Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1884 — At List. [ARTICLE]

At List.

The House has passed the Mexican pension hill, which it is estimated will consume seventy-fire millions of taxesr and more than two-thirds of the names to be added to the pension list will be those of men who fought to destroy the Union, Of the 70,000 men who went to the war in Mexico 50,000 were from the South, and of that 50,000 every one who was alive and well fonght in the rebel army against the Federal Government. It is the only way at present that tens of thousands of the ex-Con-foderates could get into the Public Treasury through the medium of a pension, and this accounts for the fact that there were but four Democratic votes cost against the bilL As Mr. Browne, of Indiana, said: “The bill was brought in bocause the rebel soldiery could be pul on no other pension roil.” It allows these rebels to draw pensions, and under its provisions Jefferson Davis can draw his pension also. The exConfedorates in the South who were not in the. Mexican war Were in the Indian wars in Florida and other parts of the South, and they will next be added to tlie rolls, as it is the intention of the House to take up these wars

separately and provide for their survivors. Mr. Townshend may pompously announce that he is obeying the instructions of the pe pie of his State “in rewarding the old veterans,” who not only arc not old “veterans,” because a few weeks’ service does not make a “veteran,” but also because a large number of them never saw any actual service*at all. He may fancy that his advocacy of the pension bills, which, when all in, will take at least fifty millions out of the. Public Treasury for those who fought to destroy the Union, every dollar of it consuming the results of one day’s labor, will entitle him to admiration and gratitude of the people of Illinois, but he may find himself mistaken. The people of Illinois regard such pension bills as rebel raids upon the Public Treasury, namely, to reward men for services rendered in trying to break down and destroy the National Government. —Chicago Tribune.