The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1908-10-30
WAR VETERANS and
PENSION LEGISLATION
Republican Party Wholly RESPONSE.
bic for Caring for Old
Soldiers.
Democrats Opposed All Friendly Aid
banning Record-Taft Great
Friend of g. A. r.

the aid Of patriotic men from other
parties it waged to a successful con-
clusion, the greatest war of modern
times.
1t has never ceased to honor the
officers and men who composed the
victorious army. Every Republican
President elected since the close of
that war had been a conspicuous Off
Ger of the Federal army, with the eX-
ception of President Roosevelt, whose
brilliant record in the Spanish war is
a matter of just pride to the American
people.
Republican Pension Legislation.
Republican legislation for the old
soldier, his widow and his minor chill
dren has been generous and bOuntiful.
The Invalid Pension Law of July II,
1862, and the Dependent Law of June
q, 1890, are monuments of Republi-
can achievement and bear witness to
the country's tender care Of its soldiers
and it's sailors and their families.
The Act of June 81. 1890, is fitting
illustration of the generosity of the
Republican party toward the veterans
of the Civil War. This law was passed
by a Republican Congress-, was signed
by Republican President, and through
its administration there was expended
during tht next fiscal year a total
amount of $GS,79S,S 6O.71. The number
of soldiers receiving the benefit of this
act amounted to 443,721, while the num-
Der of the dependents relieved by this
Act was l71,259. The gain in the num-
Der Of pensioners under this Act, over
the previous year was S,643 and the
gain from June 80, 1890, to January 3,
1904, was 1898
The Republican party passed the Act
of April 10, 1908, increasing pensions
of all widows from $S to So per month
and granting pensions without refer
ence to the value of property or in
come. The Republican party also
passed the Act Of February 6, 1907,
granting pensions to soldiers by reason
of age alone, without regard of dis
ability.
Democratic Opposition Record.
The Democratic party as such, has
opposed every measure voting appro-
priatiOnS for pensions. It's record for
the past forty years is one of oppo-
sition to those men who bore the hard
ships of war and jeopardized their
lives that the Union might be preServ-
ed. Here is a brief list of their Off
cial, adverse Acts in Congress towards
the veterans of the Civil War:
In 1878 a bill passed the House re-
pealing all limitations Of time in which
applications for arrears of pensions
should be made. This was opposed by
majority Of the Democrats. The bill
increasing the pensions for widows
from eight to twelve dollars per month
was opposed by the Democrats. The
Amputation Bill passed August 4, 1896,
was opposed by the Democrats and vot-
ed for solidly by the Republicans in
the House. The Widows Arrears Bill,
the Disability Pension Bill were both
fought bitterly by the Democrats.
In the Forty-third Congress a De-
pendent Pension Bill was voted on in
the Senate, the Republicans supporting
it solidly and the Democrats opposing
it by two-thirds vote. In the House
this bill was voted for solidly by Re
publicans and opposed by majority
of the Democrats. After it had passed
the House and Senate it was vetoed by
President Cleveland, Democrat. An
effort was made in the House to pass
the bill over Cleveland's veto, the Re-
publicans voting 1873 for it and the
Democrats voting 125 against it.
This vote showed that twenty mine
Democrats who had originally voted for
the bill fastened to avail themselves of
the opportunity afforded by the presi-
dents veto, to vote against it, thus tes-
tifying their real sentiments, while
twenty other Democrats who had dodg-
ed the first vote came up promptly and
supported the veto. The Dependent
Pension bill was bitterly opposed by
the Democrats, the Republicans putting
it through despite the opposition. This
bill, as the old soldiers we'll know,
was promptly signed by President Har-
rison.
Democrats Dislike Veterans.
To sum up, the following gives the
total of fourteen votes of Congress
upon the most important of the various
pension measures presented since the
war, viz:
Democrats for the bills. ......... AT
Democrats against the bills. 49,. 64S
Republicans for the bills. ..... 1865
Republicans against the bills. None
The official records of national legis-
lation show that of all the Republican
presidents since the war, only one has
withheld his signature from any pen
sion bill, and that was General Grant,
who was forced to decline to approve
five of these bills. The Democrats have
only been in power for few brief
years since the war, and their presi-
dent, Grover Cleveland, vetoed 500 pen
sion bills. The records show that
every pension law has been passed by
p"publican votes. and every pension