Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-10-29


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 officer of
the Federal army with the exception
of President Roosevelt, whose bril-
liant record in the Spanish war is a
matter of just pride 10 the American
people.
Republican Pension Legislation.
Republican legislation for the old
soldier, his widow and his minor chill
dren has been generous and bountiful.
1862, and the dependent law of June
81, 1890, are monuments of Republican
achievement and bear witness to the
Country's tender care of its soldiers
and its sailors and their families.
The act of June q, 1890, is a 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 II Republican president, and through
its administration there was expended
during the next fiscal year total
amount of $68, 798, ,S6071. The number
of soldiers receiving the benefit of
this act was 443, 3,721, while the num-
Der Of the dependents relieved by
this act was 171,259. The gains In the
number of pensioners under this act
over the previous year was S,643, and
the gain from June 80, 1890, to Jan. 3.
1904. was 4,999.
The Republican party passed the act
of April 10, 1908 increasing pensions
of all widows from $S 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 Feb. 6, 1897. granting
pensions to soldiers by reason of age
alone, without regard to disability.
Democratic Opposition Record.
The Democratic party, as such, has
opposed every measure voting appro-
priations for pensions. Its record for
the past forty years Is one of opposi-
tion to those men who bore the hard
ships of war and jeopardized their
lives that the Union might be pre-
served. Here is brief list of their
official adverse acts in congress to
ward the veterans of the civil war:
In 1873 n 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 SO to Sl2 per month was opposed
by the Democrats. The amputatiUn
bill passed Aug. 4, 1896, was opposed
by the Democrats and voted for solid
ly by the Republicans in the house.
The widows arrears bill and the dis
ability 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
1t soiidly and the Democrats opposing
it by a two-third 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. a 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-nine
Democrats who had originally voted
for the bill FASTENED to avail them
selves of the opportunity afforded by
the presidents veto to vote against 1t,
thus testifying their real sentiments.
while twenty other Democrats who hal
lodged the first vote came up prompt
ly and supported the veto. The de.
pendent pension bill was bitterly on
posed by the Democrats, the Repub-
licans putting 1t through despite th'
opposition. This bill. as the old sol
diers well know, was promptly signed
by President Harrison.
Democrats Dislike Veterans.
To sum mp, the following gives IT,.
total of fourteen votes of cougrc,
upon the most important of the vari-
Gus pension measures presented since
the war-viZ:
Democrats for the bills .............. q.
Democrats against the bills. 64S
Republicans for the bills ............ lOGf
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 been in power for only a few
brief years since the war, and their
president, Grover Cleveland, vetoed
529 pension bills. The records SHOW
that every pension law has been pass.
ed by Republican votes, and every pen
sion bin defeated has been defeated
by Democratic votes. Every pension
bill vetoed, 529 in number, was vetoed
by Democratic president except five.
Pension Planks In Platforms.
For the past fifty years the Demo-
cratic politicians have juggled with the
soldier vote and pension question in
their platforms. While giving every
evidence of being really hostile at
h0art thav have thrswn ont hits nf