Show JOHN BURNS AND PENSIONS john burns the english M P who comes to this country as aa a delegate to the annual conference of the amerl american can federation of labor to be held in denver deaver and whose object presumably is to effect a union with similar organizations izat ions ious in the old world was received with ao an ovatta tn by a mass masa meeting of unionists of new york and brooklyn on the occasion of his first public oppe appearance pe arance in cooper union he was introduced as the hero of trafalgar square in the course of his bis remarks on the emancipation and amelioration of the laboring classes he referred rel erred to the pensions paid to the veterans of the civil war and remarked that 11 it was right to reward these MOD men who at best were partakers par takers of the bloody and brutal trade of war it would be equally right to pension those who remove the garbage from the streets the miners and other laborers do you not think he be aoker that the families of men whose lives have been lost in peaceful employment or who broken down in health wear out their lives in your slums amid misery and starvation are more worthy of pensions than those who fought in batt battI lt an argument of this kind may round plausible but american workingmen noted lor for intelligence and common sense are not likely to become permanently impressed with the sophisms sophi sms on which it rests labor in ID this country is ia supposed to be remunerative enough to reader its bluest NODS independent to a certain degree they do not under ordinary circumstances work for starvation wages and do not desire to close weir their lives jives the objects of charity to help themselves and those dependent or on them as 88 hodg lon us as health and strength last and the light of intelligence Is still burning within and also to contribute their just share toward the maintenance of the be government as well as to the alleviation of the sufferings of unfortunate fellow fellowmen fel meD and still have something to depend on for the evening of life is the proud ambition of every true american workingman in the sovereignty of his bie manhood he feels this to be one of his hie sacred rights of which nothing but liu unavoidable avoidable misfortune in one form or another can deorive him to be reduced to a condition in which public charity whether in the form of pension or otherwise is the only resource would be looked upon as a calamity rather than otherwise in the case of the veterans of the war the case is entirely different they were called upon in a time when the country was in extreme danger they left their various occupations and gave their services to the public at a remuneration mune ration that was but scanty at best beat many of them returned unfit for manual labor because of wounds re melved or on account of a broken down constitution they and their families could be saved from a lite life in ia want only by the country coming to their relief in such passe oases it to Is eminently proper that the nation which they maintained at the cost of their limbs and lives should be as liberal as possible in their cases case is in not it is in the ment in installments of a debt due for services the value of which is not to be estimated in dollars and cents to the veterans of the war and their fallen comrades the laborers of this republic are largely indebted for the preserve pre serva tion of the country that has been and still is the eldorado of the world when mr burns endeavors to kindle the flame of jealousy in the hearts of american laborers on account of the pensions paid to the ve veterans teram he Is likely to fail and do more harm to his own cause than be is aware of our workingmen do not begrudge the feeble veterans the pittance they receive of course there have been and probably still are abuses connected with the pension system everything human is subject to error but apart from such things if there here is any feeling expressed at all among the people with reference to the survivors of the war it is a desire that their heir closing days maybe may be made as comfortable as that they may enjoy the eveni ng me of life in peace and rest at last their remembrance being hold held in honor forever |