Mountain advocate., 1908-10-30
Republican Party Wholly
Responsible FOrCaring
For Old Soldiers.
Observation-Disclosures
N Aida Damning Record
Taft Great Friend
of GAR.

Ma Republican party has just
cauIV to be proud of its pension rec
ord. With the aid of patriotic men
froU other parties it waged to a sue
cessful conclusion the greatest war of
modern times.
Il 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 Ameri-
can people.
Republican Pension Legislation.
Republican legislation for the old
soldier, his widow and his minor chill
dren has been generous and bounti.
ful. The invalid pension law of July
IA, 1862, and the dependent law Of
June %, 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 %, 1890. is a fit
ting illustration of the generosity Of
the Republican party toward the vet
Grams OF the Civil War. This law
was passed by a Republican Con-
greSs, was signed by a Republican
President, and through its admins
tration there was expended during
the next fiscal year a total amount of
SOS, The number of SOL
diers receiving the benefit of this act
was 1921, while the number 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 S643, and the gain
from June 80, 1890, to January 5,
1904, was 1898.
The Republican party passed the
act OF April 19, 1908, increasing pen
6ions of all widows from SIS to $12
per month and granting pensions
without reference to the value of
property or income. The Republican
party 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-
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 a brief list of their
official adverse acts In Congress to-
ward the veterans of the Civil War:
In 1873 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-
posed by a majority of the Demo-
Gratis. The bill increasing the pen
sions for widows from IS TO $12 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-
fly pension bill were both fought Bit
terly by the Democrats.
In the Forty third Congress n de-
pendent pension bill was voted on in
the Senate, the Republicans support
ing it solidly and the Democrats op-
posing IL by two-third vote. In the
House this bill was voted for solidly
by Republicans and opposed by ma
5ority 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 II and the Democrats voting
125 against IL.
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
ft. 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 hit
teriy opposed by the Democrats. the
Republicans putting II through de-
spite the opposition. This bill, as the
old soldiers we'll know, was promptly
Gagned 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-
ons pension measures presented since
the War--viz:
Democrats for the bills Az
Democrats against the biIIs. 64SI
Republicans for the bills s.1O6g
Republicans against the bills. None
The od1cial records OF national leg
isiation show that OF all the Repub-
lican 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
90 approve five of these bills. The
Democrats have been in power for
only few brief Yeas since the war.
and their President, Grover CIeve- |
Hand. vetoed b29 pension bills. The |
FseorGs show that every pension law |