The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-08-20
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ON PENSIONS


Commander-in-C Chief Stewart has a rep
utation for saying the right things at the
right time, and this was never more hap
PLY Illustrated than in the paragraphs in
his annual address referring to the mat
ter of pensions and strongly advocating
a general service pension.
He has said there well and strongly
what every friend Of the veterans feels, and
the Grand Army of the Republic is I'M
der deep obligations to him for his con-
else, forceful presentation when he says:
Complaint will never entirely cease nor
will cases of injustice be entirely eliminat-
ed from the administration of such a great
trust, but by honest, fair, liberal admin
istration of the laws, we may reach the
minimum of complaint and injustice. De-
mands for evidence may be so exacting,
and technical constructions of the rules
of evidence, and of law drawn so fine as
to be virtually prohibitory in many cases,
and place innumerable obstacles in the
way of the needy and deserving claimant.
LberaIity in administration of the law
will not encourage the undeserving. The
law in itself is sufficiently protective.
There was a time when the Government
in its stress and time of trial waived aside
technicalities and literally accepted the
service of the men who We're willing to give
their life that the Union be preserved.
These men made up the Armies and Ma
vies of the Union, and the result of their
daring, doing and dying is the matchless
glory of the present time. Thirty eight
years have passed since the last blow was
struck, the last gun fired in civil strife.
The Union was saved, and we have lived
to see the Nation powerful beyond what
we had ever hoped for, and wealthy be-
yond our widest dreams when the great
war closed. Nine hundred thousand Of
that mighty host still survive. Each hour
lessons the number. Fifty thousand will
fall this year, more than that the next,
more the next, and there are none to fill
the vacant places in the ranks"
This is so good and strong that we re-
produce it on this page because 1t cannot
be too often reiterated and impressed upon
the minds Of the people of the United
Stats. We would that it could be read
with the impressiveness it deserves to
every citizen of the United States, that
it may awaken him to what is due the
men who saved the Union.
The Chief is firm in the
opinion that the only remedy is general
service pension, and he argues for it thus
irresistibly:
''With each day the Nation increases in
power and in wealth. Let tho men who
made this possible be the objects of her
solicitude and care, when in their declin-
ing years the mite from her well-filled purse
would be so helpful. That all entitled
thereto may not need her bounty is
source of congratulation, but let not this
make justice travel with tardy feet. Is
not the time at hand when wisdom and
justice both warrant such an adjustment
of the Pension Laws, as will meet the
question of a service pension. The Com
mander-in-Chief is aware Of the many
difficulties to be met and overcome, the
conflicting opinions as what character of
service pension should be advocated, but
sure it is that injustice is often done the
worthy applicant, and 1 quote as proof of
this the extract from the admirable report
of the National Pension Committee of the
Grand Army of the Republic, quoting
from the report of the Medical Referee of
the Pension Bureau, in which he says:
After more than three years effort to
improve the work of Examining Surgeons,
it has been found that such effort has not
been crowned with the measure of success
hoped for and reasonably expected. Many
Boards apparently have no appreciation
Of the importance of their duties, and
quiet their consciences by submitting ma
chine-made reports that are in the high
est degree unreliable and unsatisfactory
No machine made report can nullify or al
ter the honorable discharge Of the soldier
or sailor, or ealsify or alter the rolls show
ing the muster in and honorable discharge
from the service, but it can prevent JUS
flee being done the worthy veteran in his
honest claim for pension or honest claim
for increase. If maximum or service
pension with or without an age limit is
fixed, based upon an honorable discharge
from the service it will do away with the
grevious disappointments, and the injus-
tice ofttimes imposed.
81 believe it would be wise to appoint
committee whose duty it would be to
frame proper bill and present the same
to Congress, providing for a service pen
sion of not less than $12 per month. The
committee would have ample time to con-
slider the question from every point of
view, and obtain full information before
the assembling of the next session of Con-
gress."
This argument is unanswerable, and no
doubt the National Encampment will has
ten to put the Commonder-in-Chiefs rec
ommendation into effective shape, SO that
the efforts to secure the passage of a ser
vice pension law by the coming session of
Congress can be begun at once upon a
well considered, systematic plan, and have
behind the movement the entire force of
the Grand Army, which will insure its
success.
For all this we confidently hope.
CoNMANDER-IN-CH CHIEF STEWART.
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