The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-06-04
TIE lIEXICAN VETERANS.
THEIR PENSION Bill IN TIE
SENATE,

In the Senate. on the Goth, the
| House bill to pension the Soldiers
of the Mexican war was taken up.
The principal changes made by the
| Senate Pensions Committee in the
bill rs it came from the House Of
Representative are: First, in striI-
ing out the clause that limits the
widows pensions to the case Of wild
ows who are married before the
soldiers discharge from the army
and permitting the payments ofpen-
siens to all Mexican soldiers wids
ews who have not remarked, and
the second limiting the benefits Of
the act to persons who are independ-
ent, in whole or in part on their ewn
labor or assistance from others for
their support.
Mr.. Mitchell, Chairman of the
Committee on Pensions, explained
the effect of the amendments, and
said that if every soldier should be
peu>ioned for his service, without
regard to his early disabilities, the
application of this rule to the sur
viving soldiers ofthe late war would
involve the country in an expediCure
of 100000 annually.
Mr.. Logan meyed to strike out
that part of the amendment which,
as he under stood it, refused man
a pension unless he Acknowledged
himself to be pauper.
Mr.. Williams differed with Mitch~
ell as to the wisdom of,the principle
on which the bill was bssed as it
came from the House. A pension
should be recognition OF. honorable
distinction, not badge of mendi-
cancy. The words, "poer house"
and ''pauper," were the most unwel-
come words that an American car
could hear. Williams reviewed
some of the incidents efthe Mexican
war, eulogized the soldiers, charas-
terized the war as one ofgreat glory,
net fought for plumber, and the army
as the only one that in similar cir
eumstances did not desolate the con-
qucred territory.
Mr. Ingalls,, while not depreciat-
ing the merits of the Mexican vet
Grams, could not agree with Williams
as to the Justice of the Mexican war.
A more indefensible war of spoila-
ton and robbery, he said, had never
been waged against defenseless
neighbor. 1t had been the result of |
the desire Of a political party to ex
tend the limits of slavery and agN
grandize the slave holding power 7
Ingalls, was not at all alarmed at the
of giving pensions for ser
vice. He cited the action Of Con
gress with regard to all cur former
wars to show that the precedent had
been set of pensioning, after the
lapse of a certain time, for service
alone, without regard to disability, i
and he favored that principle.
Logan spoke in favor of his mo-
ton. He did not believe the esti-
mates were correct that fixed the
number of Mexican veterans now
living at $4,000 lie thought the
estimate must have been made large
in order to defeat the bill. There
could not be more than 1000 now
living. That was the estimate that
was supported by the best evidence.
If economy and not merit was to be,
the order of. the day, the Senators
had better wait till there were only |.
one or two of the Mexican veterans
living. There would be consider
able money, saved by that course. If
4 pension was 10 be given because it
was right it should be given now.
After further debate the matter
went over till the conclusion of the
business tomorrow, Cam,
,ren (Wis.) saying however, that be
would insist on proceeding with the
.alendar au that hour.
In the Senate, on the 18th, on j,
notion of AIR. Harris, the Mexican
pension bill was taken up. The
bending question was upon Logan's
notion to strike out part of the
proposed by the Senate
Pension Committee that limits the
x-soldiers aud ex~sailers who are |.
in whole or in part on
heir own labor or on assistance from
theirs.
Beck remarked that the youngest
{ the Mexican veterans was now