The National tribune., 1884-04-24

will state the amendment which propose and
which. taken ia with thai oficr by
the gentleman FROM West Virginia, will go far TO
correct the abuses of the system now adniinis-
tered ADD alter iine % in section The following
/ Provided. That ia all the pending in
the Pension Department, iiiat may hereafter
arise here the applicant for pension Is shown to
have served three months in the field and
TO have received honorable discharge, ali inju-
ries sustained lay HIM while in the service shall se
presumed 10 have been received ia the line OF duty.
unless the contrary be shown 10y proof, the burden
| al which shall be upon the Government. And
when II shall be established by two creSii-
bic Witnesses that has suffered from snel
disability since is discharge 1t shall be the duty
OF the Commissioner of Pensions 10 grant such
pension as the proof shows the applicant entitled
! Mr. Hammond Dem J. of Georgia, insisted
/ on the point of order, whereupon Mr. Wait
! tRep.). Of Connecticut, addressed the House as
follows:
MR WATTS HARD HITS.
! Mr.. Chairman. tile result which the pending
amendment to the bill aims to accomplish is one
wiilc ought To receive the approval of every meni-
Der OF the House. II under The rules that control
the action of riie House The Chair should hold that
the amendment Is subject TO "A point of order then
trust that the object sought TO DE effected by the
/ same will be embraced IN another bill which will
receive the unanimous support OF the members OF
tins body without regard TO party affiliations lie
amendments in effect declares that the United States
Government when IL received "a into its mill
tary service during the laie and had him
amlned 10y surgeons who were selected by and
acting the agents OF the Government, and these
agents had decided thai lac then "A sound man.
tree from disease OF every ki.,d aud all respects
ft TO discharge ihe duties OF soldier. aims TO
set Al naiigiit action the time OF his
lis1n.ent. and to compel him 60 go back twenty
or more years and show what his physical coudi-
! ton when he entered the public service
Tie existing laws or rules of The Pension Bureau.
Ignoring the opinion OF medical based on
Careful examination. throw upon the applicant for
pension the burden 10 prove by testimony. which
! il may be impossible for him 10 obtain the fact
that he was free from disease of every kind az the
time of his enlistment. His family physician may
be dead. Parties in whose employ he who
were hls early associates may also be dead, or
removed TO parts unknown. after long an
intervening time may retain no distinct recoiee-
ton s. 10 isis physical condition whea he entered
the army twenty years prior. la that Why sol
der wien he presents his application to the Gov
eFnnleAt officials. asking them 10 give him a
pension partial remuneration FOR loss of health
resulting from the prvatioDs and exposures incl
dent 10 life la camp, from confinement ia a
military prison, u codly met with refusal the
ground that he cannot show afiFmalively by The
testimony OF medical men. commissioned officers.
and c0inIuss that lac WAS an every respect sound
man when the Government toy its agents examined
snd accepted him. rule more unjust in its ope-
ration could scarcely he devised.
WORD FOR THE WIDOWS.
/ Bnt il IS not the soldier alone who suffers great
wrong from the effects Of this rule Of the Pension
Bureau. The svdieT dies and his widow and
I children. often left without means to feed and
Cttftt1e t1ciii, call upon the Government To give
] them the lille aid which pension may afford,
and their request for justice Is met with the cold
response. Prove by the evidence which our rules
demand that your husband your father was free
from every form of disease when lac left his home
| 10 peril health aud life for iis country" If it
would be difficult Tor the soldier TO reach the proof
required TO enable him TO obtain Justice at the
hands OF the Government, will surely be mpos-
! sbie for the widow Rnd the children to get the
evidence that Is demanded from them. In thou
saIlns oi e2iSes where the soldier, tae widow. and
tie child OF the soldier have claims that should be
/ taNOrsby listened 10 and their Applications for
/ assistance unhesilaiingly granted they have been
deilarred by conditions ana requirements with
which il Is impossible for them to comply These
! arbitrary and oppressive rules and requirements
should DO removed by TIE proposed amendment or
other Legislation of like character.
Mr. Chairman ann oflen ia receipt of commu-
/ nlIz4tions from soldiers who suffering under
olseises which sre the fruits of camp life from
4 the widows Of soldiers who have died from such
discusses. telling that they have failed 70 obtain
Justice solely from their inalsity to show the
physical condition OF the soldier al the time OF his
enlistment The witnesses to whom they would
| look ior and have goue TO parts unknown, or are
dead, or have lost recViieeiiOn in regard TO the
| case Let Us now. Mir. Chairman. legslate in q
| way which viii do partial justice at least Il, the
brave men who peTiled life and sacrificed health
| 10 save this Union. and not only them if they
are ll.lng but 10 their widows and children II they
dead.
Mr. Warner (Dem.), of Ohio insisted that
| the bill already reported from the Committee
on Pensions Bounty and Back Pay fully COW
cred the ground. and offered it as substitute
| for Mr.. COTS amendment. bat Mr. Hammond
/ again made the point that il WAS not in order.
aud was sustained by the Chair, whereupon
Dir Bedford Rep, OF Colorado, said:
MIR. BELFogDs COMMON SENSE.
Now gentlemen have har. their say and propose
| 10 have mine Tor nonIenl- speaking To tile
POINT OF order. aud the question Is i this afneid-
neIs erniAsIe 10 tiIe 1ii iew will you ascertain
until you look al lle hill iseifY What is this bill
about except Invalid pensions? That il wi hat the
biz ltsii eonepiates. That If its subject -IiIater
Now fhnk that when child looks like it's father
You ought 10 presume at least that e bad some con-
Dection with that family erane llaiighler
aiia thai he 4 entitled TO IN at the family board
and tSse family table.
/ The gentleman talks about expending the money
OF the peopie. Does the presumption that /.
mai who WAS healthy when he was mus
tered INTO The army Increase your public expendi-
teFesY Docs your Treasury rest upon a miserable
presumption How does ii increase the at,,,r,pri-
atiOD-E ii what does IL increase tir,,, ?
Ia what measure. ask are they increased This
amendment says that every widow " lao lost her
husband n tise army shall not be required prove
tiiat he was a sound when lac entered the
service hr had been examined ard accepted y a
board Of officers appointed by the Government OF
Tie United States TO determine whether lac able
- serve or iiot Oh KNOW that lie could not have
entered INTO thai army " he had physical defect
Vi any KIND. II he Ind crook ed tooth tia. would
have regretted lailsI before The examiners
10 you NOT know that be a. fact aud why =
Upon te old theory that he mad hiie oil the end
oi the cartridge. although iO you know aud
/ cartridge. Laughter. And yos understanding
tiisit tasa and understanding the close and .sre-
iui examination which made by The officer. of
iiie United States. you -ay that the soidIers widow
shalt prove 10 tiiis Government thai e was sound
iliiiis ~en lac went va And you know how rigidly
ths. were examined, shipped, Inspected. their
mouths opened like the slaves sold the mar cts
al NoifsisnnIOpie and II sound they were mustered
Into the army Bun under a mistaken policy
oi ess'ionIy tie gentleman expects. btIl a vain
1f'ectstion 10 ride into the Presidential Office
liaugiief la that expectation he refuses US tie
lac has kindly undertaken TO proi.-ta the right Ia
iheDrI1orate IA this blii just wise and proper
amendment.
MR BRUMM REVIEWS THE FIGHT
AT the conclusion of Mr. Belford's remarks
/ the Speaker ruled Mr COTS amendment cut of
order on the ground that it changed existing
law and did not retrench expenditures, and
therefore was bot geTnIane to the bill Later
1 81 the session. however. Mr. Brumm Rep. ]. of
Pennsylvania, moved 10 amend by adding the
following TO the bill:
fTootded That upon the question OF the phys.
cal condition OF tie soldier Al the time Of muster
Tito service the rule os evidence as 10
burden OF proof shall be adopted In the adudics-
tion oil All claims Tor pensions
Against this amendment also Mr. Randall
| made point Of order. and Mr. Brumm spoke
a. follows in support of his proposition:
The Law as II now stands provides that soldiers
WI" nave received certain wounds incurred GER
tam disabilities Ia the line of duty shall be entitled
to pensions ibls provision the Commissioner
oi I'risloiis Thinks. makes IL incumbent him TO
disability received the line of duty and a, a
part OF such proof 10 show thai lac had no d., .