The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-02
The Opinion of an Old Trooper.

New York Sun.
have been reading the vetoes of pensions, by
the President with some care, aud / am struck
with the reasons given By the President for the
exercise of his constitutional power. AS they are
couched in some cases in very sensational Ian
guage such as is sometimes used by newspaper
reporters, I am inclined to think they must have
been written by some of his clerks who have
served in that capacity. The space you allow
me only permits of observations on one or two
Of these pension yetoes.
William Bishop, he says, was enrolled as a
substitute might have been the Presidents sub
stitute-he sent one, you know March %, 1865
and was admitted TO the post hospital April 8,
kick with the measles. Removed to General
Hospital May 5, returned to duty May s, and
mustered out May H. 1865, because the war was
ended. Now, says the President, "fifteen years
after this brilliant service and this terrible en-
counter with the measles, and on June %, $780,
the claimant discovered that this attack of the
measles had some relation to his army enroll
ment and that this disease had settled in his
eyes, also affecting his spinal column
Hence the veto. Let Us analyze this.
First-His brilliant service. Who knows how
much good he did the country, keeping the Presi-
dent out Of the army so that he didn't even get
the measles, by which his spinal column on
which he so prides himself, might have been
affected so that he would not have had the men
tai stamina required to save the country by the
veto of SO many pensions of soldiers doubt
full widowsg' Suppose the soldier had hap
pened to do this great service. then would ne not
have been entitled to a pension OF the highest
gradef
Sscond-His sickness The President tests as
to the terrible encounter with the measles" /
don't know how he ascertained that the soldier
discovered that the attack of the measles had
some relation to his army enrolment 1t is ad-
mitted that he had the measles after he got into
the army. But the laws required that he should
not be enrolled until competent surgeon had
certified that he was well man, and he went
into the hospital nine days after that He en-
listed we'll man. He remained in the hospital
till the 9th of May, thirty five days certified by
the surgeon as sick with the measles. He then
returned to duty, and in three days after was
mustered out OF the service, but whether fully
recovered or not the record does not show
The President is evidently unacouainted with
the effect of measles in the army. 1t must
have been pretty serions case of measles that
took thirty-fye days to get the man on his feet
again.
That the measles is one of the worst diseases
that can attack full grown man in camp every
intelligent army surgeon knows, and will tell
you that it is more disabling to a regiment to
have the measles break out in it than it is to
have the smallpox, as to which sickness I sup
pose even the President will not use the words
the terrible encounter sheer. More in
proportion might die with smallpox than with
the measles; but those who got we'll would be in
ies II Is quite the reverse The majority of full
grown men having severe attack of il never
Suliy recover their health The results of the
disease, OF the sequela, as the doctors call them.
are terrible. Frequently the eyes are affected
never to recover Frequently running sores
come out from the ears, sometimes epilepsy.
sometimes carbuncle and excruciating chronic
rheumatism. All these come from the measles
Dr. are traced by medical although not by presi-
dental science, as the sequela of measles.
knew regiment one Thousand strong fAn
days from home, encamped in healthy locality
to get the measles among the men, and in sixty
days there were only six hundred fit for duty
Few died Of that four hundred, and hope those
Who are alive who were discharged because of
the condition in which that attack Of measles
left them, gotpensions in season not to lose them
~ any politico-economic presidential veto.
can only ask your space for one other of his
getoes In this case the disability was alleged
- be hernia, or rupture, caused by the sol1sw
being thrown forward upon the pommel Of his
Baadle" Hhe writer OF the Presidential veto
neasage eneeringly suggests that iii ia wonder.