Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-20
Editorial Comment
The Issue Clearly Defined.

Patrick Henry in one of ms MINOR
| tai speeches. said:
The only lamp by which my feet
are guided is experience. can only
| judge of the future by the past
The veterans need NOT go back far
| in their memories to recall the terri
BILE ordeal through which they mad to
pass when Grover Cleveland was elect
ed President. Gov. Wilson represents
precisely the same class that elected
| Grover Cleveland; the same issues are
uppermost. The same people that
elected Grover Cleveland are ilned up
in support of Gov Wilson, and their
utterances are singularly like those
which ushered in the calamity upon
the veterans following Cleveland
election. Born in the South of rahldly
Confederate parents, spending his boy
hood days among those who hated the
Union soldiers with a consuming nat
red with all his earlier and lifelong
impressions fiercely against the men
of the Union army, he can not heil
being even more hostile TO the pen
sioners than Cleveland was, who came
to manhood in loyal community.
All of Gov. Wilson's utterances have
| been UlSIlItlIS# uIlIilGIitiy w IstN oi''t.A
of Union veterans, and he undoubted-
~ shares the belief proclaimed bg
every prominent newspaper and pubic
man who has supported him that the
Union veterans are singularly uhae-
serving class that is pillaging the ma
tional Treasury. He probably mas TINS
view much more strongly even than
Grover Cleveland had.
If we can Judge from the past his
election will be followed by greater
persecution of veterans and their WI
dews than that which followed Grover
Cleveland's entrance into office. Ihen
tens of thousands of veterans ana
their widows were arbitrarily drop
ped from tlies pension roll. Tens oil
thousands more had their pensions re-
duced, ald We're put to the greasest
incon3ensenee and distress fof nina To
prove again their claims to place
on the pension roll
Grover Cleveland spent more than
50. 06a. coo in covering the land win
spies. who visited every neiShborhood,
listened to all the mean, slanderous
gossip. subjected every veteran and
veterans widow to a distressful III
nUlSltlD0, anu NeDt 81 Af'i AAN NA''S
assine that Congress had to intervene
and pass laws restraining him.
These facts do not rest at all upon
our assertion of them, but are matters
of bitter memory to the veterans ana
their dependent ones, who were sub
iected to the cruel harrying of CleVe-
land. his Commissioner of Pensions,
his Secretary of the Interior and ms
horde of pestiferous spies.
Not only did the Interior Depart
ment and the Pension Bureau turn
from the legitimate work OF granting
pensions to manufacture reasons why
pensioners should be dropped or reduc-
ed. but the whole Administration en-
gagged in the work. The Attorney-Gen-
erals Office, the Post Office Depart
ment and other Departments were
called in to help the Pension Bureau
harass the veterans.
Cleveland came in after the beneftc-
emit act of June q. 1890, was passed.
He lacked the boldness to directly re-
neal the act, but he and his sateilltes
excrted themselves to take all the
virtue out of it. If Gov. Wilson should
come in. he would undoubtedly take
tile same tOuISt win TN 49,
II 1912. That is. he would not dare to
reneal the act but he would try TO
eyiscerate it, and make it of the least
possible benefit to the veterans.
We know that this would be the
case from the bitter calumnies with
which the Wilson papers ana the
speeches of his supporters in Congress
were filled during the consideration OF
the act of May II. 1912. The veterans
and their widows are now nearly ~
wears older than they were Wheh
cleveland made the merciless fald
upon them. They are vastly less ahie
to stand the mental distress and hard
ships of another such cruel PERIOD
They must rouse themselves. and IN
duce all the votes that they can pos
sibly influence against the man whose
election threatens them with suel
calamity consequences. Self preserVa-
ton. if no other reason, should dictate
thai they should exert every means IN
their power to prevent the election OF
Woodrow Wilson.
In support of what we say in regard
to Gov. Wilson'S attitude and that oil
his, friends, we shall publish in com
ine issues the editorial utterances OF
the Wilson papers as to pensions.