
nearly that, in the way of interest to MAIN
tain your credit. You paid nearly $780,
100000 more to the public creditors in the
way. of interest than you have paid to the
soldiers who made it possible for these men
to get their interest and ultimately their
principal. From every section of the
country whence comes a complaint, so far
as am concerned, l am prepared to treat it
with contempt.
The American people contracted to take
care of these men and to compensate them
for the disabilities that everybody knew
they must incur in great war of that
kind. We will continue to pay it, and no
political party can afford for a moment to
stand hcsitating to do what is justice to
those men. Whenever soldier, do not
care whether he can prove that he incurred
his diSab ities in the army or not, is suffer
ing from disabilities, he is entitled to pen
sion from this great Government of ours.
Mr.. President, | believe that there is
disposition in some sections of the country
to restrict and to complain that We are put
ting upon the pension rolls too many men.
] believe the time will come when every man
who was III the army who survives to that
period will be either on the pension roll or
have a eervice pension, and justice re-
quires that that should be done.
THE VOICE OF THE GAR.
I have thus spoken plainly of the policy
OF the Grand Army Of the Republic, the
largest and most influential patriotic or
Il
the Nation their services saved in the dark
days of the great war 1t is right that |
should do So, as your umanimously-elected
ommander-in-Chicf. We make no selfish
aud unjust demands upon the bounty of the
Government; we simply seek justice, and
the prompt and faithful execution of exist
ing pension laws. We think we know what
the situation calls for on our part and Oh
the part Of the Congress, and we respect
fully but earnestly request that the meas
urcS we advocate be promptly passed. We
do not desire TO have obstacles placed in
their way, but call upon Senators and
members of Congress to try our plan for
composing Il pension situation of the most
unsatisfactory and congested sort in way
worthy of this great Government, whoselife
is commanding monument OF our services
in the bloody past,
We want no more makeshifts, no more
evasions, no more indirectness or double
i
in the broad spirit of appreciative justice to
veterans, no more unworthy cries" about
frauds, frauds" in pension affairs-but q
prompt dignificd impartial and final
judicial settlement of every application for
pension, under the right and wise interpre-
tation Of existing pension laws, without
favor. And we are as anxious to have all
pension frauds speedily punished as we
are to have all worthy applications for
pensions quickly granted. Great APP
plause.
The time has come when the Nation
should fully understand that its saviors in
war feel that they are as worthy of con-
when periling their all for full liberty in the
COS.
In every Department Commander
throughout the length and breadth of this
land, your Commander-in-C Chief on this
question of pensions finds his hands sus-
taincd and strengthened. The Grand
Army is a unit in the demand for justice.
| Applause.
Comrades and gentlemen. we meet to-
night in honor of our noble Grand Army of
the Republic in the Capital of our Nation
and under conditions of wonderful inSpir-
ations in a wide circle of blessings. Within
the narrow cycle of 40 Years we have seen
the black clouds of disunion swept out of
our National horizon by the rays of the Sun
of Liberty, and peace, sweet peace, dwells
in the hearts of the people over all our land
We are Americans all, with the LOYALTY and
patriotism equal to the joyous concord that
now encircles the United Sta tes of America.
A comrade beloved and trusted and true
to the destiny of our country is our Presi-
dent, holding proud place in the hearts of
his countrymen. Washington founded.
Lincoln preserved, and Mckinley has ex-
panded our great National domain. Each
fills the measure of the worlds ideal of
great rulers, equal to the present and safe
for the future. We glory in the greatness
of our institutions, and rejoice with ex-
ceeding great JOY over the present fealty |
and concord of all our people. Those who |
were equal to the defense of the Nation |
have proved themselves wise enough to-
let the dead past bury its dead" and to |
Join hands with those who, in the heroic |
death of the Southern Confederacy, Loyalty |
accepted the new birth of freedom, and now
are one in the sovereignty of an unchal-
enged American citizenship. The glori-
ous victories of the great war have been
'ivalled by the even more glorious con-
quests of peace. We have indeed beaten
)ur swords into plowshares and our spears
nto pruning hooks" in this epoch Of |
yorthy righteousness! AS We face the
inal sunset We can march with willing |
md unfaltering steps, knowing that our
ives have been of some service to humanity
md that We have acted a good part in the
ife of our Republic.
Shake hands, then, DER the rusted swords,
o; blood -bedraggled Nation;
OF reconciliation;
Walk brotherly and lovingly
The upward paths of duty,
And let the kings and tyrants see
A peoples kingly dutyw