Milford chronicle., 1908-10-30
Republican Party Wholly
Responsible Caring
For Old Soldiers.
DemOCFatSOppOSGdAIlFFiGRd.
Iy Aida DamRiRg Record
Taft Great Friend
Of GAR.

The Republican party has just
cause to be proud of its pension rec
ord. With the aid of patriotic men
from other parties it waged to sue
cessful conclusion the greatest war OF
modern times.
It 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 oili-
Ger of the Federal army with the eX-
ceptlon of President Roosevelt, whose
brilliant record in the Spanish War is
a matter of just pride to the Ameri-
can people.
Republican Pension Legislation.
Republican legislation for the old
soldier. his widow and his minor chill
,dren has been generous and bounti-
fuI. The invalid pension law of July
IA, 1862, and the dependent law of
June 27, 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 27, 1890, is fit
ting illustration of the generosity of
the Republican party toward the vet
Grams OF the Civil War This law
was passed by q Republican Con-
gress, was signed by q Republican
President, and through its admins
tration there was expended during
the next fiscal year a total amount or
S68,79S,S60.71. The number of sol
.Giiers receiving the benefit of this act
was 443,721, while the number OF the
<iependents relieved by this act was
in tho numhnr
of pensioners under this act over the
previous year was S643, and the gain
from June 80. 1890, to January D,
1904, was 1898.
The Republican party passed the
act of April 10, 1908, increasing pen
sions of all widows from IS to Sl2
per month and granting pensions
without reference to the value OF
Dropertv or income. The Republican
marty also passed the act Of February
6, 1897, granting pensions to soldiers
by reason of age alone, without re-
gard to disability.
Democratic Opposition Record.
The Democratic party, as such, has
opposed every measure voting apprO-
priatioRs for pensions. It's record for
the past forty years is one of OppOsi-
ton to those men who bore the hard
ships of war and jeopardized their
lives that the Union might be pre-
served. Here is a brief list of their
official adverse acts in Congress to-
ward 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 PEN
sions should be made. This was op-
Dosed by a majority of the Demo-
srats The bill increasing the pen
sions for widows from SIS to S12 per
month was opposed by the Demo-
Gratis. The amputatiOn bill passed
August 4, 1896, was opposed by the
Democrats and voted for sOlidly by
the Republicans in the House. The
widows arrears bill and the disabil-
fty pension bill were both fought bit
terly by the Democrats.
In the FOrty-thiTd Congress a de-
pendent pension bill was voted on in
the Senate. the Republicans support
ing it solidly and the Democrats op-
posing it by a twO-third vote. In the
House this bill was voted for solidly
by Republicans and opposed by a Ina
jOrity of the Democrats. After it had
passed the House and Senate it was
vetoed by President Cleveland, as a
Democrat. An effort was made in the
House to pass the bill over CleVe-
lands veto, the Republicans voting
13S for 1t and the Democrats voting
1875 against it.
This vote showed that twenty-nine
Democrats who had originally voted
for the bill hastened to avail them
selves of the opportunity afforded by
the Presidents veto to vote against
1t. thus testifying their real senti-
ments, while twenty other Democrats
who had lodged the first vote came
up promptly and supported the veto.
The dependent pension bill was bit
terly opposed by the Democrats, the
Republicans putting it through de-
spite the opposition. This bill, as the
old soldiers well know, was promptly
signed by President Harrison.
Democrats Dislike Veterans.
To sum up, the following gives the
total of fourteen votes of Congress
upon the most important of the vari-
Gus pension measures presented since
the war-viz:
Dem ocrats for the bills. .... AIT
, Democrats against the bills. .. 64S
Republicans for the bills. 1866
Republicans against the bills. None
The official records of national leg
isIatiOn show that of all the Repub-
Iican Presidents since the war only
one has withheld his signature from
any pension bill, and that was Gener-
al Grant, who was forced to decline
60 approve five of these bills. The
Democrats have been in power for
only a few brief years since the war,
and their President, Grover Cleve-
land vetoed 529 pension bills. The
records show that every pension law