Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-07
NEVER IN TUE SERVICE.

| ground that be was not in the military
! service OF the government; Catherine
| McCarthy's bill on the ground that her
husband died from gross heedlessness in
taking an overdose OF caichlcum, and
| Elizabeth Mckay's bill on the ground
that she has made no application to the
| Pension Office.
In announcing his disapproval of tire
! bill granting a pension TO Edward Nj.
harrington, who was injured in the line
OF duty by reason of an attack by a fellow
soldier in 1864, the President expresses
| the opinion that the government ought
not to be called upon to insure against
the quarrelsOme pr0pensities of its indi-
! Vidual soldiers, nor to compensate one
VINO is worsted in fight or even in an
| unproVoked assault.
MONTH IN SERVICE.
| Lewis W. Scandland filed his declara-
| ton for pension in 1884, alleging that he
| contracted chronic diarrhna in the Black
| Hawk war. The records show that he
served from April Is, 1892, to May 2S. 1882.
| In vetoing the bill for his relief the Presi-
| dent says:
am inclined to think it would have been
afortunate thing If in this case IT could have
| been demonstrated that man could thrive
! 80 well with chronic diarrhHa for 81 years, as
| lts existence in the case OF this good old gen
| tieman would prove. We should then, per-
|
| The fact is In tbs case that there is no
! disability which can be traced to the forty
DAYS military service of 81 years ago, and l
Ihlnk little II any more lnirmity than is
| usually found in a man of the age Of the
| claimant.
BLINDED BY RHEUMATISM,
In VetOlng the bill granting a pension to
/ Francis Deming, who claims tDat ne con-
| tracted blindness as the result of rheuma-
Lism incurred in the service, the Presi-
! dent saws that there seems to be no testi-
| nony showing the soldiers condition
| from the time of his discharge to 1880, a
| period of fifteen years. The President
continued:
| After nInete cen years had elapsed since his
discharge from the army a pension is claimed
| Tor MIN upon the very shadowy allegation
| OF The lncurrence of rheuE,atlsm while In the
! service, coupled with the startling proposition
/ that this rheumatism resulted, just prev Gus 70
! hls application, in blindness. Upon the mcdi-
/ cal examination it appeared that his blind
! ness was caused by amaurpsis which ID geU-
| orally accepted as an affection of the optic
nerve.
THE ONLY GROUND.
am Satisfied that fair examination Of the
| facts in this case iu,tifies the statement
| that the bill under consideration can rest
! only on the grounds that aid should be fur
| nIsneu to this eX- soldier because he served in
| the army, and because he, loag time there
| afer, became bind, disabled and dependent
| None OF us are entitled to credit for extreme
| tenderness and consideration toward those
! VINO fought their cOuutry's batles. These are
! sentiments common u all good citizens. They
| Lead To the most benevolent care on the part
| of the government, and deeds Of charity and
| mercy in private life. The blatant and noisy
| self assertion Of those who, from motives that
| may vel be suspected, declare themselves
| above all other friends OF the soldier, cannot
! discredit nor belittle the calm. steady and af-
! iectlonate regard OF grateful nation.
NEW LEGISLATION.
| Legislation has been, at the present session
| OF Congress, perfected considerably, increas-
| ing the rate of pension in certain cases. Ap-
| preparations have also been made of large
sums for the support of national homes where
! sex, disabled or needy soldiers are cared for.
and within a few days liberal sum has been
appropriated for the enlargement and in
| creased accommodation and convenience of
! ihese institutions. All this is no more than
| -hould he done. But with all tins and with
| hundreds Of special acts which have been
! passed granting pensions in cases where for
| any part am wiling to confess that sympathy
| rather than Judgment has often led to the
| discovery OF the relation between the injury
| or death and military service, | am con-
strained by sense of public duty TO inteTpose
| against testabshlng a principle and set ing Il
| precedent which must result in unregulated
| partial and unjust gifts of public money un-
! der the preteXt of indemnfying those who
! suffered in their means of support as an Incl
| dent OF military service.
141 SPECIAL ACTS EXAMINED.
The President has been engaged the
past two days in personally examining
| l4l special pension acts delivered to him
! June "a, which by reason of the time re-
Quired by the Pension Bureau to examine
its records concerning them were only
| ready on Saturday for his consideration.
! He has carefully studied all the facts pre-
sented in the reports made by the Con-
gressional Committee in each case and
special reports prepared for his intorma-
! tiDn DV ina PpnSiOu Bureau which arp
very voluminOus and complete. The re-
suit OF his Investigation Is 30 hills vetoed
and 120 approved, one having been re.
| called. During this session OF Congress
$50 special pension acts have become laws
and 80 have been vetoed.