River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-10-29
WAR VETERANS AND
PENSION LEGISLATION
Republican Party Wholly Response.
BILE for Caring for Old
Soldiers.
Democrats Opposed All Friendly Aid
-Damning Record-Taft Great
Friend of G. A. r.

10 De PROUD Oh us I)eISIOll ESCOIu w III
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 i'll the Spanish war is
a matter of just pride to the American
people.
Republican Pension Legislation.
Republican legislation for the old
dren has been generous and bountiful.
The Invalid Pension Law Of July IA,
1862, and the Dependent Law of June
u, 1890, are monuments of Republi-
can achievement and bear witness to
the country's tender care of it's soldiers
and its 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 Republican Congress, was signed
by a Republican President, and through
its administration there was expended
during tht next fiscal year a total
amount of SOS, 798SGO.71. The number
nf I1n hnnnff of fhiG
act amounted to 443, 721, while the num-
Der of the dependents relieved by this
Act was III ,259 The gain in the num-
Der of pensioners under this Act, over
the previous year was S,G43 and the
gain from June 80, 1890, to January ),
1901, was 1903.
The Republican party passed the Act
of April 10, 1908, increasing pensions
Of all widows from SIS to $12 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 bill passed the House re-
pealing all limitations of time in which
applications for arrears of pensions
should be made. This was opposed by
a 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-
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 n two-thirds vote. In the House
this bill was voted for solidly by Re
publicans and opposed by a majority
of the Democrats. After it had passed
the House and Senate it was vetoed by
President Cleveland, a Democrat An
effort was made in the House to pass
the bill over Cleveland's veto, the Re
puhlicans voting 13S for it and the
Democrats voting 125 against it.
This vote showed that twenty nine
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
II lu1OuSh uCSpltS the opposition, 1ulS
bill, as the old soldiers well 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. ....... All
Democrats against the bills. 49,. GAS
Republicans for the bills. .... 1866
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 a 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
Republican votes, and every pension