The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-01-26
THE GAR. NATIONAL PENSION COM
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RTITTEE.
Past Commanders-in-Ch Chief Geo. s. Merrill
of Massachusetts,; John S. Kountz, of Ohio,
and Louis Wagner, of Pennsylvania; Past
Department Commanders James Tanner, of
New York, and Jno w Burst, of Illinois, who
constitute the National Pension Committee
of the GAR, met in this city last week
upon cali of Gen. Merrill, the Chairman of
the committee. The committee carefully
considered the work it was charged with,
and unanimously agreed to urge the Disa-
bility Bill exactly as it was Endorsed by the
GAR as a body, in the vote taken upon it
last Summer. In addition it was agreed to
urge giving pensions to the widows of all
deceased soldiers; to increase pensions for
the seYerer disabilities; to incorporate all
the special recommendations of Pension
Commissioner Black not included in the
foregoing, and to repeal the limitation on the
arrears Of pensions. A bill will be prepared
in few days carefully formulating all these
cases. The bill to pension Mrs. Logan was
also Endorsed
The committee spent several hours each
day for several days in session with the Sen
ate and House Committees on Pensions, and
in consultation with prominent members of
both Houses. 1t was very eourteously re-
ceived by the Senate Committee on Pen
sions and the House Committee on Invalid
Pensions, both bodies Offering to give the
committee all the hearing desired. The ideas
aud arguments Of the members of the COM
mittee were listened to with the greatest
attention, and their views solicited on all
phases of the great problem of pensions.
Beyond question, the week spent here was
filed with very effective work for the vet
Grams
It is not at all strange that the committee
should receive unusual consideration at the
hands of our lawmakers. 1t came to Wash
ington with extraordinary credentials. 1t
was not only the representative and mouth
piece of 100000 veterans, and their widows
and children, but it had its constituency
solid behind it, and this had been demon
strated so recently as last Summer, when it
received practically unanimous indorse-
ment in a poll of the comrades of the coun-
try. It is quite rare in the history of an
organization that any of its executive Sec
tons get such an Endorsement as $50 votes
out of every 253 cast. This unanimity has
had the best effect on Senators and Repre-
sentatives in giving Importance and weight
to the words of the committee.
The practice of continuing the same mem
bers upon the committee has also had q
happy effect. The membership is the same
that it has been for years, except that Maj
Burst, of Illinois. takes the place of John G
Linehan, who served there with so much
efficiency until he became Ineligible by
being elected Junior Vice COMMANDMENT.
Chief at St. Louis. By continuing the com.
lnittee unchanged from year to year tht
members not only become more effective
advocates Of measures, through their in.
creasing knowledge of the men who com.
pose Congress, and of the ways of promoting
legislation, but Congressman are more i'm
pressed by men whose return each yea
shows that their conduct the previous yea
has been approved by their constituents.
As at present constituted, the GAR
Committee on Pensions is made up of ex
ceptionally able, strong, practical, unselfsl
men, whose long experience has supplement
ed their other qualifications 1t would b
very difficult, if not impossible to find asso
: ciated together five more genuinely able AM
earnest men than Comrades Merrill, Wag
{ ner, Tanner, Kountz and Burst