The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-05-12
Mrs. Lincoln's Pension

| There is one strong reason in favor of
Mrs. Lincoln having pension. She has
asked Congress to grant her a pension.
and her asking it, is prima facie evidence
of her being entitled to it. The widow
of President who lost his life in the SER
vice of his country, asking pension,
lshould have one, unless there are some
very strong and good reasons against it.
For the reasons against it we give the ad-
verse report of the Senate Committee.
WASHINGTON, May 5-The Senate Com.
mlttee ON Pensions to whom waa r, fer
red the House bill granting a pension of
$4,000 per annum to Mary Lincoln, say
In their report made to-day that, although
by the Constitution Of the United States.
the Presiden is made Conlmander.in-
Chief of the Army and Navy, he is civ.
II and not military officer The death
OF President Lincoln occurred while he
was engaged in the business Of civil lis.
fherP was no principle on which pen
slons had hitherto been granted in this
country, which would warrant the mas
sirg of this bill. No provision of this
nature has ever been made for the wild
ows or families of any one of the Presi.
dents or other civil officers of the United
States, although many of them, like Mr..
Lincoln, rendered most exalted service ia
the country; and two of the Presidents
died while in office, and the families of
some of them were left In very slender
N Iar NJ o@n tn
ing, SO far, to distinguish this case from
that OF great BODY of civil officers of the
government, who, of all grades, from the
highest to the lowest, from the earliest
period, have lost their lives while in tho
performance OF public duties, and have
lett behind them widows and orphans in
bereavement, aggravated by poverty and
want lt has not been deemed advisable
In free country to provide permanent
emoluments In favor of the families of
nigh of1cers OF the State az in European
countries as when eminent officers end
then official term they becume equal, but
not superior, members of society. The
committee are constrained to find, from
the iacts before them, that Mrs. Lincoln
Is not, in fact, in the destitute condition
which has been represented, and that her
means must be reasonably sufficient to the
just necessity of citizen of the United
States, either at home or abroad. A re-
capitulation Of her assets show that tho
balance of salary for hrr husbands unex.
pired year was $4,000, and that on the
18th OF November 1867, she received as
her share of the personal estate of Presi-
dent Lincoln, $36, 765 60 (the same SUN
Delng also given to her minor son, Thorn
as) making her total cash assets SOS. 1885,
oo, In addition to which there is some I'M
productive real estate, of which the com
mltLee nave taken no account. They
nave good reason to believe she also re-
celved no Observation-Disclosures of cloth
ing, plate, household goods, ETC., after the
death OF MIR. Lincoln, which, in consider
ing her pecuniary condition, should be
addcd to the above-named sum Sub.
scorpions were open fer Mrs. Lincoln,
but the committee is not informed what
amount has been realized. Mrs Lincoln
does not seem to urge her claim entirely
on the ground of the want of the comforts
of life. In her petition transmitted from
frankfort praying for a pension, she sta
ties that she has been advised To trv the
mineral waters during the summer and
then go to Italy; h"lbut nv financial
means do dot permit me to take advan-
tage OF the urgent advice given me- nor
can live in style becoming the widow
of the chief magistrate. Of great nation.
though ] live as economically as I cam"
The committee say--from the standpoint
of European kingdom and European So
clety-ths very probably is cor
rect; but IN republican country, where
there is no distinction of rank, and
where all duties are measured largely by
the means of performance, the committee
think fortune of 500 900, or even one.
third of-that sum frr lady, must take
her out of the category of those whose
necessities, in consequence of the casual.
ties of public service, give them claim
upon the Treasury. After other argu.
ments, the committe conclude by saving.
'" Under the circumstances of the case
they do not think that either sentiment
or duty require a further, provision, in ],
accordance with the request of Mrs. Lin.
eoln, and therefore recommend that the
bill be NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." The re-
port is signed by Senators Edmunds, Tin.
ION, Pratt, Spencer, Howell, and Nc,
Creery.
THE following, says the "Chit.C Chat of
he Uestern Monttlyare the deadly sins'