Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 261, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1910 — SHOW HOSTILITY TO THE SOLDIER [ARTICLE]

SHOW HOSTILITY TO THE SOLDIER

Indiana Democrats Maks Hup Jeke of Pension Measure. SOLID AGAINST JUST BILL Republicans Sought to Provide State Agent to Assist Indiana Veterans in Obtaining Justice at Pension Department— Democrats Turned Down Proper Appropriation at Governor’* Demand. The Indiana legislature was asked, in 1909, to follow the example of Ohio, Dlinos and other states, and create a pension commissioner to aid Indiana veterans in preparing, presenting and proving pension claims at Washington. The civil war soldier knows what need there is for such a commissioner. The state of Indiana appreciates the services rendered by the soldiers, and in a desire to assist honorably discharged veterans in obtaining justice, it was proposed by a Republican, Representative Miles Furnas, to furnish the aid required, at the state’s expense, to the end that no Indiana soldier might be unjustly treated or discriminated against. Have Lest Their Papers. Many deserving soldiers have lost their discharge papers, and others have been victims of errors in the records. It is to clear up such records, withoutexorbitant fees, that the state proposes to create the commissioner mentioned. The just and desirable statute needed will be passed by Republicans at the earliest possible day. Democrats defeated the purpose of the Furnas bill. Why? Democrats had a chance to show they were friendly to the soldier. They oted as foes of the soldier. A solid Democratic committee majority reported the bill for indefinite postponement. The Republican minority in the house urged the bill for passage, and made such a hot fight that the Democrats were forced to put themselves on record for or against the measure. They dodged the consequences of their own act, and when cornered, voted for the soldier bill, which they could not kill in committee. Insult to Injury. As If to add insult to injury, the Democrats struck out of the appropriation bill the provision to pay the expense incident to the work of a pension commissioner. This was done by a practically solid Democratic vote in the house, where the Democrats had a g6od majority. The Republicans backed the appropriation solidly. Finally, the whole pension commissioner proposition went to death in engrossment. The Democratic governor, seeing the reckless house trend, clamored for economy—too late. The cut came partly on the old soldiers’ bill. Of course the la*v creating a pension commissioner could not be put In effect without the small appropriation for salary and maintenance. Democrats were not brave enough to vote directly against the bill. They took cowardly and abject refuge behind the appropriation, and stabbed the soldiers from the darkness. It was a craven blow. Was this soldier appropriation cut In the name of economy? If that is asserted, then it may be said that economy should have begun in the plunder end of the Democratic house, where the Democratic economy shouters spent many thousands more in the session of 1909 than were spent by Republicans in the session of 1907. Was it plain, old-fashioned hostility against the soldiers that Induced the Democrats in the 1909 house to make a joke of the soldier bill? If so, it was a mighty poor and profitless joke and Will return to confound the heartless Jokers. . —;' —'•/ '■