Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-09-23

their side the enactments of the Demo.
cratic Congress, for the soldier, during
the four years of Democratic rule:
REPUBLICAN CONGRESS. DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS-
lst. by act of March 2, LIST. by act Of August Is,
1873 Section IGg2 revised 1875 pensioners were al
statutes, It was determined lowed whenever needed,
who entitled 10 pen. artificial limbs commu.
sions at the following rates taon therefor at eNpira-
For total disability, 90 tion Of every FIVE years,
~ % H. IL and 10 dollars and the necessary
per month"; according to portatiOn free to have such
Tank. And private sol. limbs fitted
dier for disability TO
receive $50 per month. as
by section $685. ID. by act of March o,
act and section IG11 1878 the pensioners of the
of the loss OF lsl2 and their Wild
of both eyes at $500 and ows all allowed the
both feet at 5000. Section s. 0O per month.
i,6gs allows for permanent
specific disability, when ut
t.ry helpless, after June ID BY act Of June g.
4, 1872 S3.2s per month. lists pensioners who had
Section 4.10, increased lost both feet, both hands
widows pensions two dol or sight OF both eyes were
lars per month for each allowed aud raised to sT2OO
child under sixteen years per month.
of age.
Section 4.4g7 provides for
the succession OF depend fIh' by act OF march -
ant reIatives 1879, all pensioners were
Sec,ion 4 -4- sacur.. secured aTrearages Of pen.
pension from iaIity for sion to date from the time
ie debts 81 ths nen.Ioner OF wounds received dis
The foregoing constitute ease contracted while In
the points in onr favor en-. the service.
bodied In the acts above
mentioned The same Is 5th. Nv act OF March l.
followed hy ~ 1879 soldiers who were de.
a. hto S"hs -, 10. prved of their pensions by
Whch Pfoudes that lot reason OF being in the civil
tnta ulsaolly requiring service Of the United States
attention Of another per- cd their nension.
son, the pensioner shall
have 5000 per month in
lieu Of the 81 25 Of a form. 9th. by Of March e.
er act. 1879, the Of June :,
ID. by act Of June II, 1873, extended
1874 all who lost either 10 include all soldiers and
arm at above the elbow sailors who lost both feet
leg at above the knee both hands sight Of both
shall receive $24.OO per eyes, which entitled alt
month, provided that no such soldiers To S720D per
artificial limbs or eommu- month.
tation therefor shall be fur
nished TO such persons as -, n. a.,
entitled under this act ah ny a't o' a'Cn p
The ,Lova are tbe tbr.e 1879 all pensioners either
and their several on the Ios, or thereafter
ton. na.ssd he a Rsnuhii put on, for amputation Of
congress the records reg NJ mp JOINT were al
show during ten year~ lowed a monthly pension
from 1866 to ls15 inclusive, Ioi s3'~'o
for AMI In favor Of the sol
diers who on scores Of bat The above are the seven
teaelds sealed with their acts they appear from
blood their devotion to the records Of Democrat.
their flag and country. ic congress- for aHd in favor
Again a Republican pres of the pensioned soldier
idant vetoed the "Act TO during aud since the year
Equalze Bnunties among 1876, at which time
soldiers" gre=s became Democratic.
Compare the above legislation, and
say which of these parties deserves our
votes, if we are to be guided at all by
legislation in our favor.
nifcance to a soldier of spirit and
courage, into which let US at least to
some extent inquire and that is the
grounds upon which pension is granted
In the Congressional Record, volume 4,
part =. Forty.fourth Congress, first ses
sion, in the House, pages ,739 and
l,7i0, we find the doctrine that the
granting OF pensions is an act of sover
eign gratuity by the government, advo.
Gated by such Republican leaders as
John A. Kasson, of Iowa, who has been
in the service of the nation since 1858 !;
Stephen A. Hurlbut, of Illinois, who
has served his party in state and ma
tion since lS47, and Martin I. Town.
send, of New York, a recipient of party
favors in state and nation since 1886.
Hear Kasson's language as delivered
on the floor of the House in opposition
to the doctrine that an invalid pension
is debt. Mr.. Kasson said
again, the granting of these pen.
sions now under consideration was an
act of sovereign gratuity by the govern.
ment in recognition of the services sup.
posed to have been rendered by the
pensioner, and every pensioner is con.
stantly at the discretion of his govern
ment as to the amount of his compen.
sation, and as to the continuance OF his
pension"
Mr.. Hurlbut said:
First, sir, desire gentlemen TO con.
slider here that there Is not, and cannot
be any such thing as avested right, q
commercial transaction, between the
country and those who are the recipients
of its bounty. Every nation has the
right inherently to command the ser
vices of its citizens just whenever il
calls for them, TO call for their lives, to
demand their money, and the measure
OF the citizens duty is only limited by
the necessities of the country. There
is no contract of dollars and cents in
that. So whoever may render service
in military capacity to the nation
simply does his plain, unmistalSable.
undeniable duty, and whatever reward
the nation may give him for having
done that duty is in the line of n free
gift and grace. and not in the line of
contract. And until this time | never
heard any man talk OF any such thing
as contract between the soldier and
the nation giving him the right to q
pension
In the same connection Mr.. Town.
send said
"Now the committee that matured
this bill was the committee on Revolu.
tionary pensions and the war of 1872.
We matured bill relating wholly to
the pensioners OF the war of 1872. We
brought that bill into the House, and
IL IL had been left In its application to
the pensioner OF the war of 1912 [
should feel ] was doing in the commit
tee, my duty 10 the pensioners and the