The National tribune., 1911-01-19

J hundreds of thousands of old soldiers.
some blind. some pa1alytic, some so de-
! crepit. both physically, and mentally, as
10 require the assistance of another
person. TO come empty-handed to a
great Government q
f, Il vote for the bilI because the policy
5. of this GoVemHle ntf always has been,
and l hope always viii be-, to rely upon
! the voluntary soldier for its protection,
and not upon8 a great standing army
4 that continuously eats out the substance
i of the people, because believe a CRATE
ful Republic will always discharge its
highest duty in caring for its aged vol
! unteer soldiery il it becomes poor and
needy. and forohis widows and orphans:
because want TO teach the youth of
4 this country the lessen of grateful APP
i probation. the Lesson of highest devo-
ton, of richest patriotism"
I MIR. Hughes, of New Jersey, declared
that he had always been friendly to the
men who fought the great battles of
the Republic. but that altho ne realized
/ the effect of his vote upon the question,
too big price for the country to pay
to bring MIN back to Congress.
Campbell. of Kansas.
Mr.. Campbell. of Kansas. supported
the bill. He said:
| When the life of the Republic WAS
/ in danger and needed soldiers to save
1 it, the men who made up the greatest
volunteer army in the worlds history
did not court the cost. They sacrificed
all; they gave health and limb and life:
they saved our country. at all this cost
to them. LIE. it not be said of us to-
day that we count the cost of their COM
fort in their old age to the country
they served so we'll" (Appause.)
Mr.. Cary. of Wisconsin. declared that
now is the time that something should
! be done for tho old soldier, and he
would vote for the bill because it was
in the right direction. He favored more,
he said. but could not get it. He said
| that very few of US can really appre-
| ciate what the old soldier has done for
the Nation. and that there was nothing
too great for the Nation to do for the
men who saved 1t, and that we should
| pay these soldiers slight remunera-
ton now when they are old and needy
for the great service and the brave
work they rendered for the country.
Mr.. Fitzgerald, of New York, de-
clared that he would not support the
bill. and said that the time had arrived
in his opinion, when the men of the
silent when legislation of this character
is pressed before the House," and closed
his remarks by saying: Eya
Il should prefer, Mr.. Speaker. to
spend my remaining DAYS not only in
private life, but in humble retirement
rather than to vote for such a bill as
this in the hope that it might make
easier my path in public life. and I
hope this House will have the good
sense to resist this attempt to coerce it
by pleas of generosity. by fervid ap-
peals in behalf OF men who have rem
.dered heroic service and have been
treated fairly and generously by the
people"
Speaker Cannon Takes the Floor.
Mr. Cannon. Speaker of the House.
then came upon the floor, and made an
impassjoned speech in favor of the bill.
He was applalIded las, he came down
from the Speaker 6 stand. and almost
every utteraDce wassreceitcd with Wig
orous applause. Mr.. Cannon's entire
remarks will be found upon the edi-
torial page.
AshbrooIS. OF Ohio. Supports.
Mr.. Ashbroo,f. Democrat, from Ohio.
enthusiastically supported the bill He
said:
II am glad to vote for this bill, and
to have the opportunity to give public
expression upon a question in which
am SO deeply Interested - I
regret that there should be a voice or
vote against this bill. The appeals for.
more generous pensions (which have
been poarinE upon US doanot come
from the pensioners -alone. The. people
generally are as. mzch1finteresteds and
anxious that these old veterans, who
are now tottering down the hill of life,
should be cared for in their fast declin-
ing days as are beneficiaries themselves.
Every man. woman and child who en-
Joys the freedom and liberty over which
floats the flag for which these old vet
Grams fought is directly benefited by
generous pensions The pensioners are
the dIsbursing agents. The merchants
and other channels of trade quickly
reap the benefit of the stream of gold
poured out of the four ends of our Ma
ton every 30 days. ~ 80.
This cannot be said of any other
appropriation. I believe, If left to the
popular vote of the people, North,
South. East and West. there would be
an overwhelming return in favor of this
bill or any other generous pension act"
Mr.. Ashbrook declared that he would
gladly have passed n dollar-a-day pen
sion bill. and there were two or three
amendments of value to the vetcrans
which he believed would have improved
the bill, and that a failure to crafty
"whim of his own could not induce him
to desert the old boys who arc waiting
relief. Let us, therefore,
come to the relief of a once mighty
and victorious army, and help to make
their declining days their best days. We
can best keep alive a love of country
by generous care of those who respond
ed to their country's call. / therefore
hope the bill will pass and become
law"
Barnhart. Indiana, i'm Favor.
Mr.. Barnhart. Democrat, from In
diana, declared that while he would
like to see the bill amended, that it was
already an improvement over pension
legislation already passed in Congress.
and he would vote for the bill He
deprecated the tremendous expenditures
for homes for Representatives In foreign
countries, increased appropriations for
the Army and Navy in wars that he
hoped never would come, and appro-
priations for many other things which
he believed to be unnecessary, and he
did not believe that il was good policy
to stand for appropriations of that
character and oppose the bill for taking
care of the deserving savers of the
country.
Scott, of Kansas, In Support.
MIR. Scott, of Kansas, declared that
he had often been puzzled to determine
how he should vote upon many issues
under consideration, bnt that the ques-
ton of his vote upon any issue an
nounced to bring relief to some indi-
vidual old soldier, COR to benefit as a
class the mon who offered their lives
for the perpetnity of the Union a gen
Grafton ago has never occasioned me a
moment of perplexity or doubt In Civ