ON PENSIONS x 



I did not intend to take any part in this debate, but I 

 cannot sit in silence and listen to the criticisms which 

 have come from the other side of this chamber as against 

 the pension appropriation bill without at least making a 

 brief statement in behalf of the old soldiers of this coun- 

 try, not in behalf of the "battle-scarred sutlers" that 

 were referred to by my genial friend from Mississippi 

 (Mr. Allen). My friend from Mississippi always clothes 

 with humor any subject, however grave it may be, and 

 we listen to him with pleasure and delight. He ought to 

 remember, as no doubt he does, that the reason why this 

 is the greatest pension roll that the world has ever seen 

 is because it follows in the wake of the greatest war that 

 the world has ever seen. The size of the roll is an evi- 

 dence of his prowess and of the bravery of the men who 

 fought with him upon the Southern side of the question. 



This country at the very beginning of its existence 

 started out with the idea of having practically no stand- 

 ing army; having in lieu of a great standing army a 

 nucleus, a germ around which volunteers might rally, 

 and upon which might be organized in times of our ne- 

 cessity an army great enough to meet any emergency 

 that might arise. That policy necessitated the adoption 

 of a plan of pensions in time of peace for the volunteers 

 in time of war. It was commenced with the very begin- 

 ning of our government. The Revolutionary soldiers 

 were put upon the pension rolls, first through lists re- 



i Speech of Hon. John F. Laeey on H. B. bill 64303, appropriation for 

 payment of invalid and other pensions. 



