Question - "Resolved, That the pension policy of the Republican party is commendable."

Brief for the Affirmative:

GEORGE P. COSTIGAN and LIVINGSTON JENKS.

Best general references: U. S. Revised Statutes 1878, Sects. 4692 to 4791: Pension laws in Statutes at large, Vols. 20-26; Reports of Coms. of Pensions and Sec'y of Interior, especially for 1885, 1888 and 1889, in House Exec. Docs.; Speeches of Senators Plumb, Davis, Ingalls, Hoar, and Teller in Cong. Record 1889-90 p.p. 1796 to 6385 passim; Republican Nat'l, platform for 1888 in Tribune Almanac.

I. Many of the old soldiers are in urgent need of assistance. - (a). Service in the army was disastrous to their health. - (b) They were poorly paid and paid in depreciated currency. Teller in Cong. Record June 23, 1890. - (c) The end of the war found the soldiers unfitted for peaceful pursuits. - d) For these reasons they have been unable to provide for their old age.

II. The United States is under moral obligations to pension its old soldiers. - (a) The army was made up of our best and most patriotic men. - (b) The U. S. has hitherto always given service pensions to its old soldiers. - (c) Our national honor is involved, for pension legislation is really the fulfillment of a contract; Ingalls and Gorman in Cong. Record, June 23d, 1890. - (d) The U. S. is wealthy enough to afford liberal pensions.

III. Occasional fraud is no argument against pensioning deserving soldiers. - (a) Fraud cannot be entirely prevented in transactions so large. - (b) Pension frauds have been greatly exaggerated. - (c) The pension office has on the whole been carefully and methodically administered; Century VI. p.p. 430 and 434.

IV. A liberal pension policy strengthens the government. - (a) It intensifies national feeling and patriotism - (b) It acts as a preventive of war by keeping before the public the evils of war. - (c) It strengthens the volunteer sentiment of the country; Paddock in Cong. Rec'd. Mar. 8th, 1888.

Brief for the Negative:

W. L. BARTLETT and J. C. BRECKENRIDGE.

General references: Professor Wm. M. Sloan, Pensions and Socialism in Century Magazine, Vol. XLII. p. 179, June 1891; E. H. Hall, An Indignity to our Citizen Soldiers; Pres. Cleveland's message. Senate Journal 2nd Sess., 49th Cong., 2 Sess., p. 219; Mason's Veto Power, secs. 71-81.

I. The Republican policy has been extravagant - (a) Amount expended on pensions in 1866 was $13 000,000; in 1876, $28,-000,000; in 1886, $64,000,000, in 1891, (estimate of Sec. of Treasury) $133,000,000; Hall, p. 17 - (b) Germany's appropriation is $9.000.000; Century XLII, p. 183 - (c) Only 72 per cent. of the appropriation goes to the soldiers' Hall, p. 19. - (d) The Arrears Act of 1879 cost the nation $500,-000,000; Hall, p. 7. - (e) Acts are passed without careful consideration of what they will cost; Ibid.

II. The Republican policy has been unfavorable to a military spirit. - (a) Pensions given through gratitude have been called a debt: G. B. Raum, Pensions and patriotism in North Amer. Review, Vol. 153, p. 213, Aug. 1891. - (b) It has accustomed the people to fight for rewards and not for patriotism: Pres. Cleveland's message. - (c) It has aroused disgust at the mercenary spirit of veterans: Weekly Tribune, July 9, 1890.

III. The Republican policy has inculcated dangerous principles. - (a) It has given pensions to men whose disability is not traceable to service; Dependent Pension Act, June 27, 1890. - (b) It keeps up protection by dissipating the surplus. - (c) It tends to a centralized, paternal form of government. - Century, XLII, 184,185; Pensions and Socialism, 184. 185.