St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-02-26
PENSION BILLS.
A Brace of Pension Bills introduced in
the House of Represent
atiyes.

NASdiNGION1 ~. ", reU. @so.--IocudtOi
Harrison introduced in the senate to-day
a bill of great importance to soldiers
and their widows. 1t provides apension for
all soldiers who served during the war Of the
rebellion in the military or naval service for
period of six months, and were honorably
discharged, provided they are now disabled.
The bill proceeds upon the theory that there
are many soldiers and sailors who did not
contract disability during the war of such
a specific and well defined nature as to en-
able them to make proof thereof, as required
by the existing laws, but in truth, and in
fact, they are now broken down in health by
reason OF the hardships and exposure of the
service 1t is bill that grants relief to that
class of soldiers, who had physical strength
to bear burdens of the war without
receiving hospital treatment, but by reason
Of their long and faithful service, have since
become invalids. The highest rate of PEN
sion granted is $24, which is made divisable
according to the degree of actual disability.
The bill increases the rate to $12, of all the
widows of pensioners who contracted dis
ability in and since the war of the rebellion,
and who are now drawing So, and fixes the
rate of such claimants at $12 per month, for
future pensions. 1t also provides pension
for the widows of such soldiers as may be
pensioned under the first section of said BILL
also the widows Of those who served in the war
of the rebellion, and shall obtain a pension
under the existing laws for disability, with
out widow being required to prove that the
cause of death was due to SER
vice. This does not grant
pension to all widows, but to the widows of
soldiers who are or may become pensioners.
It grants relief to many worthy claimants,
whose husbands were disabled by reason of
their military services, and were destined 10
die from some specific disease, from which
they were lingering, but an acute disease in
tervening and causing death, the claimants
were barred, owing to the Immediate cause of
death not being due to service. This bill is
the result of demands which the government
is unable to meet under the existing laws.
A soldier, for example, who was in every
battle, from the Potomac, in 1861 to 1865, but
who was neither wounded nor in the hospital
now becomes disabled by reason Of disease
contracted in the service. Under the exist
ing lBws the government cannot help such a
soldier, but this bill proposes not only to PEN
sion him, but also to pension his widow. In
an interview to-day, Senator Harrison said,
while this was radical change in the PEN
sion laws, he had carefully considered the
whole matter, and did not hesitate to say, in
his opinion, every true friend of the Union
soldiers could afford to sustain such a
measure. 1t was needed and ought to be-
come law at once. All pensions under this
act will begin at the date of fling the applica-
ton therefor.
Representative Cannon, also introduced a
bill to simplify the procedure in pension
claims, and to extend the benefits of the
pension laws to worthy claimants, for invalid
pensions, and widows, minor children and
dependant relatives of soldiers and sailors
in the late war, who were unable, by existing
laws, to furnish the necessary evidence re-
quired to connect their disability with such
service, and for other purposes. The bill
recites the lapse of time since the war for the
suppression of the rebellion, and the death
of witnesses often render it impossible to Sc
cure the evidence required and necessary to
establish claim for a pension under the ex-
isting laws where the pensionable disability
OF fatal disease is due to causes
not established by records of the war or navy
depots, and thereby the most meritorious
class of claims are frequently defeated, and
congress is therefore called upon to grant re-
lief by special act, thereby encumbering the
private calendar to the detriment of public
business.
1t provides, first, that in the consideration
of the claims for pension, no proof of the
soundness at the enlistment OF of the origin
of his disability in service, and line of duty,
shall be required if the records of the war or
navy departm shall show that the claim
ant, or soldier or sailor, on account of whose
service, the pension is claimed, was
mustered into the United States service
and rendered six months actual service in
the war for the suppression Of the rebellion
with his command, or upon detached service
under orders, and was honorably discharged,
provided, that the disease or disability There
from exists to the extent that it can be dis
covered and described as pensionable by the
examining surgeon, and is not due to the
dissipation or vicious habits of the soldier.
Second-That in considering the claims
for pension, on account of the death of a
soldier or sailor, who is shown by the records
| of the war or navy departments to have rend-
cred six months actual service in the war for
| the suppression of the rebellion, with his
command, or under orders on detached ser
vice, the only proof which shall be required, as
| to the origin of the death cause shall be
| that the soldier received honorable discharge.
and has suffered pensionable disability, as set
forth in section Of the bill, and which was