The National tribune., 1903-05-07
TO PENSIONERS
Who Draw Less than Sl2 per
Month.

There is no question that conditions are
favorable Mt this time for asking an in
creased expenditure for pensions. The
war is now so long past that it is to-day
taking the aspect in the minds of the
people as the Nations Great Heroic
Period, in which they take n warm patri-
otic pride, with affection and admiration
for the aging survivors of the Nation
armies in that period of Storm and Stress.
The country is prosperous-so prosper
Gus that there is actually and continually
an embarrassing congestion of money in
the Treasury.
All that is necessary is to set forth
clearly what the Nation should now do
for the men to whom it owes all of its
present greatness and prosperity, and to
bring this convincingly to the peoples
minds. Their quick sense Of justice and
gratitude will not fail to Immediately re-
spond and Congress will be ready to obey
the demands of public sentiment.
We need not enlarge here on the general
benefit of pension expenditure Our readers
know this. Read the editorials that ap-
pear in this paper from week to week and
then consider what public sentiment would
be on the subject if the reading and think
ing people of every community were in
duced to subcribe for and read The Ma
tional Tribune
The fact is public sentiment would then
be as eager for an increase of pensions as
pensioners themselves.
The surest and best reliance is to be
found in strong public sentiment. Rail-
roads and Trusts have their Hobbies and
high-priced attorneys. The men who
saved the country have no need to proceed
in that way
As a first step Congress will be asked
to raise all pensions to So This would
increase the present pension expenditure
only few millions-a small sum for a
Congress that will probably allow appro-
priations to the extent Of thousand mil
lions.
There is simply one best way to create
the public sentiment that is so essential:
Circulate The National Tribune. Every
pensioner whom this measure would bene-
fit should become an active club-raiser.
There is no time to lose. Public senti-
ment is not created in day. If the bill
for increase is to be presented early in
December-and it should be-the sooner
we get the public reading about the gen.
eral benefits of pensions and the Nations
duty to its veterans and their widows the
better.
Now, here is perfectly feasible plan
for an increase. 1t remains with the COM
rades interested. with each of them,
whether the plan will succeed If each
pensioner interested will send in small
club, we feel sure of success. On the
other hand, if the majority of those whom
this measure would benefit do nothing, this
plan will fail. The widows are just as
much interested as the men. for they
would he quite as much benefited.
We have no doubt whatever, if each
pensioner interested should subscribe, and
then each secure say four other subscrib-
erS, that this measure would be backed
by an overwhelming public sentiment.
Sharing of Profits, Treasury Receipts,
and other matters of interest will be
found on the first page.
Purchasers of coupons to the extent of
50 or more are counted as agents, and. as
such, can have two guesses for each dol
lar.