The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-10-26

special act ef Congress- The Pension Ono,
holds that IL can not increase his pension ant
refuses to do so because Congress has fixed hi
rating. He is therefore compelled to go 4
Congress r further relief and an act is passed
to give him si6 per month. But the Presi
dent vetoes this bill holding that the claiman
now has liberal rating for gun-shot wount
through the face and shoulder which affects hi,
sight and hearing and causes HIM constant neu
ralgic pains. But he seems to have no consci
entio S scruples in signing a bill to increase the
pension OF Benjamin T. Kelley to s10o per month
for gunshot wounds which do not disqualifI
him for high grade clerkship in the Pensio1
Office.
Joseph Romiser was member Of o Maryland
volunteer militia company. In an emergency
the company was called on by the Government
and sent to Cumberland TO repel a Confederate
attack. This soldier, while in the ranks, Wal
wounded by the accidental discharge of gUl
in the hands OF comrade. the ball passing
through his head and destroying the sight OF one
eye and the hearing OF one ear.
Congress could and did pension him by
special act. but the President vetoed the bill
because the man was not mustered into the
United States service. But this was too fiagran,
an abuse of the veto power even for a serviie
Democratic House, and the bill was passed over
the veto by vote OF 175 to 81. In the Senate |,
passed unanimously. 80 votes in the affirmative
and none in the negative.
Scores OF cases OF bills approved and bills We
toed might be cited to show the utter inconsist
ency of the President in considering these case s.
1t is fact known to every one familiar with TIE
work OF the Committee on Invalid Pensions
that the President has repeatedly vetoed tie
strongest bills and signed the weakest: that be
has repeatedly vetoed bills for certain reasons
ard approved other bills where the same res
sons existed
1t is uuQuestionabiy true that the President
has little sympathy for the Union soldier, ard
would have vetoed many more cases if he he'd
had time, as he plainly declares; and his hos
tity and utter lack of sympathy with this large
class constantly crops out in trivial and sarcas
tic sentences in his messages. For instance:
mo statement is presented of the bounty re-
ceiyed by MIN upon either enlistment" PROD
ably there were those who found their interest
in such an appeal Ito Congress). The nurl
Der of instances in which those OF our soldiers
who rode horses during the war were injured by
their saddles indicates that those saddles weIe
dangerous contrivances.' AFTER this brilliant
service with q terrific encounter with tt e
measles" Whatever else may be said OF this
claimants achievements during his short mill
tary career, it might be considered that he &C.
cumulated a great deal Of disability" Many
more quotations might be made OF similar char
acter from his veto messages They are coarse.
undignifi ed and utterly unworthy Of the Chief
Executive of this great Government.
THE DEPENDENT PENSION BILL.
Ii any further evidence Is required TO show
the utter lack OF sympathy on tho part OF the
PRESIDENT Tor the soluiers VINO lollowed their
country's flag In the late rebellion 1t is fully
furnished by his action in vetolng the Depend
ent Pension bill passed in the Forty ninth Con-
gress.
The Committee on Invalid Pensions, COM
posed OF nine Democrats and six Republicans,
in an able and exhaustive report unanimously
adopted, say: ut passes the comprehension OF
this Committee to understand how the Presi-
dent could have overlooked in another bill what
are alleged as faults in this bill.
1.-The bill we refer TO passed the House the
same day as this did and met with his unhesi-
tating approval. 1t is the bill to give pensions
to the survivors of the war with Mexico etc.
Under that bill. if one who was a soldier in that
war and is now under sixty-two years of age
applied he must allege and prove some degree
OF dependency and no matter how slight quite
vague and indefinite and any degree of disapil-
ity is sufficient no matter how incurred. ex-
cept in the military service against the United
States: and no matter il he be worth millions
he need only show sixty DAYS service; he need
not have been in an actual engagement with
the enemy or subject to any of the actua, dan
gers of war, or even that he should have been
In Mexico or on the coasts or frontiers thereof:
il is sufficient il he had been en- route thereto,
and il embraces W ,.aiu its provisions more per
sons than are to he benefited by the bill now
under consideration. II grants the pension to
every soldier over sixtv.tyo wears of ace with.
out anv condition as to his circumstance
or necessities and without recurring any dis
ability as the result Of services, even though he
he n member of Congress, drawing a salary OF
&. OO1 per annum. II riyes a pension to every
soldier under sixty.two years for any disability.
even II the disability resulted since his Sc vice
and from his own vicious habits or gross care
lessness. and for this he gets A: while the
Union soldier for the same disability. received
in the line of duty and while in the service.
would get pcrhaps only %: and IL gives n men,
sion n every widow Of a soldier in tina. war
who 10 now sixtv.two vears of aoe whether She