The Cairo bulletin., 1912-01-01
N. B. TA|SILEWOOD
| MAKES PLEA FOR
WAR VETERANS
Receives Much Apphrss Il Spseeh
| Recently Delivered n
Congress
WANTS LIBERAL PENSIONS
Feels Soldiers Should b Rewarded
For Services To
! Country
WANTS LIBERAL PENSIONS

The Congressional Record con-
tains the speech Of Congressman y.
u. Thistlewood III this district ori
the service Pension Bill recently
passed BY the lower house. The
speech Id full is printed below ~ Il
appears iii The Record
Mr.. Chairman feel. In justice
to myself and to the great State of
Illinois and her soldier citizens, that
ought to rise In my place and
urge the passage pf this legislation
that we have been promising from
year to year know we are told
that the pension roll is already very
long and the people OF the country
are taxed to pay these pensions
Suppose the roll now is very long.
was there ever country that po-
4essed sucl, an army Of soldiers? Was
theroevcr such Al body of men gath
ared together. who. marched under All
Gag. as were gathered together atsd
Who followed the iiag that we follow
,d9 | think the body d men that
same anywhere near being equal to
that body Of men were the men Who
followed the flag an the other side.
| | have no feeling now nor did ever
lassasa essSaAlFss tlgg !. ssEss
ass~ tsais 4istF j u aas !.
tended OH thtsUtifSf Side III had
possessed the feeling Il long since
would have been wiped out. becaus
look upon the veteran soldiers a
among the most honorable men III
this country, Are they the men yoiI
find fn the nenitentiaries? Are they
the men you find blowing up bridges
Or packing dynamite through the
streets? ] think today they stand as
IN honor. each in his own section OF
he country, as an example for the
Younger generations to follow |
never meet veteran who followed
Pap Thomas on the battle field of
Chicamauga and stood with him Oh
snodgrass Hill that | do pot feel like
taking off my hat to him. because
they contended there froh noon un-
III dark and were relieved only by
the darkness and their own sturdy
'oldier qualities. | feell the same
way when ineet a veteran who fol-
owed Pickett In that magnificent
charge at the Battle OF Gettysburg.
I think II stands almost without par
allell in the history Of all the wars
If all the nations OF the world CAP
clause. So say give us this pen
sion legislation You have been
promising II to us long enough
Every national convention of the two
treat parties for years has said that
we propose to give the soldier lib
eral pensions. Is the pension that is
being received by the veteran of 20
years or more now liberal one?
Why, II will not pay his house rent.
These things were promised
The soldiers Of the Civil War have
not been pcfsioned in equal amount
to the soldiers of the Mexican War.
No soldier Of this country OF the
civil War received a land warrant
for his services in that war. SO
say we stand uncomplaining. but
now demanding for those who need
IL, that you shall fulfill the full
measure Of your promise. Was there
too good TO promise when
Lee was marching ON Gettysburg,
and when the very doors Of Balti-
more and Philadelphia were threat
ened? Was there anything too good
to promise themg | think not. Was
there anything too good to promise
men who were wanted as recruits
10 come to the aid OF Washington
when Gen. Early was laundering
1t her gates? And say now that
We are demanding that the contract
made with the people be fulfilled
'emember, and many OF YOU remem-
,er, that in every gathering where
oldiers were being recruited men
topped forward and said. ewe Will
ee that your widows are well cared
or; we will see that your children
b not suffer for food: We will take
iare Of the families lett behind, 4
~