Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-10-31
Republican Party Wholly
Responsible For Caring
For Old Soldiers.
emOCratsOppOsedAlIFriend
| " Aid A banning Record
--Taft Great Friend
Of 6. "A. R.

The Republican party has Just
cause to be proud of It's pension rec
ord. With the aid of patriotic men
from other parties 1t waged to n suc-
cessful conclusion 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,
cor OF the Federal army with the ex-
ception OF President Roosevelt, whose
brilliant record In the Spanish War Is
= matter of just pride to the Ameri-
a. 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
~. 1852. and the dependent law OF
June ~, 1890, are 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 81, 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 ~.apublican Con-
gress, was signed ~ a Republican
President, and through its admins
tration there was expended during
the next fiscal year a total amount of
t6S,798,860.71. The number Of SOL
diers receiving the benefit of this act
was 443,721, 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
9 previous year was 8643. and the gain
from June 80. 1890, to January S,
1904, was 1898.
The Republican party passed the
act OF April 10, 1908, increasing PEN
efons OF all widows from IS 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
g., 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-
- hASh IL
ships of war and jeopardized their
lives hat the Union might be pre-
served. Here is a brief list of their
o1icfal 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
DtOns should be made. This was op-
posed by a majority of the Demo-
Gratis. 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 A, 1896, was opposed by the
Democrats and voted for solidly by
the Republicans in the House. The
ftdows' arrears bill and the disabil-
~ pension bill were both fought bit
Ferly by the Democrats.
In the Forty-third Congress a de-
pendent pension bill was voted on In
he Senate, the Republicans support
ng 1t solidly and the Democrats op-
posing it by a two-third vote. In the
House this bill was voted for solidly
y Republicans and opposed by a ma
GRITTY or the Democrats. After 1t had
|assed the House and Senate 1t was
fetoed by President Cleveland, as a
pemocrat. An effort was made in the
House to pass the bill over Cleve-
end's veto, the Republicans voting
38 for it and the Democrats voting
rs against 1t.
This vote showed that twenty-nine
democrats who had originally voted
pr n bill FASTENED to avail them
elves of the opportunity afforded by
he Presidents veto to vote against
thus testifying their real senti-
h.ents, while twenty other Democrats
no had lodged the first vote came
promptly and supported the veto.
ne dependent pension bill was Bit
erly opposed by the Democrats, the
epublicans putting 1t through de-
tie the opposition. This bill, as the
\ soldiers well know, was promptly
Ened by President Harrison.
Democrats Dislike Veterans.
To sum up, the following gives the
tai OF fourteen votes of Congress
BON the most important OF the vari-
8 pension measures presented since
o war-viz:
Fmocrats for the bills $780,. 417
Rmocrats against the bills..... GAS
epuDllcans Tor n bills .....1066
e~Dublicans against the bills. None
fhe official records of national leg
alton show that Of all the Repub-
An Presidents since the war only
has withheld his signature from
pension bill, and that was Gener-
Grant, who was forced to decline
approve five of these bills. The
mocrats have been in power for
a few brief years since the war,
their President, Grover Cleve-
vetoed 529 pension bills. The
kprds show that every pension law