The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1911-01-26


alike-that II gives to the short-term
men the same consideration as to those
of long service-said that this Is true,
and that II does not seem on Its face
exactly fair, but wanted to know II dis
elimination might not be excused In
the same spirit, that the Master in the
Parable of the Vineyard justifles the
payment of equal wage to those who
came at the eleventh hour as to those
who came at the first, third or sixth
| hour, asking: Are We more righteous
than He?" Comrade Hollingsworth
then said:
Personally. I have always felt that
the true and just test of q worthy SOL
der the basis on which he must rest
| his claim against the Government,
| should be his muster into the service
and thereafter strict obedience to all
| the orders given TO him by his supe-
riors until honorably discharged, rather
| than length of service or his good for
tune in having been given opportunities
| to win individual distinction and fame.
AT any rate, the committee, after
full consideration. was unable to find
any more satisfactory basis for Giscrim-
nation on the ground of length of sery-
| ice than the agreed limit of so days.
| Undoubtedly the bill Is imperfect in
some respects. ! would have been glad
had opportunity been given TO offer
amendments, both in committee and on
the floor of the House. but the major
| ity ruled otherwise. Many worthy SOL
diers and their widows will be left I'M
| provided for; some unworthy ores may
possibly be included in the bill. Per-
| lection is not of this world. Congress
itself is not faultless body; it never
will be while human nature remains as
IL is. The much-abused Committee on
Invalid Pensions makes mistakes, but
| those who know the facts must admit
that it has tried, at least, in this bill
to follow the advice of President Lin
coin to care for him who has borne
the battle. p"
Comrade Holiingsworth gave a sum-
mary of some hundred or more gener-
al pension laws which had been intro
duced in the Sixty-first Congress to
show the extent of work required to
formulate any bill satisfactory to the
majority of members and at the same
time equitable to all soldiers. Then,
there were the ex-prisonerS' of war bill;
bill for the loss of sight; a bill for
the loss of hearing; the manned soldiers
bill; for Mexican war veterans; for
Spanish war veterans for civil war vet
Grams; for civil war widows; for army
nurses; bills for all these combined;
bills for pensioning Indian war veter-
ans, for pensioning the National Guard;
10 pension the Kentucky militia; to
pension all State militia and other or
gG niZations that were organized for the
defense of the UuiOn and co-operated
with the military forces of the United
States in suppressing the rebellion: the
pensioning of civil war volunteers. re-
tired: to pension East Teanesseeans; to
pension certain Pennsylvania militia
known as the Emergency Men: to
pension dependent children OF veterans;
and so TO ad minimum.
After summing these up, Comrade
Hollingsworth said that the result of
the committees deliberations had
simply been the compromising of ideas,
resulting in q unanimous report in ia
vor of the pending bill. He said that
the bill did not represent all the ideas
on the subject of any one member of
the committee. ard that il was undoubt-
eddy too radical for some and rot radi-
cal enough for others.
He stated that the Committee on IN
valid Pensions becarie convinced that
a straight pension Of dollar a day
to all soldiers would meet with oppo-
sition enough to endanger its final pas
sage. Comrade Hollingsworth stated
that all the pension legislation of this
country has been enacted by the Re-
publican Party, the party that was a
friend of Union soldiers during the civil
war and that has remained steadfast
to their interests.
Comrade Hollingsworth then read
into the Congressional Record the edi
torial that was written by the editor
of this paper for the issue of The Ma
tional Tribune of Dec. %, 1910.
Hon. Richard W. Austin, of Tennes-
see, declared that the bill should re-
ceive the vote of every member of the
House. He delights to honor the en-
during work of the men who saved the
Union and liberated from slavery over
1000 600 human beings. lie declared
that this is work which cannot be
measured in dollars and cents and that
he thought Congress will honor itself
passing the bill. He declared that he
gave it his hearty support. OF his own
district, he said:
MIR. Speaker: / represent soldier
. iistrict-the Second district of Tonnes
see. 1t has furnished brave men to
fight in every war, beginning with the
Revolution, at the battle of Kings
Mountain. Tho in the heart of the
Southern ConfEderacy, 1t furnished in
proportion TO population, more soldiers
TO the Union army than any district in
the. United States save one. 1t gave to
! the American navy the great Farragut,
whose daring deeds are part of the
glorious history of our Navy. One of
, the Counties of this district ROane.
there were voters, hundreds of boys en-
| tering the service. In the Spanish
American war the city of Knoxville. in
! the number of recruits. stood next to
New York city, and Scott County. with
a voting population of about 1000, fur
nished over 500 privates. who served in
i Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines.
While Tennessee furnished $1,000 SOL
diers to the Union army in her own
regiments, 5000 more enlisted in other
States. The survivors of this great war
who live IL the district | represent are
now old. and so per cent of them need
this proposed Increase in their pensions.
They did not hire substitutes; they
were not drafted. Thousands of them
crossed the mountains during the night
to fight for their country. They had
no thought of pensions or bounties-
they thought only of the preservation