The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-07-07
FRIvArE Pension Bills

and the bill providing for the erection Of
public building at Duluth, MINI.
The last named bill is vetoed, ; THE
President says, because he is entirely
satisfied that the building provided fol
Is not immediately necessary and adds
that mot little legislation has lately
been perfected and very likely more will
be necessary to- increase miscalculated
appTopriationsfor, and cprrect bland
ers N, the construction of many OF the
pubic buildings now in process OF
erection"
Lewis w. Scaul nd Fled his deClara-
/ ton for pension in 1884, alleging that
he, contracted chr0nic, diarrhuea in the
Black Hawk war. The records show
that he served from April rs, 1882. to
TO May %. 1882. In vetoing the bill
for Ibis relief. the President SAYS
Il am inclined to think il. would have
been q fdit hate thing if in this case.it
could have b en- demonstrated that q
man could thrive so well, with chronic
diarrhoea for ffty-years, as It's existence
IN the-oas of this goUd old gentleman
would prove. We should then perhaps
have less of il in claims for pensions.
The fact is, in this case there is no dis
ability which can be traced to forty
days military service OF fifty (onr years
ago, and IlthinH little. il auv, more in
hrmltv than Is usually found in men of
the age of claimant" .
In vetoiAg the bHl grantinga pension
10 Francis l)e1aenE who claims that
he contracted blindness as IL result of
rheumatism inc rfed in the service.
the President says thar there seems to
be no testimony showing the soldiers
condition from the time of his dischar e
70 1880, period Of fifteen years. The
President continues: After nineteen
years had elapsed since his discharge
from the army pension IS claimed for
him, upon the very shadoRy allegation
of the incurrence of Rheumatism
while in service. coupled with the
startling propo ition that this rheuma-
tism resulted Just previous to his aB-
plicatien in blindness. Upon medical
examination 1t appeared that his
blindness was caused by amaurosis
(which is generally accepted as
an affection of the optic nerve. am
satisfied that fair Examination Of ftbe
facts IN this case justifies the statement
that the bill under consideration can
rest only upon the grounds that aid
should be given because he served
in the army and because
he. a long time thereafter, be-
came blind, disabled and dependent.
None of US are entitled to credit for ex-
treme tenderness and consideration to-
ward those who fought their country's
battles. These are sentiments common
10 all good citizens. They lead to most
benevolent care on the part OF the gov
eminent, and deeds of charity and
mercy IN private life. The blatant and
noisy self-assertion of those who,
from motives that may we'll be
suspected. declare themselves above
all others the -Er1s
FRTEEDso OF THE SOLDIER,
Cannot discredit nor beIittle the calm,
steady and afectionate regard of q
grateful nation. Legislation has been
at the present session Of Congress per-
fected. considerably increasing the rate
OF pension in q certain case. Appro-
priations have also been made of large
sums for the support of national homes
where the sick, disabled or needy sol
diers are cared for, and within few
days liberal sum has been appropriated
for the enlargement and increased ac-
coinmodstion and convenience of these
institutions. All this is no more than
should be done, but with all this and
with the bIunders of special acts,
which have been pushed, grant
] ing pensions in cases where, .or
my part, am willing TO
confess that sympathy rather than
sympathy has often led to the discovery
| OF q relation between injury or death
/ and military service, l am constrained
by a sense OF public duty 10 interpose
against establishing principle and set
ting pre- edent which must result in
| unregulated, partial aud unjust gifts Of
public money, under the pfetext of In
| dersnifying those who suffered in iheil
means of support as an incident ol
military service.