The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-04-01
HOW TO HELP THE CAUSE ALONG.

HOW TO HELP THE CAUSE ALONG.
The recommendations of the National
Pension Committee GAR, form platform
upon which every real friend Of the soldier
can make secure stand.
The recommendations are as follows:
| We favor legislation by which the record of the
acceptance and muster in of the soldier or sailor
shall be prinla fGcie evidence that he sound at
that time-the Government not to be debarred from
proving that he unsound at date of enlistment,
but the onus of the proof to be on the Government
We favor giving widows the increase from IS to
SO per month
| We favor the continuance of pension to the
widow dependent relatives, whether the PEN
siouer dies from the effects of wounds or disease
resulting from service not.
We favor increasing the pension paid on account
of minor children from s. TO s. per month, and of
extending the limit for minors from the age of 10
/ TO Is years; and in said minor child is insane
dotc, otherwise helpless that the pension shall
continue during the life of said child.
We favor the extension of the arrears limit to
Jan. !, 1855.
We favor legislation providing that if the pen
sioner left neither widow minor child, the name
of the dependent parent be placed on the pension
roll from the date of actual dependence OF such
parent.
We favor granting pensions to survivors of rebel
prisons who suffering from disability, without
requiring them TO prove that such disability arose
from said Imprisonment.
We favor the following pensions:
To the men who lost both eyes, arms or legs,
or arm aud leg, disability equivalent there
TO, 500 per month.
For amputation at the hip or shoulder joint, or so
near thereto rs to prevent wearing an artificial
limb $50 per month.
For amputation OF leg or arm above the knee or
elbow amputation near the knee or elbow
joint TO render the joint useless, $40 per month
For amputation below The knee or elbow, $50 per
month.
We favor pensions to all honorably discharged SOL
ders and sailors disabled or dependent upon
their labor for support, who are Go years OF
age, without compelling them to prove at this date
| that such disability arose from the service.
| We favor just and equitable equalization of the
bountes paid by the General Government.
There is not feature of these recommen-
dations but which should be at once en-
bodied into law by Congress. They contain
no excessive demand-nothing but what is
| bald, bare, simple nothing but what
is less than the soldier is really entitled TO.
What the soldiers everywhere should do
is to unite in determined insistence upon
these recommendations being made into law.
! They should indorse them in Posts, uphold
them by molding the public sentiment of
their communities in favor of them; write
letters to their local and metropolitan press,
and to their Senators and Representatives in
favor of them, and finally formally petition
Congress in their favor.
A petition is easily prepared. All that is
necessary is to head long sheet of foolscap
with something like this:
p. O., STATE OF -.
To The Senate aud House of Representatives Of The
United States in Congress assembled:
We, citizens OF - County, State of -, do
most earnestly, but respectfully pray your honor
able body to pass at once bill that will embody
the recommendations of the National Pension
Committee, Grand Army of the Republic.
Let each Post prepare a number of such
petition blanks, map out the territory within
its jurisdiction into districts that one man
can easily canvass, and then place in each of
these an earnest, active comrade of pleasant
address. Let q day be set for completing
the work, and when it is done let the petit
tions be sent TO the sections Representative
or Senator.
In this way million names may be Sc
cured and sent into Congress within a few
weeks, and which will be most potent in
inducing that body to pass the desired law
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