The National tribune., 1888-11-01
SALLY ANN BRADLEY
Gen. GrOsrenOr on the Presidents
Veto of Her Pension Bill.

been returned by the President with his oDIec-
tons to its becoming a law, be taken Up and
passed over his veto.
Mr.. Grosvenor said:
Mr. SPEAKER: Few instances of cold-blooded
cruelty OF one human being against another
viii compare with the wrong done 10 the beue-
1iciary under this bah by the veto OF tue fresl-
dent / DO not desire 10 detan the House IN
the closing hour o. SIS session by any ieEEtHy
statement. The condition 81 SIZE poor woman
as given by herself, aud tho uaaisputed iacls
from the records OF the Government make
speech more eloquent and more appealing 10
the seusibiities of the American people than
any which I can utter The hlli OF the house
is very simple 1t was introduced into The
House on the 18th day " March, 1861, ana u Is
in the following words:
An ACT granting a pension 10 sally Ann Bradley.
PeHc enacted etc. That tllr Secretary of the Inie-
Nor be and he D. hereby authorized ana directed
10 place ou the pens en-roi. subject 10 the pro-
visions and Limitations 81 the pension Jaws the
name OF sally Ann Bradley, sgido" 81 Thomas a.
Bradley. late privaz - 40. ID, -itA OHIO Vols
Passed the House q HaHF-sfsi5.lEes March T.
1886.
The report oftre Coum;ttae-aa Invalid Pen
si0ns which accompanied Use aiH was the
unanimous report of tsat iaustttce, ana was
made by my colleague fir. L.lsDerryl, - 10
had personal knowledge Of all t.le facts IN the
case Of ihis poor woman. be being resident oi
her own County ANA heing acquainted with
her family history The report written by him
aud agreed 10 by every Eem eT Of the Commit
tee on Invalid Pensions is rs follows:
sally Ann Rradsey b. tle widow % Thomas J.
Bradley who served - private la &c. y, -ti1
Ohio Vols from JWnc l5 = =. % Oct. = lot2- tie
peIl-iouea on account %. ~tse. ToIna q back
received at Muriree~prD. Tom, ia3l. ,. le55 aud
died oct a. isoz I5s detti noi entirely charge
able 10 Els military SERVED. sal consequently !i's
widow has no ,it.e before TIE Pension once
A petitioH signed bs ue rlr 800 ot the a1st citizens
Of the E8ults 8v1 .C -lc resides some OF whom
have known hcF ata her deceased husband Tor
many years before Use late war, seis forth that she
j. - years Of age. Is as helpless an infant ami
jeff without means Oh sugEari or friends able 10
assist her.
Having been left destitute by the death of her
Husband syG0 served faithfully log more tl3n four
year ia defense OF lis count y afid - DO Wine in
such service contracted "a disability when i'eer-
sarilN impaired h- absy 10 prUvl te Tor hlRl9cl!
and wife comfortable sunpbIt ln their oecllni1;.
yeHr- your committee ..re clearly oil of-a5sH ilat
size should nt be abandoned 10 tue charity ~
the wor3d 1gt he, Ia '1l0sire sd least PROVIDED
Tor in ier oil days. ans therefore -ci'y-t lNordoly
Oh the bill and ask that It 90 pass.
The ban having been passed unanimously in
this House. the Senate Committee on Pensions
made unanimous report ia SAVIOR Of the pas
sage of the hill and used the following lam
gaage in addition II setting out the report OF
the House Committee;
Al examination Of tIe papers IN the case veTi-
fes the foregoing statements and the claim Is
strengthened IN the opinion 90 the committee,
by the lae liut four Of ihe ciaiuaats sons follow
ed ieir father iu lIe war for ile Union, tW0 dying
the deia Of battle, ana The other two returning
home crippie- for life through wounds received.
The committee, believing this TO ice very wOT-
thy clse. recommend the passage oi tiic bill
The Senate passed the bin by unanimous
vote. and tbereupon Grover Cleveland. Presi-
dent of the United states, returned the bill 10
the House Of Representatives on the 9th day of
Jnly, just as The roar Of the cannon and the
sound of the music that celebrated the birth
OF the liberties Of this country were dying
away. with the following cold-blOOded; iliOgi-
cal and unreasonng message:
70 TIE House Of Representatives.
Herewith return without approval House bill No
5394 eutit eli AN act granting pension 10 Saiie
Ann Bradley"
The husband OF this proposed beneficiary was
discharged from the military service ia 1859 after
n louz service. and was afterNvard peusioued for
guashai wound
lie died la 1882 The widow appears to have
never led claim Cor pension IN her right.
No os5s p given oi te soldier death, b;'i % Is
ealcd Ihat il resulted from his larry serv
Ice. her pension being asked for entirely beese Of
her ueeis and the fEiatul service 81 her husband
= snd iieF SONS.
This presents the question whether gift IN such
ct-C a proper disposition 81 money 3appr0pri-
ated for tile purpose of paying pensions.
The passage Of tins iaw ouid Ia nay opinion
esbils precedent ching. and open i.Ic
aoor 10 sue.I vast multitude OF claims not pr-
cipie itilin our present pension laws, and am
constrained 10 d.sappFove ihe bi under c0n@idera-
ton GHJvE- CLEVELAND.
ExEcuTIyE NANsIos. July 6, 1856.
The object OF the present motion. Mr. Speak
CT, Is 70 pass this bill. this statement TO the
contrary notwithstanding. ] desire that TINS
old lady shall be heard in Ter oEn behalf 10y
tie american people, and so I take the liberty
OF introducing here "a letter which she wrote 10
me upon tie receipt By her OF the news that
her bli bad bev4 vetoed, IL IS ia almost as
good language as JEe Presidents veto message,
aud contains an aPPeai 70 the American people,
stronger and bette put than tic cold blGOded
atroeity o. the lnesstge. This is her letter
l5ESEoSyII.Id-. O., July u. 1856
DEAR SIR AND Ei-ss-alJ: ss-e Ia iHe Duffy GazCliG
o. th 3lH, also Enquirer aud GG-se OF the IOih OF
the BTe-deut VetuI Z b. claiGu along wit ID good
many thcre. ] am truly sorry that he las done
tiils when need bad and especial Y am sorry
10 zee 20 the Inquirer such piece this ] send
with letter. Speaking OF unworthy beneiicialies
getting Ga the peilslOu-rcils, had 40 chance be
lore tie Pension Office aAd Ia petition with
% nauIes OF citizens and all of our very best
eitlzeas were on a. aila THINK ought 10 have Il.
ESQ cent 10 Or j. sn-0ra names some Three months
ago showing THAI ] was la needy circumstances
and ought 10 draw pension. i have not seat IN
any unworthy testimony. What have written 10
yvu D. true. aud ] do not know of any one here
that i5 opposed 20 me getting pension but four OF
i've stay home men that should have went out
i tl-ls iie way they are going 10 treat an old
gray-headed womsn who IS near 20 years Of age
and uot able 70 be up but very little more than nal
81 i4e iif and FURNISHED i've OF MY family 10 20
90 the array Husband and four sons gave them
u years service; there i bui very few famiiie.
that have done more for the Government IN Time
81 tfelr trouble than mine did and new iu my de
Ginning years and feeble health. when have no
Friends able 10 help ME along aud ask tile Govern
1ncut Toy little support 10 sustain ile little while
they refuse me. u biz. Cleveland lad been out T.
front curing tlIc war he likely would have a liza,
feeling ICE soldiers. and especially for their boo
widows. The Enquirer - slffes that al the 4-tl
Congress "a Republican Nstnmiltee Of the Sc..t
said j ought not 10 have pension, and this Is tl
reason Use President said the same. would iuS
thai ti.e House passed the weeI, before the
adjourned ID go 10 tie Convention al Chicago aut
Sherman right away, and lie wrote me THAI the,
Wou.c not nGve uHue, As they would adjourn, ant
that he bad seen te committee aud that they ha
protll2e9 iD act oH % early 10 lie next session bu
don th-k there amy thing said or done uni
tls last Congress and Senate aud they have bot
q them passed d like men.
do not know what TO do Il you caunot pass
oyerhis head. Ioe not want 10 90 10 the poOrhous
after doing 80 much for the Government, as I hav
moi friends that able keep me and need q.
sistance bad. am nearly destitute OF clothing an
scarce o provisions. II looks like there might y
enough good men IN The House and Senate 10 pa.
these Ectocs over his head. lie T. farug suinutu
ous with has fine living from tbe Government an
llis s5t.9JJ year, and thousands 81 poor soldier
aDd widows and children suffering Tor soulethiu
To cat aud clothes 10 keep them warm and 10 laid
1heir iiazedness should yoG not be able to get
passed what would be The proper way for me 10 pun
sue-trg u again or u0lz COuld you not have ths
section oi the law changed through the Member
beiore you adjourn, 50 the widow women can CON
D. y tilelr husbands should happen not 10 die vii
ine disease They GRAVY on, that they could Ell
draw you know that II is taking il from thel
when they need ID worse than any other Tim