The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-07-02
ABOUT PENSIONS.



Tho President Reviews Some Queer Pen
sion Cases, and Disapproves Thorn.
WASHINGTON, June 2a-The President
was 80 much occupied yesterday in COR
sidering large batch Of private pension
bills that he denied himself to Ill calls and
even postponed the regular Cabinet meet
Ing, informing the secretaries that he would
prefer to dispose of the pension bills white
his mind was on them rather than to take
up the business Of the Cabinet, unless some
OF the departments had important matters
to submit requiring immediate action. As
there was nothing requiring immediate at
tention the meeting adjourned. As the re-
suit OF the work done by the President dur
Ing the day. no less than twenty.nine,
more veto messages relating exclusively to-
private pension bills were sent to Congress-.
Tho messages were all short and terse and
the conclusions reached in some Of them as
to the dement's Of the cases make rich and
rare reading. OF one of the cases, that of
James H. Darling, whose disability Is de-
scribed in the records as . general stiffness
of joints, the President says that il appears
that he enlisted in November, 1861, AMI
was reported as having deserted March 8.
"victim of war disability with the ap-
pearance OF q hale. hearty old man,
weighing 1856 pounds. ut Is evident
to me-" he concludes. shat this
man ought not tn be pensioned." Com
menting on another case. bill for the
relief of William Bishop, who was enrolled
As a substitute March IS. 1865, admitted to-
the hospital with measles May 5, returned
to duty May and mustered out May H.
1855. the President in vetOing the bill says
This is the military record Of this soldier,
who remained in the army one month and,
seventeen DAYS, having entered it rs sub
stitnte at a time when high bOunties were
paid. Fifteen years after this brilliant ser
vice and this terrific encounter with tho
measles. on June 90. 1880, the claimant
discovered that his attack of measles had
some relation to his army enrolment and
this disease had settled in his eyes, also af--
fecting his spinal column" OF another
case in bill for relief OF Julia Connolly.
the widow of Thomas Connolly, soldier
mustered into service October &c, 1861, and
reported as deserter November IA, 1861, the
President says: "fle never did days SER
vice so far as his name appears on the
records. He visited his family abont
December Is. and was found drowned In .
canal about six miles from his home. Those
who prosecute claims for pensions have
grown very bold when cases Of this descrip--
ton ore presented for consideration" A
bill granting q pension to Andrew j. VIII
son, who it appears was drafted into service
in February, 1865, and was discharged i'm
September Of the same year on account of
chronic nephritis and deafness, and who in
his application for pension alleged rbeuma--
tism, resulting from exposure. and inflam--
nation of the muscles of back. with pain in
the kidneys. darrhea and rupture, the Pres
ident dismisses with this remark: what
ever else may be said of this claim or his
achievements during his short military
career it must be conceded that he contract
ed a great deal of disability. There is no
doubt in my mind that whatever ailments
be may lay claim to, his title to the same
was complete before he entered the army 20