The National tribune., 1908-11-12

/
illustrated booklet. Write him imme
| diately.
PENSIONS ON A RATIONAL BASIS
They Should He Put There as Sound Ma.
tional Policy.
Editor National Tribune: / was much
interested in your editorial last week
referring to the creation of volunteer
system for the military defense Of the
United States.
The statesmen and fathers of the Re.
public have, with hardly an exception
opposed a large standing army for this
country, preferring to rely on the pa
triotism of our people to volunteer for
the general defense in time of war. II
is true that Mr.. Taft, late Secretary OF
War, in his lost report recommended
an increase of the Regular Army to
10000 men, the Regular Army to be
maintained hereafter at that strength,
but this recommendation was not re-
ceived favorably by Congress or the
Nation; and when 1t is remembered
that with the large increase of pay to
the enlisted men of the Regular Army
which was granted at the last session
of Congress, and Notwithstanding this
increase it is found almost impossible
to maintain the Regular Army at the
minimum strength of $4,000 at this
time, when hundreds of thousands OF
young, able-bodied, intelligent and in
dustrious men are out of employment,
it is difficult to understand how the
Regular Army could be recruited to
200, 900 in time of peace, without resort
to the conscription system which pre-
walls In Continental Europe.
The creation of volunteer system,
of course, involves the problem of max
ing a proper scale of indemnity for
wounds and sickness incurred while in
the service, and this brings up the PEN
sion laws, which are applicable to the
volunteers and Regulars alike.
Pensions. s,'-t
II one listens alone to the "pension
kickers'' everybody would be led to be-
lieye that pensions were devised for the
exclusive benefit of q lot of lazy volun-
teers who were overfed and pampered
while serving in the civil war, an6 re-
posed on beds of downy ease; and now,
when old, gray and broken, should be
thankful that they enlisted to be shot al
for three or four years when young
and in their prime, and should be sat
isfied in old age to feast bounteously on
the glory they achieved in the volunteer
army.
The fact is that a pension system fol
the benefit of soldiers who offered Their
lives and strength in military service
antedates the Christian era, and was
devised as an act of justice even by
pagan Nations, as we learn from his
tory. Pensions granted to our veter-
ans are modest by comparison with the
service performed and the ability of the
Nation to provide.
In fact, the pension system of the
Government has never yet been placed
upon the basis of Service, and the pen
sion bills have usually been brought
before Congress with an apology, and
sometimes with the assurance that the
veterans would soon die off and the
country would he relieved of the pen.
sion burden.
It should be obvious to the most
obtuse intelligence that the volunteer
system must either be placed on a basis
alike honorable to the Government and
Just to the volunteers, or we must main.
tain a large standing army. If volun.
teers are to be called out in an emer.
gency, then there must be some jus,
provision for those who reach the non-
productive years of life or who are
wounded or lose their health in the
service, and for the volunteer officers
who really create the volunteer armies
When our statesmen take up this
question in practical way and organ.
ize q volunteer system based upon re.
wards for service actually rendered
then the problem OF National defense
will be quickly, honorably and justly
solved, and the necessity for a large
standing army will be obviated.
1t Is a great reproach to this Re.
public that its pension system has mover
been properly organized and that pro-
| vision for the Revolutionary veterans
and other wars have almost been forced
| from a reluctant Central Government.
In the case of the veteran army OF
| the Revolution assembled at Newbure
| on the Hudson, they sent Commission.
ers to the Continental Congress anG
their just demands, which were sup
! ported by the great influence of Wash
| ington, were acknowledged and granted
| by the Continental Congress, but wert
subsequently revoked and greatly modi
| fed and reduced. 1t was 40 years aftel
| the close of the Revolution before the
surviving officers of the Revolutionar.
army received substantial recognition
| for their great service.
In our own time the Grand Army o.
| the Republic, backed by its vast CO
operative influence, has only recentl,
secured recognition for the enlisted mel
of the volunteer armies, while the vol
| uhtcci OlilCciS Oh tiIe OHiON Ill HlleS 0aV'
| never yet received recognition for thei
services, except where they entered tn,
Regular Army after the civil war.
| Now that the passions of the civil wa
have cooled and the country is peaceful
and reunited the time has come whcr
provision for the volunteer soldiers O
| the Republic should be considered will
reference to actual service and shoult
apply to all enlisted men and officer
who may volunteer for the defense O
| the Nation.
1t is very gratifying to know tha
| one of the great political parties ha
enunciated this principle in its Nationa
platform, and 1t is to be hoped that al
our people will indorse this just an,
proper provision in connection with tn,
| organization Of volunteer system il
| support OF our National Government
w. ]. Colburn, Chattanooga, Tenn.
AseccptiOn to Gen. Molineux.