Year: 1879

lshed relative values Of coin and paper


The New FORK papers and noticeably our name
sake, the Tribune were full of all manner Of dole
ful predictions


Coupled with these, and as another element
against making the appropriation, was the fact of
the expected reduction of by the passage of
the act reducing the tax on tobacco


All these things considered, il did require some
strength of conviction, rmness in the right to
press the appropriation to its final passage and our
thanks are due to the men, Democrats and RepubIi-
cans who did their duty so fearlessly


Senator ingalls,, of Kansas the Chairman of the
Pension Committee in the Senate, came very near
killing the appropriation by loading it with very
long and absurd amendment not at all germane to
the bill, and thereby seeking TO establish the Com.
missoner's xty-Surgeon Bill'' as a condition of
the appropriation. This exploded scheme the hobby
of visionary reformers, hung like milestone
around the neck of the pension appropriation and
came near defeating the whole


1t was asserted on the floor Of the Senate by Off
cials who ought to have known better, that the
House Committee on Pensions was in favor of this
proect-an assertion absolutely untrue for it was
known that that committee upon full and deliberate
consideration, had decided against the scheme


In the debate which publish elsewhere, the
line OF argument for and against is clearly shown


The abominable statement that t,ceaty De, cent of
the pensions paid was fraudulent was currently
used, and used as basis and reason for this legis
lation. Mr. Edmunds very properly and very neatly
repudiated it for his own State of Vermont.


Does Senator ingalls, wish the soldiers of Kansas
TO believe from his general statement of this gross
charge that he thinks that this appalling percentage
IL trup of tba SofL
did not except his own State?


The truth is, that neither the Commissioner nor
Senator Ingalls,, nor any of the gentlemen in the
Senate who repeated this unworthy attack upop the
good name of soldiers of pensioners or of the people
generally, knows, can know ANYTHING about il /
IT is pure and simple guess, without any data, in
capable OF proof and not consistent either with
known facts, with the character of our people. or
with any decent administration of the Pension Of
fee, for office which allows twenty Der cent Of
SooOoO QUO annually to be paid out false pretend
ers, has no excuse for existence, and ought to be
abolished


But the struggle is over; the law making the an
preparation has been passed, and justice has been
done at last however reluctantly, and we of THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE, who have fought this fight to
the end, and won for friends the victory can af
ford to be magnanimous in the hour of success.


Articles inspired from official quarters were con-
stantly sent every day during the struggle To the
New York Tribune denouncing the whole move.
ment to secure the arrears of pension as move of
the " claim agents"


Ii it was claim agents fight it was certainly n i
claim agents victory


In reality, this was bosh" put out to pre-
Judce the measure; for by the very terms of the
Jaw, claim agents cannot derive dollar from it,


we are interested for the pensioners we do not
deny 1t, and every move for their benefit commands
our approval whether we make money by it or not


We leave our work in this matter to be consid
cred and valued for what it is worth by the men for
whom we worked, and neither seek nor accept any
credit that we have not honestly earned BUT WE
TfIEr