The National tribune., 1888-06-21
OUR PENSION BILL.
Opinions of Various Posts Of the GAR. and In d.
yidual Comrades Throughout the Country.


yidual Comrades Throughout the Country.
Thaddeus s. Sutton, Co. e, 18th W. Va, New
Milton, w. Va. says Congress should at once
pass q service pension bill of some kind to re-
lieye the old soldiers and thinks THE Ma
tional Tribune" Bill the best thing which he
has yet noticed.
E. Bowling Co. B, Goth H.. Freeport, ILL.,,
wishes Congress had sense enough to pass THE
National Tribune" Pension Bill, but is afraid
they have not. If comrades would organize
all over the country and get their friends to
aid them, they could defeat men running for
Congress who oppose pension legislation.
w. L.. Stuart, Fairmont, Neb., corrects our
statement in regard to the number of names
attached to the petition to the Senators and
Representatives asking their support for THE
National Tribune" Pension Bill We said that
there were 165, but he reminds us that there
were 800, and says that he can get many more
if they are needed.
w. T. Beebe, Franklin Forks, Pa, says the
comrades of his Post are unanimously of the
opinion that The National Tribune " Pension
Bill hits the spot exactly.
ID. G. Eldredge, Sanborn, Iowa, Delegate to
the National Encampment, writes: =" AT the
Department Encampment of Iowa, held at
Cedar Rapids on the 18th and 18th inst, the
question was discussed and passed unanimously
favOring the one-cent seryice-pension bill as
formerly proposed by Congress-, and delegates
were instructed to use all laudable means that
the same may be incorporated as the sentiment
of the next National Encampment. The
National Tribune Bill covers the ground adj
mirably, and seems to meet with less objection
than any other yet proposed in Congress COW
ing the service question"
A veteran, writing from Rochester, Vt, says
1.-THE National Tribune Pension Bill is the
best and most reasonable measure of any, and
one upon which all soldiers should unite at once
r1av TO f1,f g
Congress. He thinks it should be provided
that pensions should be granted from the pas
sage of the bill regardless Of the time of appli-
cation.
II. d. Weller, Shirleysburg, says he wants to
say word in reference TO "The National
Tribune" Pension Bill. He thinks the bill q
good one with the exception of the first clause,
fixing the date prior to which the term of serv-
ice shall have been rendered The date should
be July instead of May, IS up in our country
there were great many recruited aud drafted
into The service in February and March, and who
were sent to the front and were not discharged
until July, and great many who never re-
turned alive, besides a great many who died
after they returned from malarial diseases con-
tracted in the service. He knows quite num-
Der who contracted diarrhea, malarial fevers,
etc, which have rendered them partial invalids
ever since OF course they did no fighting, but
they did guard duty in the malarial districts of
the South. Some Of these men left very lucra-
tive situations, which they never again recov-
cred. and he thinks the date of May would
debar these comrades altogether of the benefit
of pension, which he thinks would be unjust.
Joseph II. Turner, Daggett, Mich, thinks
1.-THE National Tribune" Pension Bill the best
measure ever proposed for the benefit of the
soldier, and trusts that it will soon become
law.
William F. Denmurs, Aurora, Ind, writes:
oil
to benefit the old soldiers yours is the only
one we may call pension bill in business
like form. As for one sailor and soldier l
thank you for the interest which you have and
are taking in the soldiers and sailors welfare.
The National Tribune Pension Bill can
challenge the Senate and House Committees
on business formality Of soldiers and sailors
legislation. Consider the House Committees
Bill which is now before the House. It re-
quires a soldier or sailor to be 81 years old
before he can secure benefit under that bill
Hence, the Homes and poorh0uses will be well
filed with soldiers and sailors awaiting their
age of 81 years. May the sun Of righteousness
and justice smile upon The National Tribune
Pension Bill"
Harry c. Burns makes the following sugges-
tons regarding The National Tribune" Pen
sion Bill: / sincerely believe in your hon.
esty and good will, and in your endeayor to
assist in every way In yoRr power the interest
| of every veteran Of the late war, aud while
| approve of the main features of what you call
| The National Tribune Pension Bill, publish
| ed in your issue Of April 10, yet l find what
| consider some very essential features omitted.
| In your bill volunteers, substitutes, drafted
| men and reprieved deserters all come under the
one head. This gives the volunteer the dead
weight of whatever odium attaches to the
others named. This could be overcome only
| by dividing the pensions into one, two or three
classes, as might be deemed necessary; the
| first class to be the volunteer, whose record
was unblemished; the second class to be com
| posed Of the others named aboYe-one cent per
diem for all who served 500 days or more, and
| s. to those who served less than 800 or more
than-90 days; the second class to receive one
half cent per diem for 800 days and over, with
81 as the lowest for not less than 80 days sery-
| ice Several reasons might be given for such q
distinction Of classes, but as you are fully
aware, no doubt, that certain objections exist
in some Of the cases named, an explanation
would be superfuous"
| d. G. Bixby, Lieutenant, 31st q. S. G. T.,
| Cramer Hill, N. j. says: " The National Trib-
une" Pension Bill is the best measure he has
| seen, and that he will at once get up petition
| to forward TO the Congressman from that Dis
/ trict urging him to use his influence for its
passage.