The National tribune., 1885-05-21
JUSTICE.
Something About Pensions-A Law that Should be
Restored.

Something About Pensi0ns-A Law that Should be
Restored.
To THE EDITOR: / notice that you are asked
every week by dozen or more old soldiers
"When will my pension date from ?" and your
answer. of course, is, q Pensions date from time
of filing the claim"
If ever there was gross injustice in any part
of the machinery which works the pension
claim business, this matter of dating pensions
from date of filing is the worst and most exact
ing. All pensions should date from the time
the disability was incurred. If a soldier was
discharged for disease contracted in the service,
or for wounds received in line of duty, he was
clearly disabled while in the service of the
United States, and should have pay from time
the disability was incurred, aud not years after
wards, when he became totally disabled and
unable to earn his bread by the sweat of his
brow.
l personally know scores of deserving SOL
diers who were discharged for disease, who
have not been able to do manual labor for
years, and who could have got and should
have PENSIONS yet they have never asked for
Government aid, mainly on account of the te
dious, tiresome process of the pension claim
system. l know one man, disabled in the SER
vice, who did not get his pension until IL years
after application.
The law as it stands at present. with refer
ence to pensions dating from the time Of filing,
is unjust to those who have claims now pend
ing, from the fact that hundreds have drawn
pay under the old law, which dated claims
from time of disability. 1t is an unfair and an
unjust discrimination against large body Of
deserving men to say that portion shall re-
ceive pay from time of disability and that
another portion shall receive pay only from
time of filing their claims.
With thorough work, done on business prin.
ciples, the claims now pending in the Pension
Office could be disposed of in a short time. The
present Administration claims to be a bust
ness" Administration. President Cleveland,
am glad to see, has rolled up his sleeves and
gone to work in earnest. Now, if he will insist
that work in all the Departments goes on in
the same manner, there is hope for the old
soldier yet.
A comrade said to me yesterday: az have
about given up ever getting my claim acted on.
All the proof wanted is in. 1t is agreed that
my claim is just, yet l have been waiting for
years in vain to see it paid Yes, l have about
given it up"
There is chance for the present Admins
tration and the next Congress to crown itself
with the laurel wreath of fame by doing simple
justice to the old soldiers-s0mething no Re-
publican Administration or Republican Con-
gress ever did. Let the law regarding pensions
read plainly that pensioners will be paid
from date of disability" or discharge, if for
disease wounds, and even handed justice
will be melted out to all.
The editor of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE knows
that in the early days of pension claims, when
there was rush for pensions, it was not always
the really needy and deserving who obtained
pensions Twelve or fifteen years ago pens ons
were obtained without much trouble; since
then the screw has been tightening. Laws
have been enacted calculated to scare the timid
from filing claims, so that to-day the really de-
serving, who should have had their reward
long since in the shape of pension, are almost
debarred by lack of proof in the necessary fl
ing of papers. Their officers are all dead, COM
rades scattered or dead. and after trying in
vain to establish proof of disability incurred in
service of the United States, give up the thing
in dispair.
Proof Of disability ought to be established OH
face of the soldiers discharge. This, with affi-
davits of officials where he resides, should be
all that is required to establish his claim to a
pension. And the pension should be granted
as soon as said facts are established. This
would be business, and the Government as well
as soldiers saved great deal of trouble and an
nOyance.
i suggest that THE TRIBUNE print petition
in its columns, to be cut out, signed and sent
to Members Of Congress. asking that the law
relating to pensions be changed SO as to date
from time of disability or discharge for dis
ability" If soldier was discharged for dis
ability after only three months service, he
could not help it; and if he has suffered all
these years from the effects Of the disability so
incurred it is clearly matter of justice that
when he applies for a pension, which, if granted,
should date from time of disability.-E. A.
DAVIS, Co. ID, I'd Mimi, Kansas City, Kan.