Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-09-18

wound, injury, or disease that disability probably
originated in the service. he shall be put on the
pensicn-rolls. This bill will facilitate the
class OF cases have mentioned pending in the
Pension Office. But, the other hand, the sec
ond paragraph of the first section, limits the first
paragraph in this, namely, that only those shall
have the benefit of this act who apply for it, and
if they apply under it, which they may do by
stating in their application, then the pension dates
from the filing OF the application under this act
So that if and then il facilitates the granting
of an unmertorious claim, at all events it goes
a soldier, and to one now so disabled as to be
Bile to earn support by manual labor. In addition
to this IL takes from ALL k0zOev<r na<rfOrfoEs, any
pension for any Period of time Pyfoy 10 making aP
pIicaf;os and(r lie bill. land vet Gen. Warner
saws no claimant parts with any right. ED.I
Mr.. Speaker, am aware that my time is about
up. Iregret could not have the time to do either
the bill or myself Justice bear testimony to the
earnestness and labor the committee gave the bill
in the hope that it might meet the appreciation of
this body, and to some extent the demands OF the
soldier element of the country which clamors for
relaxation of the iron rules of evidence heretofore
obtaining in the PensioQ Office.
Mr.. BROWN Pa.) Mr.. Speaker, simply rise
to enter my protest against that portion of the bill
which follows the word therefore," in line % of
the first section.
This bill is in the main correct and shall vote
for even as It is; but protest against import
ant measure being pressed to its passage without
the privilege being accorded members OF amend
ing its manifest If the soldier is to receive
any advantage from this act he must waive rights
secured to him under the present law. In other
words, in order to secure that which will relieve
right to arrears of pension. We have been told
from day to day that the committee, whose chair
man Mr.. Warner has just spoken, to bring
out bill attording the relief so plainly demanded
by the country's defenders. | submit, sir if they
do not signally fail? True, they give, but they
withhold also; indeed, in some things they take
back from the soldier that which he already hath
II is an ungracious proceeding, and unworthy men
now enjoying the heritage perpetuated by the
blood and suffering of these pensioners. It is a
question whether they would not be injured
than benefited by this bill. In the hope, however
that the Senate will properly amend, give it my
vote.
Mr.. LAIRD fNeb) I wish to emphasize the
objection of the gentleman from Pennsylvania
mir. Brownl to so much of the first section of the
bill he called attention to- and to say that the
gentlemen of this committee have shown to the
soldier that mercy which requires him to relieve
supposedly honest claim against this Government
Tor more money. namely. his claim for arrears,
than he receive during lifetime of reward
under the provisions of the act. It is the same
kind of mercy to the ex-soldier of this country
that this Government showed to those who were
dying in Andersonville under its policy; and the
committee refuses to report bill to recognize the
services and the suferings OF those men in the
death-holeS of the South.
There is another objection to the bill. If you
seek to put it in the way OF these men to receive
their rights you ought to add this sort of section
that in all cases where the applicant for pension
is shown to have rendered three months service
more in the field, all injuries sustained by him
when in the service shall be presumed to be
ceived by him in the line of duty, and the burden
OF the proof to the contrary Shall be on the tJOv
ernmert. You have made provision unde. W hich
the Pension Office to-day is refusing pensions to
thousands of men who Justly deserved them: the
provision, namely, that they must establish their
soundness on their entry into the service; and YOU
refusing to adopt the other provision that they
shall be presumed to have received their injuries IN
the line of duty if they shown 10 have rem
dered three months active service.
Mr.. BROWNE Qnd) The objection have to
this bill is that it restricts rather than enarges the
penson-roll. The first section provides that if it
shall appear probable that the applicant received
the disability in the military service it shall be the
duty of the Commissioner of Pensions to put him
the penson-roll. Why, sir, if understand the
law that is the rule now If from the evidence it
appears probable, if the weight of the evidence
is that he has incurred disability in the military
service, it is the duty OF the Commissioner to put
the applicant on the penson-roll. But this re-
strcts it in this, that he shall not only prove T. At
he has incurred the disability in the military
vice of the United States, but he shall also show
that he served three months before he is entitled
the pension.
Mr.. WARNER (Ohio.) 1t is matter of record.
Mr.. BROWNE Qnd.) Yes, sir But now if he
to serve but day and he shows by the evil
dence it is probable he has incurred the disability
in the service, he is entitled to pension.
Mr.. WARNER (Ohio) This does not take
away any right.
MI BROWNE Qnd.) say the present pension
law simply requires the applicant to show by a
preponderance of evidence the probability that he
has incurred the disability in the field, and he is
entitled to pension, though he may have served
bat day week. But this bill requires. before
he shall be pensioned for disability incurred in the
service that he must have had honorable service
for at least three months.
The time for debate expired before any
further objections to the bin could he con
sidered.
The discussion of this bill fails to disclose
that Gen. Warner or his committee ever
intended to introduce any other bill; on the
contrary, the Record shows that all amend
ments save those of the committee were
rejected.