Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-10-06
SOLDIERS FRIEND.
REPUBLICAN PARTY LIBERAL TO
COUNTRY,S DEFENDERS.
Under Il Democratic Administration
the Old Soldier Has Fared Badly.
Democrats Have Opposed Pension
Bills and Reduced the List.

Bills and Reduced the List.
The pension bureau under Republic
an administrations is liberal and gem
erous to the brave defenders of, our
country.
The Republican party is the devoted
and consistent friend of the soldier and
his dependents.
1t has enacted beneficent and liberal
pension laws. The present system of
pensions, which has been built up un-
der Republican administrations, is the
best in the world and embraces within
its provisions not only the soldier or
sailor who contracted his disabilities
in the service, but grants relief to near
ly 100000 survivors of the civil war.
who are now incapacitated from earn
ing a support through causes which
have arisen since the war.
The Democratic party has been the
relentless enemy Of the ex-Union sol
der and has stubbornly fought every
effort to enact liberal pension laws.
A careful examination of The Con-
gressional Record on IA important pen
sion measures introduced since the civil
war and voted on by congress reveals
the following total votes:
Democrats for the bills ............ All
Democrats against the bills. CAS-
Republicans for the bills. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. ], 06s
Republicans against the bills. None
A Democratic president, Grover Cleve-
land, during his two administrations
vetoed 524 pension bills. Presidents
Lincoln, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Har-
rison and Mckinley never refused
their signature to a single pension bill.
President Grant withheld his sigma
ture only five times during his admin
istration.
The last Democratic administration
constituted board of revision in the
pension bureau to revise the allowance
of pensions under President Harri-
sons administration. During the two
years of the existence of this board
1904 pensioners were dropped from
the rolls and %, 7o2 pensions were re-
duced.
A large portion of these pensioners
have been restored to the rolls under
the administration Of President Nc
Kinley.
Since 1866 the total payments for
army and navy pensions have been
S2,3S9, 910,974, ana the magnitude of
the pension roll, both as to the number
of beneficiaries and the amount paid,
has excited the wonder and admiration
of the world.
The amount paid for pensions during
1893. the last year of the Harrison adj
ministration, was $156, SOC. 1874.
During the following year, 1894,
which was the first year of the Demo
cratic administration, the amount paid
for pensions dropped to S139, 1856, 62617,
being a reduction in one year of $16,-
S19.911.S7.
During the fiscal year ended June
30 1900, the pension bureau issued
105,567 certificates. and the payments
for the fiscal year ended June So 1900,
on account of pensions amounted to
nearly $140000.000.
The annual value Of the pension roll
as it stood on June 80, 1899, was $131,-
619961, and the average annual value
of each pension was $132.74. The
nual value of the roll is greater
than it ever was before.
Since April /, 1897, over 10000
names of pensioners, who had been
previously dropped for various causes,
have been restored to the rolls, and
these persons are now receiving pen
sions amounting to 50, 100000 annually.
This work is still in progress, the
commissioner having directed the res
toration of 4,352 names during the
fiscal year 1900.
Responsibility born of dutx cannot