The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-05-05
of conduct which must eventually re-
suit in great injury to every industrial
interest
A Revision Of the Pension Laws
Needed.

become so thoroughly incorporated into
our policy that, if there be any who
desire it, they can never expect to see its
discontinuance. Originating in 1776,
every change in it down to the present
time has had for its object the embrace
ing of more numerous classes, until
now there is hardly neighborhood in
the United States which does not contain
one or more persons directly interested
in some of the benefits thus conferred.
In most instances pensions have, at the
commencement of each war, been
promised for disabilities or death in
Cured in its prosecution; though as to
the revolutionary soldiers and their
widows, pensions, without regard to
disabilities, were provided long after
the rendition of the service. Pen
sions for disabilities incurred in that
war were provided by resolution of con-
gress, passed August 26, 1776, and in
September of the same year the bene-
fits of that resolution were extended
back to include all cases of disability
from the commencement of hostilities
on the 10th of April, 1775. From that
time until the present congress has
gone on, step by step, completing the
design of the pension system, which,
though imperfect in detail, viewed as
a whole presents a grand and beauti-
full picture of the nations justice, hui
manity and gratitude to those of its de-
tenders who, by reason of the casualties
of war, were in any degree disabled for
the continuance of those forms of la
Dor or those duties of life which they
abandoned at home for the purpose of
taking up arms against its enemies.
Bounty lands, at first offered only for
long terms of enlistment thereafter
served out, have by subsequent enact
ments been extended to all who have
borne arms in our foreign hostilities or
Indian disturbances, even for almost
the shortest possible periods of service,
prior to March 8, 1866.
1t was the inevitable result that fab
ric thus reared-not upon any precon-
ceived plan, but in detached parts to
meet temporary purposes and emergen-
cies-should lack uniformity in its de-
sign and consistency in its details. I'm
der the different bounty-land laws the
amount of territory granted, the length
of service required, as well as the class
of benefciaries provided for, have va
ried greatly from time to time. When
the country was rich in its land posses
sions, in the time of the revolution,
grants were made for service during
the entire war of from one thousand
acres to major-general down to one
hundred acres to a private soldier,
while for subsequent services from
forty to one hundred sixty acres only
were allowed to all ranks, based, how
ever, upon shorter periods of service.
Under the earlier acts the only benef
Charles provided for were the soldiers
themselves who rendered the service,
while later laws extended such bene-
fits-some to widows and children,
without regard to the age of the chill
dren, others to minors, and again to
those as far removed in relationship in
the pensionable sense as fathers,
mothers, brothers and sisters. So con-
trariant are the rules governing the
different classes of pensioners that an
attempt to enumerate them would in
volve the preparation of treatise on
the subject. In many instances the
intention of congress has been defeated
by the employment of inadequate or
improper expressions in the laws them
selves, or by too narrow and rigid a
construction of them by the depart
ment charged with their execution.
Congress has interposed to remedy
such inconvenience until frequently
the amendments have totally changed
the operation of the original law.
These amendments, in many cases,
have been separated at wide intervals
from the original acts to which they re-
fer, and are often found attached to, or
included in, appropriation bills, or they
appear in other places where an mex
perienced person would never think of
seeking them.
Hence has arisen an obscurity which
has enveloped the pension and bounty
land laws in fog, through which no
one can grope his way unless at such
labor as few but professional persons
would be willing to bestow upon the
subject. The evils which have sprung
from this condition of things have been
too universally felt to require that they
should be pointed out and dwelt upon.
All classes of persons having just
claims have been subjected to unjust
determinations necessarily incident to,
and growing out of, the imperfections
in the law to which reference has al
ready been made. There is certainly
one well-defined logical conclusion to
be drawn, and that is that all the laws