The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-03-13
ACTON DEMANDED
The Grand Array Pension eemmittee's Recommer
dati0ns to Congress.

| ACTION DEMANDED
The Grand Array Pension eemmittee's Recomnen-
| dations to Congress.
! The Pension Committee of the Grand Army
of the Republic met, pursuant to the cali of the
/ chairman Past Camnander-in- Chief George s.
/ Merrili}, at the Riggs House, this city at 8
o'clock last Thursday evening, March g. There
were present Chairman Merrill, Gen c. H. GrOs-
/ yenor, of Ohio; Corporal James Tanner, New
! York and Past Commander-in-Chief Paul Van
Dervoort Past Commander-in-C Chief Louis
Wagner arrived on Friday, and was in attend
| ance with the committee during its subsequent
deliberations. IHasmuch as Comrades Tanner
/ and Grosyen0r were compelled, on account of
urgent business, to leave on Saturday, the COM
.mittee decided 10 proceed at once TO business
and Thursday evening was devoted 60 an ex-
| animation of the various pension bills before
the Senate and the House and an interchange
of opinion as to their comparative merits. On
Friday evening, ali the members being present.
the committee had before it the Commissioner
| of Pensions, Comrade W. w. Dudley aud Com
| rade George f. Lemon, who gave their views
| at length as to the legislation that ought to
be enacted by the present Congress Is re-
suit OF these deliberations the committee adopt
| ed the following memorial to Congress en-
bodying its recommendation in regard 10 pen
sion and bounty legislation:
TO the Honorable, the Senator's aud Representatives
in Congress.
! GENTLEMEN: The undersigned beg leave to
| respectfully represent to you
1st. That they comprise The Committee on
| Pensions of the national body of the Grand
Army OF the Republic, and that this committee
was instituted for the express purpose of hav-
ing some recoalized medium through which
the Grand Army conld officially address the
| Congress of the United States
=.
stituency of upwards of 900 veteran soldiers
and sailors. We desire to give whatever weight
we may have as q body or as individuals in
favor of such measures as we deem just which
may now or hereafter be before you. We like
wise desire to protest against and condemn
certain propositions which are now on your
| files, oStensibly in the interest OF the old SOL
der or sailor, but which seem TO us to be
inconsiderate. impolitic, and calculated to
bring into disTepute the general standing of
the saviors of the Nation.
We are unquaiifedly opposed 10 the propO-
sitiOn to distribute land warrants to the yeteT-
ans without regard to whether they occupy the
land or not
We are also opposed to the proposition to pay
to the soldier or sailor to-day the difference in
the value of the greenback when we received
IL in payment for our military services and the
value of gold on the same date.
We are also opposed to the bill or bills pro-
|
all survivors OF the war, regardless OF whether
they were wounded or became disabled IN the
service or are needy.
We are in favor of bill granting pensions
to survivors of rebel prisons who are suffering
from disability, without compelling them to
prove that such disability arose from said i'm
prisonment. Mr. Van Deryoort dissented,
fayoring the Robinson bill.
We are in favor of the extension of the ar
Il rears limit to January l. 1855.
We are in favor of giving the widows Of
veterans the increase from eight TO twelve
dollars per month. We would eheerfully re-
commend an even greater increase if We
thought you would grant it.
We are in favor of the bill which provides
that the fact. as shown by the record of the
acceptance and mnster-in of the soldier and
sailor shall be received by the pension au-
thorities as prima faeie evidence that he was
sound at that tiIne-the Government not to
be debarred from proving that he seas unsound
at date of enlistment, but the 0RiGs of the proof
to be on the Government.
We are in favor of bill to give the men
who lost both eyes. or arms, or legs, or an arm
and leg, or disability equivalent thereto, one
hundred dollars per month.
We are in favor of increasing the additional
pension for minor children, from - per month
! TO So per month, and extending the limit
for minors from the age of sixteen years tG
eighteen years; and in case said minor child is
insane, idiotie. otherwise helpless, that there
be no limit. Think of your own children hv-
; ing on screen cents per day.
; We are in favor of the following amount Of
pensions for the hereinafter specified rates Of
disability.
For amputations at the hipor shoulder joint
or SO near thereto Us to prevent wearing an
artificial limb, $50 per month.
For amputation of leg or arm above the knee
or elbow, or In case Of amputation so near the
7 knee or elbow joint as to render the joint use
less, $40 per month.
For amputation below the knee or elbow, $50
per month.
? We also favor the continuance Of a soldier
pension to his widow or his dependent relative
regardless of whether he dies from effects o
wounds or disease resulting from service or not
We also favor giving pensions to ali honor
ably-discharged soldiers and sailors who al
!, now disabled and are dependent upon thei
own labor for support or are sixty-fve years o
: age, without compelling them to prove az thi
date that such disability actually arose from
the service.
We believe that present condition of phys
zeal inability and dependence upon other
than those legally bound therefor for support
. and the fact that the soldier or sailor left N
widow or minor child, should alone be requires
> to be shown by competent evidence to entitl
y the names of dependent parents to be placed OF
I the pension roll. and no proof Of dependence a
;, date of death of the soldier should be required
> or necessary, and that such pension shOul'
commence at the date of and continue durin
i such dependence.
We trust also that this session of Congress
I will not be allowed to expire without the passag
OF a law fixing the qualification and status o
claimants and their agents or attorneys re
: medal of the present existing anomalous con
y dftion thereof.
e We are in favor of the passage of bin for
u just and equitable equalization of the bountie
u paid to soldiers by the General Government.
III conclusion, we beg leave TO respectful
% submit that if any one thinks the foregoin
carefully considered requests make toe larg
Q drafts on the resources OF the country, that "
y, &c represent a body of men on whom il the hon
,, of Its direst extremity the country made draft
q of blood, of limbs, suffering aud life, and th
> Nations draft never went to protest
GEO. S. MERRILL,
LOUIS WAGNER,
CuAs II. GRosvESoR,
:, PATu, VAN DERyOORT.