Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-04-02
SPEECH ON
PENSIONS
Hon. Edward E. BroNle,
Wisconsin, In The House
OF Representatives.

sion bill has come before this body
it has been the signal for lombard
ment all along the line of southern
Democracy. Every man who has in
troduced bill for or cast his ballot
in favor of pension bill has been
accused of doing so to curry ia
vor with his soldier constituency, and
yet these same Representath
would wish you to believe that t.
were not playing politics and did
make these speeches opposing eve.
pension bill to be circulated in their
districts as the most toothsome cam
paign diet that could be placed be-
fore their constituency.
These long speeches of the oppo-
nents of these pension bills have no
Influence upon me and Will not deter
me in the least from doing what I
believe to be my duty.
l come from state that had only
BEEN admitted to the Union II years
before the war; a state whose sturdy
citizenship is, and was at, that time
composed of many nationalities-Eng
lish, German, Scandinavian, Irish.
French, and Pole, but all Americans
in the broad sense of loyalty to q
common country.
Wisconsin did nobly i'm the war
for the preservation of the Union.
and the part she took in it Is desery-
ing of the gratitude of every citizen
of the Republic, North and South.
She was nobly and honorahy rep
resented i'm every important battle;
her soldiers were conspicuous In
every campaign; nearly every fleet
carried them to the assault, every
southern prison confined and starved
her sons, and every hospital nursed
her sick and wounded troops. She
sent forth NEARLY 100000 of her pa
LluOCIS S1SlACl1o LII DliO plnuo Shu
strength of their young manhood to
breast the storm which threatened
to disrupt and distroy the Union OF
our States.
Many of this valiant army never
returned to home and loved ones.
They sealed their devotion to country
with the crimson current of thehr,,
lives. They fell ON mountain bopa
and in the valleys, ON the oceans
and the rivers.
The mem that returned to their
homes found the flourishing business :
that they left destroyed, the farm
grown up to weeds, their FORMER
vigorous health impaired.
l have heard eminent doctors say
that the health of every man who re-
manned amy great time in the service
was more or less impaired by tho
hardships he Was obliged to encount-
er.
AS old age creeps on. the old
wounds and disabilities weigh heay-
ieT, the fight for life becomes hard
er. God pity the man OF woman that
i'm their old age has to battle with
poverty in addition to the disability
of poor health.
When these men enlisted at their
country's call, the property owners or
this country made a solemn pledge
that the soldiers, their widows and
orphans, should be the chosen wards
of this Government. This Government
has tried to keep this sacred pledge
but nevertheless, with the high cost
of living, with the infiumities of age.
there are many Of the most meTftor-
ious cases where PENSIONS received
are wholly INADEQUATE.
The State of Wisconins has been
very generous with its soldiers. Ii
has establihed a beautiful home Gea
Waupaca, Wis, where the veterans
and their wives can live. The Nation
aa Government contributes So per ca
pita for the soldiers in this home sn
addition to what the State contrd-
b1ltes but this has been inadequate SO
that the trustees of this home have
BEEN Obliged to make a rule that eye-
ry inmate, as a condition for en-
trance, has to give up portion OF
his pension to support of this home.
believe that this Government
should make a sufficiently large ap-
preparation so that every soldier
could retain his pension to use for
those things that are necessary for
his happiness in his old age. be-
lieve that every soldier that enlist
ed has made a sufficient sacrifice to
entitIe him decent and comfortable
support during his declining years.
l do not believe that the Commite
on Pensions will be intimidated by
the attacks upon it made ON this
floor, and will continue to report ia
vorably upon all meritorious pension
bills, and Will be generous with those
men who have made such a sacrifice
for their country.