The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1911-02-16

We ""AA4AN1AOA$, IL Sss AiAOl
tends to thosefwho1were cadets at West
Point and Annapolis up TO the eve of
Lees surrender. sNearly 900 of the
Regular officers ofIthh Army. Navy and
Marine Corps, have been thus excep-
tionally promoted land rewarded.
Government. Pledge of Equality vio-
rs lated.
The value,eof THIS special recognition
in its added honor and prestige cannot
be measured in money, but its pecuniary
value is shown by the pay tables of the
Army and Navy. ia Colonel of the
Regular Army of any civil war service
1t means additional retired pay of
$1,000 per af1num. Regular officers of
the lower grades receive a correspond
ing increase. This special benefit is
not in any sense or degree reward for
life employment in the Army, otherwise
1t would accrue equally, to Regular Off
GERS having no civil war record. The
language Of the several statutes con-
firms this.
In contrast with this generous civil
war bounty to Regular officers. against
which volunteer officers have made no
complaint, consider the fact that no
corresponding or approximate recogni-
ton or provision is made for civil war
volunteer officers-even those of the
most prolonged. perilous and distin-
guished service. Instead of the prom
Used equality of treatment, a Colonel of
volunteers who served in the field from
Bull Run to AppomattoX. and has
reached three score and ten, is award
ed the three-fold recompense of-ne-
glect, oblivion, and a private soldiers
pension of SIS a month. No possible
comment could add force to this simple
statement of fact
Officers Volunteer Retired List Bill.
The remedy for this wrong is at hand.
do not need to remind you that there
is now pending in both Houses of Con-
gress what is known as the Warner
Townsend civil war volunteer officers
retired list bill. 1t has been given a
unanimously favorable report by the
House Committee on Military Affairs
and by the proper subcommittee of the
Senate Committee on Military Affairs.
1t can be enacted into law at the pres
ent session, IL Congress so determines.
The nominal retired pay provided in
that bill, as most recently amended, APP
plies only to officers at least 70 years
of age and of veteran service, two
years being required for full benefits;
it is graded as far as practicable ac-
co-ding to previous rank. with max
imum' retired pay of 5000 per annum,
and minimum of $3.50. The average
is considerably less than the benefit
realized by the Regular officers from
their special civil war increase of re-
tired pay noted herein. Its cost to the
Government is less than 100000
above present pensions and less than
100000 above the pensions contem-
plated in the so-called Sulloway bill.
are from 20 to rs years of age, and
the remainder from 10 upward, an
average of several years above the av-
erage age of enlisted men.
Ungrounded Opposition by Few.
The Legislatures of New York, Ohio.
Illinois. Indiana, Maine, Michigan. Kan
sas, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and Wis
consin have Unanimously approved and
requested the enactment of this legis-
lation. 1t has not been opposed by
any except the few who have mistaken
ly assumed that its enactment might
delay additional pensions for enlisted
men. This misconception is now being
removed by 1.-The general pension legis-
lation at this time passing thru Con-
gress. The concurrent present enact
ment of a suitable pension act and of the
volunteer officers retirement bill would
fifty round out the system of beneficial
legislation for civil war veterans and
be satisfactory to all reasonable per-
sons. -
House, Committee Report
Our Nation. maintains a small perma-
nent Army. and relies upon the several
States to furnish on call, for great
emergencies, volunteers to constitute
the bulk of its fighting force-in the
civil war SO per cent. The vital i'm
portance of keeping faith with such
volunteers and with the States which
contribute them is well set forth by the
House Committee on Military Affairs in
their report upon the pending volun-
teer officers retired list bill. when they
say:
THE present measure is in part de-
signed to remedy this unfair and in
defensible discrimination between Reg
ular and Volunteer officers. II Is be-
lieyed that the defensive power and
prestige of the Nation, as represented
by its ability to raise great armies here
after, and by the self-respect, military
spirit, ambition. incentive and efficiency
of it's citizen soldiery when called into
the Federal service in future wars, Is
to a large extend involved in the pres
ent exercise of fair dealing as between
our Regulars and Volunteers, and hence
in the giving of rightful answer to
the pending reasonable request of these
surviving civil war volunteer officers for
simple legislative Justice"
This is neither a local nor passing
question 1t concerns the whole re-
public for all time.
In conclusion, allow me to say that
the record of service made by the vol
unteers in the civil war has no par
allel in any other war, modern or
ancient A nation that fails to be just
to it's defenders in battle does not de-
serve to have defenders-and may not
have defenders in its next war. Very
E. Sickles. MajorG Cen
petiraH Naw Vnrts
City, Feb. IA, 1911.