The National tribune., 1907-09-12


ate 70 avoid questions which inspire
sectional disputes, remembering thd' u
each soldier NGrth or South, Knew W
the utmos. cf the heart OF the otnS-,
and understood TO the utmost the cir
curlstances under which he acted, there
would be nothing lett to forgive.
Since this correspondence passed GER
rain tablets have been removed from
the grounds at Andersonville. as almost
the last act of the then Chairman OF
the Board, the late LiZabeth A. Turner,
who so worthily and for long years rep
resented the Woman's Relief Corps. Oh
her own volition this noble woman gave
the order, responsive to a suggestion
from Southern source. that 4 cause
of offense as she came to know, might
thus be removed.
! have given more prominence. per-
haps over much, to this unpleasant
matter than was intended scme months
ago. In the statements here made
have sought to give this Encampment
the information to which our great
comradeship is fairly entitled. TO con-
tinue the discussion would be profitless
and il seems to me we can proper.
afford to await the progress or events
/ join the distinguished soldier ana
citizen of the South in the appear 10
veteran soldiers everywhere. North ana
South. Union and Confederate. to avoid
siors and angry disputes.
Pardon me if again / refer to the
four Chr;stlike words craven on the
badge of the 41st National Encamp-
ment as Of priceless worth. and thus
close this chapter in the admonition,
Let us have peace"
Pensions.
The enactment of the bill drafted by
the Hon P ]. McCumDer. Senator
h.. In n
gress. and its prompt approval by Pres
ident Theodore Roosevelt. Feb. G, 1907,
We're high official acts. clearly respon-
siye to a patriotic public sentiment sig
nificart alike TO the surviving veteran
defenders of the Republic and the citi-
zo nship OF the whole country Ihus
passed into statutory law principie 1or
which the Grand Army of the RepGoilc
had contended for many years. tla'
advanced age in the cases of soldiers
and sailors who had served their couh-
try on land and sea for any consider
able time. constituted Weli-dehhe1
disability" Twenty years ago, and
since, much has been heard of ser
vice pension" On the minor PROPOSE
ticns growing out of these discussions
there was wide disagreement: on the
major proposition, that with advanc-
ing years the wage-earning power was
seriously impaired, and the time would
surely come when the veteran would
be forced from the competitive con-
tests in breadwinning, there was prac-
tical uaanimity for in the stern school
of experience no man could close his
ewes to plain facts. The law of June
l27. 1890 afforded relief, but admins
trative technicalities gradually expand
ing coupled with official indifference To
the plain mandates of law intended
to be far-reaching in its scope, tended
! of he
thors of that statute. and Widespread
discomfort came Then the amended
act of May Z, 1900, designed to cure
some of the evils SO apparent was
placed on the statute book of the Ma
ton. and for a time the veteran Jared
better at the hands of his Government.
Four years later Executive Order NO.
rs from the President unerringly in
dicated the trend of public sentiment.
and paved the way to a broader recog-
milton of the growing necessities of the
men who preserved the Union from
destruction; the heroic men, who. be-
cause of the privations and sacrihces
of the SOS, were permaturely old,
broken in health and energy at the
average age CT 35 years
| In all these years the Grand Army
patiently. but aggressively, fought the
| battles of the survivors of the nis
war and their dependent ones. with
great energy the rights of the veterans
| were kept to the fore. Conservative IN
thought and speech. but earnest in pur-
pose without wavering, yielding to all
! men the right to personal judgment,
but continuously demanding the full
| film mt Of sacred pledges so freely
mad N the days of the Nations peril,
| the right-rninded people of the land
always well disposed TO the brave men
| who wrought so heroically for the up
lift of humanity, became convinced OF
the justice of our cause. Because OF
the consistent attitude of the Grand
Army of the R"rublic in all that goes
TO the Guiy % Ia Government toward
its offenders in time of war, the Nc
Cumber bill became a law. No single
! legislative act, certainly no pension law
within the last 40 years has met with
more general favor at the hands of al
| classes of citizens To bestow a pen
| sion of S12 a month at the age of 62
! SIS a month at 30 and $50 month
for the remainder of ones life after
reaching IS years is generous recogni-
ton fer service If you will. in the
army or navy or Marine Corps for 4
period of go days" or during the
! war" No Nation on this earth ha.
evinced such measure of interest in ne,
citizen soldiery AZ years after such ser
vice.
| To the National Pension Committees
present and past. is our great comrade-
ship deeply indebted for devoted ser
vice. Rut behind these committees
stood vast host of comrades no less
! devoted no less n interest and withou
whom success had not been possible
The report of the National Pension
) Committee will be before you. Th'
fruits Of their labor YOU enjoy.
j.. Higher Rate fer Widows.
! To all of US comes the sad reflection
, , that perhaps the most deserving clas
of all. the widows of our dead com
l rades, were not included in this law
Owing to the fact that the last session
, Of the 59th Congress was rapidly draw
ing to close, il was deemed pruden
= to resist any and every attempt I
+; amend the bill. To have opened tn
! door To single change was to embar
I upon the stormy and chartIess sea O
1 personal interests. Many Of the amend
merits proposed. possibly all of then
: were neris oIious, but it was unquea
tionably wise in this instance to insis
upGn 4 vote in the House of Represen
tativos on the bill in the precise forr
in which ii unanimously passed IN
Senate. | strongly recommend tina
, the National Pension Committee be in
Structed TO present to the 60jh Con
y 2ress as soon as possible after the or
: ! 2aniZatiOn is effected Il bill increaSin
the pension of all widows now on tn
u roll at i rate less than S12 a month I
$l2 month That such bill wi
= quickly become law / have no doub
= Indeed, high officials of the Governmer