The National tribune., 1901-07-04
give you handle with which to squelch

That bill did not pass, because the De-
partment of the Interior presented a bill
| of its own which it said fully cured the
trouble under which we were laboring.
That bill was to this effect: That the Sec
retary of the Interior should each year
send FIVE claims that were rejected to the
Court of Claims for adjudication. he
was to select them. We have now, or had
on June ], last, 10000 just such claims
pending, and the Department of the In
terror was kind enough to present bill
which said that five rejected claims a
year, to be selected by the Secretary,
might be sent there, that would be passed
upon judicialy as to the comrades, their
widows and orphans aggrieved. Think of
it.
There is not anything under the sun
in this country OF in any foreign country
which shows
SUCH A ROTTEN PRINCIPLE.
"Such an outrageous provision, as let's
a man who decides case against party
decide also whether he may have the right
to appeal. 1t causes me surprise that the
present Administration should have per-
mitted such a bill to come from the De-
partment of the Interior and go to Con-
gress; and | am more surprised that they
had the hardihood to ask Congress to pass
such an outlandish measure. Why do [
| say that? 1t is harsh language. / will
! tell you. Five cases out of 10000 means
| that 1885 may go TO their graves while
! the five cases are being adjudicated. Then
| they say that these cases are piling up,
1000 additional per year. Meanwhile.
! five cases are being decided in one year
| and 1895 are being added to the total
number of rejected cases on appeal, and
men probably waiting beside their graves
for these little paltry pensions which are
due some of them under the law. When
fight of that sort is made, | believe in
meeting it squarely by appealing to the
sound sense of the people of the country,
and in maintaining that fight just as you
maintained that for the Union. That is
whether it is a big Bull Run or a little
Bull Run, we should take new courage,
close up our ranks, and go forward with
| truth and justice inscribed on our BAN
ners, and no Government will dare to say
nay when we appeal for your poor and
needy comrades, or their widows and
orphans. l am not going to take much
longer.
'THE VETERANS PREFERENCE
in employment bill presents simple
proposition. 1t is that every old soldier or
sailor who served to the end of his period
of enlistment or until the close of the war,
especially fellow who got sick or was
wounded, and when they asked DO you
want to be discharged said, No; get me
we'll enough so that l may rejoin my regi-
ultHl VI COIlpduy, SUdu De
fairly and according to the promise made
them in respect to a preference for pub
lie employment. We want the law on the
! statute books to be just as good for him
who persisted in serving until the flag
| foated over every State in our country,
as it is to those who, for disabilities, were
discharged prior TO the expiration of their
! term of service. The benefits of existing
law now go to soldiers and sailors of the
Regular Army who saw no service in war,
| to the extent of 40 per cent. of those pre-
ferred. That is all there is to that.
Ninety per cent, yes, 80 per cent. of
! the soldiers and sailors of the civil war
i are beyond that age when they are going
J to seek to pass any examination or ask
Offices at the hands of the Government, or
anybody else. And most of them are
| otherwise employed. In consequence, the
| applications will not be numerous. There
is perhaps one per cent. in public office
now; there is a small per cent. who have
| been turned out unjustly. For those few
to be aided by legislation carrying out the
| promises of the war days, l think the
| Grand Army of the Republic ought to
| stand up, and stand up just as strong for
the right ever. And why? When an
old servant has served you or me and been
true to us through thick and thin and
stood by our families in sickness and in
| health and forgot self in the service of the
master, it would be an ungrateful wretch
that would not stand by him when he is
too old to turn to any other employment.
/ 1t must be an Hngrateful government that
| will fail TO stretch out its hands and say
TO him who serves and saves its life, No
matter what else may happen, you shall
| be provided for and shall not be removed
from employment you are fitted for unfit
| God calls you Home We promised you
| that much, and the promise will be kept
| We ask the Government to act as an in
dividual would. We say to the Govern
ment, You owe your life to him; you owe
your existence as Nation to the old SOL
dier and sailor; he went out and fought
for you from 1851 to 1865, and IL you
won't do 1t for this small contingent of
the survivors who now need such help, on
their application, do it for the Grand
Army Of the Republic organization, that
stands here and asks you to do your duty
in that respect; that knows that it is for
your own good as free people to do it,
and knows that gratitude ditates that it
should be done. And common honesty de-
mands it
There is another matter that / want
to speak Of. Sometimes our comrades
don't see clearly, although we all saw
pretty clearly away back In the COS
Some of US who came from across Mason
and D1xon's line had different conception
of-rlght and wrong from others. Many
of those who went to school with me
thought it was right to fight against Uncle
Sam. Those who went into the army
with me thought it was all wrong for them
to do SO. That shows how good people
may differ. Some of our comrades seem
now TO differ with us on those two PROPOSE
tions; but 1t is important to get the In
dorsement of this Encampment for both
of them. You represent the rank and file
not present with you. We don't want to
take any action that looks as if it was IN
true to the interests of our poorer com
rades. Their cause Is ours. We want
the wisest men you have TO go to Cleve-
land and see that such action may be
taken there that we can all subscribe to it
with a hearty good will. Send them there
to stand up for our comrades, no matter
what the world says. This country is
patriotic and will remain patriotic, and
whoever doubts it will find the people at
the back Of this organization In its appeal
for justice"