The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1908-10-22
Republican Party Wholly
Responsible FOFCallng
/ For Old Soldiers.
Observation-Disclosures
" Alarming Reeord
Taft Great Friend
Of GAR.

The Republican party has lust
cause to be proud of its pension rec
ord. With the aid OF, patriotic men
from other parties 1t waged to a sue
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 conspicuous Off
Ger 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-
can people.
Republican Pension Legislation.
Republican legislation for the old
soldier. his widow and his minor chill
dren has been generous and bonnti.
full. The invalid pension law of .JuIy
IA, 1852. 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 "a, 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 %.,publican Con-
gress, was signed ~ q Republican
President, and through its admins
tration there was expended during
the next fiscal year total amount Of
$6S,79S,S60.71. The number OF SOL
diers receiving the benefit Of this act
was 443,721, while5the 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 s,
1904, was 1893.
The Republican party passed the
act OF April 10, 1908, increasing PEN
sions 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
8, 1897, granting pensions to soldiers
gard to disability.
Democratic Opposition Record.
The Democratic party, us such, has
opposed every measure voting appro-
pr1ations for pensions. Its record for
the past forty years is one OF opposi-
uon 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 1878 q bill passed the House re-
pealing all limitations of time in
which applications for arrears of pen-
sions should be made. This was OPP
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 nagna 4. 1895. was opposed by the
democrats and voted for solidly by
the Republicans in the House. The
widows arrears bill and the disable
lty pension bill were both fought Bit
terly by the Democrats.
In the Forty-third Congress a de-
pendent pension bill was voted on in
the Senate, the Republicans support
ing 1t solidly and the Democrats OPP
posing 1t by two-third vote. In the
House this bill was voted for solidly
ny Republicans and opposed by a ma
!orlty of the Democrats. After 1t had
passed the House and Senate 1t 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
!SS for 1t and the Democrats voting
125 against It.
This vote showed that twenty-nine
democrats who had originally voted
Tor the bill hastened to avail them
selves of the opportunity afforded by
Inc Presidents veto to vote against
u, thus testifying their real senti-
ments, while twenty other Democrats
VINO 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 1t through de-
spite the opposition. This bill, as the
Ola soldiers we'll 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 yari-
ous pension measures presented since
the war-viz:
democrats for the bills. ..... AIT
democrats against the bills. ~. 64S
Republicans for the bills. .1066
Republicans against the bills, None
me Official records of national leg
islation show that of all the Repub-
aican Presidents since the war only
one has withheld his signature from
any pension bill, and that was Gener-
3 n Grant, who was forced to decline
70 approve five of these bills. The
democrats have been in power for
only few brief years since the war.
and their President, Grover Cleve-
land, vetoed 52s pension bills. The
records show that every pension law