The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-01-28

4
The sel Of 1898 applied the remedy by repeating the
ol l,s-' anu prescribing new rules which should be
oose'e1 IN placing olcers and soldiers of the revolu-
non on the pension list OF the seven rules prescribed
ior s government OF the courts and Judges. the second
vas was These words; The evidence relative u any
Claimant must prove decisive disability to have bee the
eHre' ot known wounds received while in the actual
he OF MS duty IN The service Of the United States during
The late war"
II provided also that this evidence should be the af6
davis OF ihe commanding officer surgeon Of the ship
iesln'sn, coHS, or company in which such claimant
served or two other credible witnesses 10 the same effect
selling forth the time and place of such known wounds
Thus military and naval PENSIONS by the act Of l793 for
revolutionary services were expressly confined to dsa
the actual linp OF duty
y was necessary TO pass this law quence Of the
distinctive conjunction or. introduced into the act OF
1892. and thus Congressgo back 10 pensions for wound
and Tor nothing but W0unds have given the act OF
1893 have given the rule by that act aud have
shown that the object OF that rule was Ia prevent la
tulhous construction OF the act OF 1884, by which every
one was placed on the public treasury pensioner who
was disabled. from any whatever he in the mill
taIy service Ut The United States
viii mol deiain the Senate by recing the provisions
o the acis OF lso3 1906 1874 1878, and 1922, which
continued in full force the rule prescribed by the OF
l793, down until 1928 Let it not be forgotten that the
rule requiring the evidence to establish disability from
known wound received In the line of actual duty was
continued 10 force down unit! 1873 Thus i appears that
Tor more than thirty years Of the legislative history Of this
country, including the officers and soldiers of the OF
1912, as well those OF the OF the revolution, pen
sons were limited 10 those whose disabilities resulted
from known wounds received in the line of duty while in
ibe service OF The United States Snse that time change
has come over US and have rctrograded and got
back 10 ihe repudaled and condemned legislation of the
act OF 1892. The spirit which Influences legis
lihon gives pensions Tor any disability whether il results
ffom sickness contracted in the service of the United
ales. or IRON any cause whatever Cold. rheumatism
gout thing, if it can be made the probable
cause OF disability, is deemed sufficient, either by
general or special 10 provide permanent live
hood or me person afflicted or his family out OF the
l
When The officer soldier dies the best legacy he can
leave his family. il our pension system is to 20
laging and extending has done, will be the ability
prove that his death the result OF some chill or
fever or pestience which attacked him while in the
vice OF the country Whether the disease proved fatal
and destroyed life IN week. year, twenty years
after the first attack will make difference And thus
sir under our modern practice. egslang pro-
vide for favored class, when death strikes his fatal
blow, IN any o. the ten thousand different ways by which
all OF our lives sooner or later must be terminated am
tor Limiting these grauiies to cases where the disability
or The death the unnstakeabe consequence of known
,oounds inflicted BY human hands, the open public enemy.
believing that attempts TO provide for the nscutable
dealings OF the great destroyer Of decaylng
marked by partiay and injustice Our latudnous prac-
lice in respec, to has fully developed itself
1928. up TO which time the provisions of the of 1893
were in substance continued in full force.
The pension law OF April, 1906, retaining the rule of
the act OF 1893, applied 10 officers and soldiers OF the
revolution, was expressly adopted BY act Of the I'd
August, lsl3 and applied TO the militia and volunteers
engaged in the war OF 1912 Thus will be perceived
that the old revolutionary principle carried through
the oil 1872 sometimes called I" the second war OF
independence" The whole military pension system up
| to and during the war o; 1919 based upon the
rounds received IN the line OF duty and not disability
sutng tion disease and sickness contracted lille in The
the Indian wars which have had in this country and
BY which thai fertile region which represent
quered and acquired But IN these modern times
have extended these pensions in the manner which the
gentleman IRON Missouri has described, and for which
most cordially thank him THIS extension was wrong
II is wrong now, and Congress ought TO look into the
matter and begin to Tecuiy this great wrong by retfacng
our steps
If you look at the estimates of the Treasury Depati
men, you will hnd that million three hundred and
eighty thousand dollars are wanled for the purpose OF
meeting pension claims for the fiscal year ending 3Oh
June 1851. and that nearly double, 50 Gas, ,9OU
estimated necessary for The year ending June 80, 1851
Sir, most heartily concur in the passage Of those laws
which gave pensions 10 The old revolutionary soldiers,
and their wives, who, as the gentleman from Missouri
has said, rtald al home and took Of the children and
MIXED The cows, while their fathers and husbands
fighting the battles OF the country heartily in
those laws which granted pensions 10 the revolutionary
soldiers, because OF the difficulties which they had
encounter, and because OF the fact that they were but
half paid, and that, ieo in deprecated currency. Be
ginning the war rebels, and contending they did
with nakedness and slarvabon Their constitutes an
| exception.
Bal how does this revolutionary pension system apply
TO the armies OF the republic in modern tunes, when
every who enters tue service is paid punctnaly.
cordng the contract, to the last cent? IL abuse
OF the principle applicable TO revolutionary fathers,
under The peculiar circumstances ~ which they were
placed to extend IT 10 troops well paid clothed, and led
So lar disabilities result from rounds they .boud fare
alike But there the analogy ends.
wish now TO say something IN relation TO the system
OF pensioning and children, and perhaps ia rela
ton TO the system of naval pensions. In June, 1884, u
enacted {" that il any commissioned officer IN the
troops Of The United States SHALL while IN the service OF
the United States, die by reason OF wounds received IN
actual service, and shall leave widow, il no widow
shall leave child children under the age OF sixteen
years. such widow no widow such child or children
under the age years. shall be entitled 10 re-
ceve the hall OF the monthly pay TO which The deceased
entitled at the time Of ms death, tor and during the
term OF FIVE years"
There is the foundation OF the system OF granting pen
sions to widows and children and it's limitation a, the
time enacted, in l7ps, WAS that IT should be IN be.
half of the officer who died of wounds received IN The
line OF his duty, and While he was in the service and
under that limitation the wdsw the infant children
under sixteen years OF age were 10 have pension lor
five years. and that only Tor the hall OF the pay which
the dead officer would have been entitled had he lived
temporary provision for the widow and infant children
under sixteen years Of age for limited perod OF time.
until arrangement could be made by them or their
friends to provide for their support This law thus lin.
tied, was not changed. believe, until 1919 will not
occupy the time Of the Senate by reading the ACT OF 1879
Then there change in the principle OF the previous
act but renewal Of these pensions for five Years
five years.
Thus the fret changes that took place did not relate to
the enlargement OF the grounds upon which pensions
to be granted. but added hve years to hve years
That, believe, speaking from memory, was done IN
1919. So that here, again, have more than thify
years practice of the government embracing botn the
with Great Britain, showing that these Pensons IN
cases. where the father husbaad had lost his e in
cons nspuuencA of vvounda rAneived But what change