The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-11-27
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions Variety Of Interesting
Subjects.


Il. E. ScI,eu Cfty No. We cannot say how
long it takes to hear from examination in
claim for increase OF pension. If an examination
is ali that was necessary TO decide the case you
would have heard from the claim soon after the
examination was made. 1t IS probable that other
causes have delayed final action. Write to the
Commissioner of Pensions and ask him the
of delay. 2. You were not entitled to veteran
bounty.
c. s. E., AIgernon, Neb., says: enlisted in the
Regular Army Jan. 5, 1855 Am not entitled to n
land warrant under the act OF Congress, passed
March 3, 1855. as L had served more than ia days
previous to the passage of the act. ARS,rcr. Your
service must have been actually rendered in a
prior to March 3, 1855, to enttie you a land
rant If you did not actually participate in the
Mexican war, by service at the seat of war, you
not entitled.
j. ", Kankdkse, Ill.,, Is drawing pension of S24
for total disability such render his incapacty
to perform manual labor equivalent to the loss OF
hand foot and asks If he is entitled to go, under
existing laws Ans,cer. No; S2i is all that the law
allows Tor the condition described.
s. e. H., SdttHl0, Tenn.-1. We do not consider the
election of Cleveland as hostile to the allowance of
pension claims. 2. About one-half of the claims
that are referred for special examination ulti-
mately rejected. g. We have means of knowing
whether your claim will be allowed or not From
your statements 1t appears TO be in good shape 4.
claim referred for special examination Is very
rarely taken out OF Special Examiners hands. We
do not know that 1t has ever been done except In
s. c., Whitehall, N Y-The arrears act expired by
limitation June 90 1880; consequently, all pension
claims Including widows claims) filed since that
date, If allowed can draw only from date of filing
application. If claim filed prior TO July 1SSU,
the widow draws pension from date OF soldiers
DEATH
c. s.. Ed,rGrdsriUe asks if widow without minor
children is entitled to pension, in case her husband
had been drawing pension for loss of sight or
deafness, and who died from another sickness?
ArStger. She Is entitled only in the sickness
which caused his death was contracted i'll the serv-
ice and in line OF duty. The fact that he was
drawing a pension does not entitle her unless he
died from the disability for which pensoned,
from another cause equally due to his service etc.
Subscriber Marion, Mi3iR says: friend OF mine
receives apension for his who was killed in the
late His son was killed Aug. Is, 1862 His
pension began April 8, 1865. Why does he not
ceive pension from the time OF the death OF his
son? 4Rst0er. 1t Is probable that April g. 1855, is
the date OF the death of the mother OF the soldier
if so, his pension would commence April 3, IS65.
The fathers right to pension did not exist until the
mother died. and he can be pensioned only from
that date.
Il. c. b., East Albany, vi. The Revised Stat
utes of the United states deprive from citizenship
and the privileges incident thereto all deserters
who did not serve until April 10, 1865, or who did
not return 70 their commands under the Presidents
proclamation of March H. 1865; consequently, it is
held by some that those deserters whose records
have not been amended and W no still stand on the
rolls having deserted prior to April 10 1863 and
who never returned to their commands, not
legal citizens, and have right to vote. As the
question has never, to our knowledge, been decided
in competent legal tribunal, we are not prepared
to give you an opinion thereon. 2 4 father Is
titled to pension providing the mother Is dead;
that the soldier died leaving no widow or children
surviving him, and that the father was at The date
of the sons death, dependent upon him for support,
etc.
p r., Atedo III, submits the following: father
and enlisted in the late war; died in the
army; father came home and is now drawing
pension for disability. Can mother draw pension
on her son? Insurer. If she was dependent upon the
son for support at the time of his death she Is en-
titled; not otherwise
j. ". L., Russell, Kan, says dependent mother
applied for pension in January, 1881. Will she
ceive pension back to date of soldiers death? 2.
was sworn into the United States service May IL,
fort hraa dnrIn no har grAG
Dec 90 1863, by reason of reenlistment, receiving
Sl00 bounty for first three years. Am entitled
to any more bounty? AaStcer- l. No. She can
only draw pension from date of filing application.
q No
Mrs ~ r., Skaneateles Lake, ~ y, asks if a SOL
der deserts his first wife, marries again without
getting divorce, and dies from disease contracted
in service which wife would be entitled to pension?
Ans,cer. The first wife only. The second marriage
was illegal, and that party would have no claim.
ID. X. r., HOrfhs Mills, Pa, wants to know If there
were enlisted drivers. and did they receive more
thing enlisted drivers" You probably refer
to teamsters, who We're cirilian employees, and
received SIS to $50 per month and rations They
were not enlisted.
E. G. w., Bosciing Green, OIL. To entitle to vet
bounty q soldier had to re-enlist for three
years between Jan. L, 1868. and April 1, 1864; he
having previously served two years in the same
organization, or nine months in another organiza-
ton 2. A soldier who was prisoner of war when
his command reenlisted, is not entitled to veteran
muster, because he did not re-enlist as such. 3.
We have not the time to hunt up the Information
desired. f. The political standing OF the next Sem
ate cannot be accurately determined. The
House will stand about as follows: 1S2 Democrats,
l4l Republicans, and one Greenbacker. This esti-
mate may be changed two or three either way. 8.
We cannot now predict what measures viii come
up In the next Congress, nor the probable fate OF
some of the proposed bills.
j. S. b., Lafayette, Hld-The sister of the soldier
who died in the Mexican is not entitled to any
pension at all.
a. T. p, Parker's Landing Pa, wants to know if
a pensioner can let his pension stand undrawn,
say for nine months or year, and then draw it in
one sum, should he choose to do ARsIcer. Yes
it can accumulate for any period less than three
years. At the end of that time the name of the
pensioner is dropped from the rolls, and he has 20
file claim for restoration IN order to receive his
pension.
ERE Pleasant Hill, H., submits the following:
l. What is Special Examiner? Is he q medical
man. qualified to decide to what extent q man Is
affected with disease and does applicant for
pension have to be examined by one? 2. Under the
new law, attorneys get s2o for prosecuting PEN
sion claim if successful When they have been paid
part of the SlO under the old law if successful
under the contract. is it not right that they
should return what was paid on the contract under
the old law? s. In case OF lost discharge, commits
sion and musler-in roll of officer who WIS dis
charged as an enlisted man before expiration of
term of service for the purpose of receiving promo
ton, what course would he pursue to obtain copies
OF them, and If copies OF them cannot be obtained,
would proof of his having them be sufficient in
case they were needed? t. Who is the Editor of
THE NArIoNAL TRIBUNE? AnsUer. l. A Special
Examiner is simply clerk of the Pension Office
detailed for such duty. Very few OF them are
the question to the extent of disability that Is
for the Medical Referee and his assistants in the
Pension Office to decide. Less than 10 per cent. OF
claims are referred for special examination. 2. 1t
would not be right for attorneys to refund fees adj
vanced to them under the old law, because such
fees received for services to be rendered (the
same as you would pay lawyer for any legal
servce), unless 1t was distinctly agreed upon that
the fee was be returned in the attorney did
not succeed An attorneys services in rejected
claim just arduoUS as i'll successful claim,
and under the old law he entitled to pay for
services rendered whether successful not. 8.
Copies cannot be obtained. Whether the proof
you mention would be accepted would depend
upon its character. 4. There are several Editors,
one for each department of The TRIBUNE, with q
large editorial staff
j. f. Liberty, Ne5-Your complaint, wherein you
allege that your attorney cheated you out of part
OF your arrears, Is not we'll founded, because
no attorney has anything whatever to do with
the payment of pension. When the claim is al
lowed the Pension Agent in whose district
the claimant resides is notified by the Pension
Office that the soldier has been placed upon the
pension roll a. certain rate to commence from a
certain date. The Pension Agent prepares the
vouchers and sends them direc. to the claimant to
sign and upon receipt of which he sends the claim
ant his check for the money. IL there is any appar
ent dscre Pancy in the amount received you should
write to the Pension Agent who paid you. The
attorney could in no way have anything to do
with it, as he could not even know how much you
Were to receive and had nothing to do with the |
matter in any way, shape FORM 1t is impossible
for the attorney III claim to receive more than his
legal fee unless the claimant pays him excess |
thereof and the attorney is subjected to heavy |
penalty for receiving any thing more than the law
allows
c. B. L., Franklin, Pa, asks whether an order |
issued by the Secretary of War superior to
issued by the Commander Chief of the o. =. |