The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-02-02
PENSION BILL.
Remarks of Hon. Geo. W. Jones, Of Ten
I nessee, in the'House Of Representatives,
December 20, 1858.

Mr.. JONES; OF Tennessee. Mr. Chairman,
it is the duty of this government to provide
for those who may become disabled from sup
| porting themselves by wounds, or disease con-
traeted in the military service of the country
yet do not think that it is either right or
proper for this government to inaugurate
system of generalserVice pensions It has
been, as I conceive, one of the settled prihci-
pies of the government to- oppose a system Of
generalseryice PENSIONS 1t is said that this
system was established by the act of 1857
1t was contended, if I am not at fault, by the
advocate of that law, that 1t could be no pre-
cedent; that such case could never again
arise in the history of this government as that
of the soldiers of the Revolutionary war; and
that, with them, the service pension system
would terminate.
But, sir, it is said that other countries and
governmcnts--the governments of Europe
pension their soldiers, after they have rendered
military service. Who are the soldiers of the
European goyernments2 Are they soldiers
like ours, who fight and defend their own fire.
sides, and for a government in which they have
apart! No, sir, they are Faid hirelings of the
sovereign, who fight his wars, and to maintain
him in power. Here, the soyereigns them
selves are the men who 60 to the battlefield to
defend their homes their fresides and their al
tars. And j venture to say that there is nos
one man IN the whole country who rendered
service for which provision is made in this bill
who for a moment contemplated, when he
went into the service, that the time was ever
to come when he should receive a pension be-
cause of that service. have acted and coop
Grated with those who have been in favor Of
providing for the widows and, orphans of those
who have fallen in battle, or by disease contrac-
ted in the service. / think now that we might
do much in revising our invalid pension system.
What is the pension you give to widow who
lost her husband in battle, or, after lingering
years by disease contracted in the military SER
vice of the country? A pension of So, so q
month. Three dollars and fifty cents month,
when. her husband had lost his life And this
bill as it originally stood, proposed to give
full day pension for three months service.
What, sir, is your revolutionary pension law
now? The man who toiled in thatRevolu-
| ton, the man who fought in a doubtful cause,
the man who fougt to establish the independ-
ence that we now enjoy-what pension can he
get for two years servlce? He can only re-
ceive for two years service full-pay pension;
and the full pay pension of private of infantry:
in the Revolution is only eighty dollars per
annum. No revolutionary soldier now living
or who ever lived, can .get.a pension for his
services unless he shall have proved and estab-
| hshed the fact that he served six months du-
ring that war. When he has proved and estab-
lished the fact of six months service in the
Revolution, under the act of 1882, the act now
in force, he gets but-the pitiful sum of twenty
dollars year; and if he proves twelve months
service, he gets but forty dollars year. And
now, by the vote of this committee, the man
who has been in service ten days is to receive
a full-pay pensionl
| Again, sir, there should be no distinction
made in service pensions. When in actual
service, you must have your military organisa-
ton; you must have privates-the basis Of
your Army-and then you must have the
various officers to command and direct that force.
That is necessary, sir, in actual service: But
when they have rendered the service, and re-
turned to their homes, then, I say, that il you
are going to give service pensions; you should
put them all upon an equality, and. let them
| receive the same pensions for the same service.
1 see no reason why there should be differ
ence made between those who happened to be
officers and those who happened to be privates.
Here the hammer fell ! E--.,.r