Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-27
PLEAS FOR PENSIONS
Liberal Sums for Veterans
Urged by cunlnins.
NOTHING TO PREVENT PLAN
Iowan, in Strong Senate Speech,
Asks That Increases Be
Made Immediately.
NOTHING TO PREVENT PLa

A plea for the prompt passage OF a
liberal pension Law, Increasing the allow
ances to the veterans Of the civil war,
was made In the Senate yesterday after
noon by Senator Cummins Of Iowa.
The veterans arc dying of rapidly, he
remarked, and the Senate is idltng away
time while II might make the closing
days Of these veterans days Of comfort
and Of recollection that theirs was
grateful country.
1T seems to me that the highest con-
sheraton which can move legislative
assembly command us to do whatever we
intend to do Immediately" he pleaded.
Whatever enlargement Of pensions we
are willing to grant No ought to gr1nt at
once. Whatever debate is to ensue ought
to begin now ana b continued without
cessation until we rsach the end.
what stands in tho wayf Nothing.
''The sessions Of the Senate have been
and still are wen nigh barren Of i'm
portant matters, and there 0an bo no
sufficient reason for not giving few
hours to tho men who: loving their
for us through four years Of march and
camp and battle. We convene at 2, ad-
journ an hour or two, or three, later
and meet again next day at 2.
Pleads for Immediate Action.
Eve are comfortable, have plenty to
eat, enough to wear and the day for us
goes quickly and happily by: but on
each OF these days in which we have
done little, and suffered none, two or
three companies OF these Union veterans
die and enter into their reward upon the
other shore. Some OF them-indeed, many
of then1-are dying In want and misery
II we are going to do something for these
heroes, let us for the sake OF humanity
do 1t so that they may die In peace, and
carry into the life beyond the recollec-
ton that their country was q grateful
country and did what 1t could to make
their old age comfortable and happy.
Moreover, OF the half million or more
who still bless US with their presence. there
are many, very many, who are Living in
poverty and DISTRESS poverty aand dis
justly attributed to idleness or improve
dence or incompetence, but which in by
far the greater number are the direct
or indirect results of disabilities which
somehow. as they struggled along the
weary way that lies between Sumter
and Appomattox. II we intend to ease
their burdens q little, II We intend to
lift little the hard hand Of penury, for
the sake of Justice let us do it quickly"
To speak OF the pension as a charity
or as the payment of a debt Of gratitude.
Senator Cummins said, Is a proclamation.
The relation Of the nation to the Union
veteran is too holy for classification.
opposed to limiting the amount Of the
pension to the amount the Treasury
could stand. In this matter, he said, the
government can do what its patriotic
citizenship knows it ought to do:
IL necessary, he said, wealth should be
taxed to pay for the increased pensions.
Wealth Must Pay More Taxes.
1.-THE time has COME he remarked,
when the wealth Of the country must
bear a larger proportion OF the taxes Of
this country than 1t now bears. Putting
aside the revenue from the postal service,
the three-quarters Of q billion dollars
which we annually collect to sustain the
government is substantially all laid upon
consumption Of the people. Wealth has
multiplied enormously. 1t has not only
multiplied almost beyond the power OF in
telHgent comprehension. but the process
of concentration is the most alarming
feature of modern times.
There is a way to tax this wealth rea
sonably and fairly. SO that the hand OF
the government will take from no man
sistence. There Is a way to tax 1T so that
not only will the poor be untouched. but
the rich, from whom the contribution is
enforce. will be better citizens for the
contribution which they make. The way
is open to US. No constitutional amend
ment is necessary to authorize Congress
to act. These rich and powerful trusts
and corporations owe their fortunes and
their incomes, vast as they are, to the
soldiers whose valor and patriotism pre-
served the Union in its hours of peril.
1t is divine justice to now require the
wealth OF the country to recognize its
obligation to the men whose heroic efforts
made great and prosperous country
possible"