The National tribune., 1909-12-02
SHORT TERM MEN.

Editor National Tribune: A num-
Der of old soldiers of the civil war,
several of whom are subscribers 20 The
National Tribune, request me to write
to you for the following information:
They would like to know why a soldier
of that war who holds an honorable
discharge, must have served 80 days,
while those of the Mexican war are re-
quired only so days service under the
provisions of The National Tribune
Bill published in your issue of last
week. These old men certainly have
good reasons for making this inquiry
because of the peculiar hardship 1t
works on them.
They We're all too young to enlist
in the United States volunteer service
at the outbreak of the rebellion, but
did noble work as Home Guards in re-
sisting the invasions OF John Morgan
and other rebel guerrillas up to the
Fall of 1864
Then they enlisted in the United
States service on Oct. 25. 1864, and
were taken up to Johnson's Island in
Lake Erie to guard several thousand
confederate prisoners who had been
gathered together there and they saw
very hard times during the, bitter cold
weather which prevailed, and under
the very strict discipline that was
necessary until they were discharged
in Cleveland. Dec. 25, 1864. having
served just 60 days and were let go be-
cause our Government had no further
use for them. These men made up the
I'd Ohio Independent Battery and many
of them We're badly frozen, yet could
not get any hospital treatment, while
the rebel officers they Were guarding
were coddled and snuggled to their
hearts content whenever they were or
pretended to be sick. They were en-
listed to serve for three years or dur
ing the war, they inform me.
Do you not think that they should
be included in your pension bill?-
Charles A Linn. Ripley. Ohio
In answer we will say that The Ma
tional Tribune Pension Bill was pre-
pared upon what was assumed to be
the lines of least resistance We want
to get bill thru, and we do not want
to raise any questions that we can
avoid which will threaten its passage.
Admitting the justice of what our cor
respondent sayt, we will plead in de-
fence Of the$ bnl that the period of 30
days for~thc soldiers of the civil war
and so days for those of the Mexican
war was adopted about 20 years ago
when we. were. urging the passage of
the disability bill The 90 day limita-
tion has beer accepted in all subsequent
and it has therefore the pre-
cedcnt (which we did not think wise to
disilrbi as to do so would stir up a
lot of Opposition in Congress that we
desire 10 avoids There are so many
men iIi Congress who take advantage
of any pretext to vote against a PEN
sion bill, that it is very desirable that
none shall be afforded them. There
fore, we adhered to the precedent which
has been so generally accepted Our
idea is that the best thing for such
short term men as our comrade men
tions. would be TO urge the lowering
of the time of service required in a
separate bill standing on its merits. So
far, we have found great numbers of
opposing any shortening
of the period of service required to
makes man eligible for pension. This
however. may be taken up at some sub
sequent time and the Union soldiers
placed on the same basis as those of
the Mexican war.