Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-22
! the grand thing, patriotiam-,ove OF

Those old men racked with disease
communicated to them in the service
we cannot do too much for. Let their
pathway as they go down the declivity
of life be strewn with flowers and
themselves surrounded with all the
luxuries Of life to show to them that
the American people have not forgot
ten and never will forget their grand
deeds and their heroism to the end
that we might live to enjoy the bless
Jugs that we enjoy. I am heartily IN
favor of that resolve. We shall not
have them with us for a great while.
Disease is preying upon them and I
am glad that even. although 40 years
have passed away, the American peo-
pie Of today are just as willing and as
generous to provide for their wants
as they were Is years ago. We may
differ politically, but there is one
thing about the American citizen, no
matter where he is, he will join hands
| in the defence of those old heroes who
fought that we might live.
AS we stand today we need no stand
| ing army. If any nation or any COM
bination of nations should attack the
United States, listening to the call Of
patriotism that is in the breast of ev-
cry human being in America, her citi-
zens would come forward as one man
| to fight against any intrusion upon
our liberties Or our flag Let us do our
duty to these old men as they 60 down
the declivities of life. Let us solace
them with the thought that the Amer
lean people have not forgotten them.
I second the resolve, Mr.. Chairman.
| and am very glad to do so.
Mr.. WARREN Of Cumberland: Mr..
President: Strange as it may seem, I
desire to enter mild protest against
| the passage of this memorial. In doing
| this l want to say that I am not
speaking fer any organization what
ever, but for myself alone; not know
| ing until recently that a memorial of
| this kind was to be presented here.
NV reasons for making this objec-
| ton are two: First, I do not Think
have never thought that there ought
to be any wide difference between the
pensions paid commissioned officers
and enlisted men of the Civil War. l
cannot, at this time make comparl-
son between the officers of the volun-
teer service and that~of the regular
service, as to why the regular Off
GERS should receive pensions in the way
| that they do. When the war began the
volunteer troops were differed by the
arbitrary appointments of the COVER
nors of the states from a long list of
| candidates for those positions that
I came forward Appointments were
made, the principal condition being
that those men should have had some
| knowledge of military tactics. There
| was, however, large opportunity
| for patriotism, and there was great
deal of luck and chance about the mat
ter. In the service, as those posts were
| vacated by resignation, by promotion
or by death, the places were filled
largely by men who came up from the
| ranks, non commissioned officers, and
those changes were on the whole good
for the service, for there was better
ment in the officers as well as the men
during the entire war. If there had not
been we would not have been success
full: and this process was not COM
ulete when the war closed, and there
| We're behind the men who then held
commissions other men just as good to
come forward and take their places
1t was, in measure, a matter of
chance that a man held commission.
or lid not hold a commission, while
in the service the officers met the
same dangers and shared the same
hardships as enlisted men, and no
more, they could more easily get
furlough to go home if they wanted to;
or, if they found the service too hot or
too hard, they could resign, which the
enlisted men could not do. To their
credit be it said that not many of them
did this; but they remained and took
their chances with tho men, They were,
on the whole, better protected. The
service was not more severe for them.
They were on the average somewhat
older than the enlisted men. l think
that, as we have already heard, these
men have largely passed away-the
older officers, those holding higher
rank-but few of them remain; and
they, oftentimes, have special PEN
sions that have been granted to them.
This memorial, this BILL if it passes.
will affect largely the captains and
lieutenants of the Civil War; and /
do not think that, at this time, forty
years after the war has closed, that it
is a time for the passage of this
memorial.
lUeTe Is duOtleT TedSOl IL Inlay Uc
urged that this bill, if it passes, will
be followed by another in favor Of the
enlisted men; and very possibly this
may be true, and that gap between
the two will again be closed with
higher pensions for both. And this
brings to me my second objection to
the passage Of this memorial, namely:
that think that the pensions now be-
ing paid are, on the whole, as large as
they ought to be; and that there ought
not to he much extension OF pension,
either in the amount paid to the bene-
ficiaries or in the arranging Of pen
sions for any time on those who are
included; and that the pension list
ought to lessen as the Civil War
veterans pass from the stage of action
One reason for this is one that may
not appear to you here. but it does,
and always has, to me. When the war
closed, the soldiers of the South went
to their ruined homes. They had fought
travely for a losing cause; but, on the
whole. they We're as sincere as the
people of the North. The North gained
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