The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-09-05
speech, which, as he says, is the last he will

see SO manV soldiers looking hearty and healthy.
/ think we can stand OH @ legs yet. / like to
see that our old Uncle BAN takes pretty good
care Of these old soldiers. Uncle Sam cannot
make old men Young, but he can make young
men Just as good as you or / ever WERE see
that Milwaukee Is full of them and they are
coming out of the bushes everywhere. If you
think you are the only old soldiers you are mis-
taken There were
OLD SOLDIERS BEFORE YOU
and there will be again. Such is the providence
of the world. just as good men were born thou
sand years ago and will be born thousand
years hence. All we have to do is TO do our
parts In this short period Of life honorably and
h9ReSty think We we can pass the grand
best" and the sentence will be Well done"
We have passed through one crisis of our
country's history, don't see any chance of
another, but nobody knows the future. Bring
up your children to love and venerate the old
soldiers who fought in 1861 and 1865 and make
them uncover their heads when they see that
little banner that you followed in the days
which tried us to the utmost. Let us Ven-
crate that flag and love our country and
love each other and stand by each other
as long as We have heads on our shoulders and
legs on our bodies. Those old soldiers who
marched against the enemy in those trying days
grateful country tries its best to assist aud
will. think in fact, sure, give to you
when you get old all that is necessary. But
keep young as long as you can, and do not 20
into soldiers home II you can help it,
BOSTON CHOSEN FOR 1890
This afternoon Boston was chosen as the
oils and Washington were also nominated,
but Boston received an overwhelming vote.
Speeches in favor of Topeka, Kan, and Los
Angeles, Cal, were made with view to fut-
ure results.
PENSIONS
The pension committee, composed of
George E. Merrill, John s. Kountz, J. T. H.
Burst, R w. Blue and Lucius Fairchild, sub
mitted the following report:
The committee regrets that owing to the short
session of congress and the crowded condition Of
business following the last encampment very
little in the line Of practical results has been
mittee was appointed. Immediately after the
holiday session Of congress the pension COM
mittee held meeting in Chicago, and from
thence by appointment, called upon the presi-
dent-elect at his home in Indianapolis, having
very pleasant interview and receiving from him
the most cordial assurance of his warm interest
in the great question Of pensions, and his earn
est desire for generous legislation in behalf of
the defenders of the Union. Immediately after
mother meeting of the committee was held in
Washington, but from the circumstances above
mentioned, and from the facts narrated in the
last report of this committee it was found i'm
possible to bring about any additional legisla-
tier during the remaining days Of the session.
Following the practically unanimous expression
of opinion by the last national encampment,
your committee prepared two pension bills
The disability bill was broadened In it's prJvi-
sions as to include your endorsement for
A PENSION TO THE WIDOWS
of all honorably discharged veterans. This BILL
as thus enlarged, provides pension of $l2 per
month to all honorably discharged soldiers and
sailors who are now, or may hereafter become
disabled, without requiring proof that such dis
ability arose from causes actually within the
line of their service, and, as in all other
similar bills prepared by this commit
tee, without any requirements Of
dependence in relation to such disabled vet
Grams, thus relieving the bill entirely from the
objectionable Gaint of pauperism; pension for
all dependent parents from the actual time Of
dependence, whether occurring at or subsequent
to the sons enlistment: increase of penslo MS
to minor children from So to IS per
month, and a pension for all widows,
not in receipt of pension. The committee also
prepared bill granting pension to each hon.
orabIy discharged veteran at the monthly rate
| of one cent for each days service, with mini
mum limitation of So per month. Bills contain
| ing all of these provisions were then in various
| forms before the committees of congress,
members, entirely impossible in the
| then state of public affairs to secure
| any favorable action thereon. Should the en-
these bills are ready for early presentation to
both branches Of congress at the opening of the
| session; and from interviews with leading men,
attitude Of the administration and the liberal
| views of the secretary of the interior and the
| commissioner of pensions, the latter being ap-
EIGHT YEARS FAITHFUL SERVICE
| on this committee of the next session Of con-
gress, legislation may be had which shall 60 far
| toward the completion Of the full measure of
| the nations indebtedness to the men who de-
Tended her hag Down to the time of the ap-
| pointment of this committee in 1881, little or
| nothing had been done by the veterans as class
| toward systematic work in relation to the
| liberalization of pension laws. Immediately
| afterward it was found that the work Of the
pension department was seriously hindered, and
| the adjudication Of hundreds of thousands OF
cases delayed, from the lack of sufficient cler-
ical force ia that department, az well as in the
offices of the adjutant general and Of the sur
| geon general, from which latter much
| necessary information in regard to
pension cases must be secured.
| of pensions the committee asked of congress an
| increase in the force attached to these various
| offices for the purpose of expediting the busi-
| ness. By the then session of congress the cler-
| ical force in the pension office was increased
| from TAG to 1889. To the adjutant generals
Office was added 167 clerks, to the surgeons &c
| and fifty-two to other departments connected
| with this work-a total Of 1910 additional
clerks, at an expense of nearly 100000 an
| nually. Following this the committee asked OF
| congress and secured law giving the commits
sioner of pensions the power to appoint boards
of examining surgeons throughout the
country. wherever in his iudgment,
! examination. The next recommendation of this
| committee that became law was for the appoint
| ment of special pension examiners in the field,
| and $50 were appointed to hasten the examina-
| tion into pension cases about which questions
| arise. Another recommendation that became
| law was for the employment of experts as to
| special diseases in cases demanding special ex-
THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION
| Of the committee which became law was the
| increase Of pensions to $50, $36 and $45 for the
| loss of a leg, arm, foot, hand or equivalent dis
/ ability. The committee next found that in the
practice Of the pension office the claim OF sol
| dier to pension from disability was universally
| attacked upon the ground of existing disability
| at the time of his enlistment, and he was CON-
| PEELED to prove that he was in sound health
| when the government accepted his services
| Pension agents had been permitted to charge
| pensioners whatever sums they saw TT for thei1
services in connection with such pensions. In
| many cases these amounts were enormous
| Upon recommendation of the pension commit.
tee the agents fees were fixed and limited
by law. Still later, the recommendation
of this committee was adopted by con
gress increasing the pension of widow
from SO to $12 month. 1t was upon recon.
mendation Of this committee that laws have
| been passed very largely increasing the pensions
for the severer disabilities. The disability bill
prepared by this committee and which passed
both houses of congress, but was vetoed by tht
president, provided for pensions to all disabled
soldiers, without reference to cause
of disability; to parents in all cases
where they became SS, IN o,s;y needy ssca circ9m a
the present law, refusing pensions in any suct
| case except where parents were dependent
upon the soldier at the time of enlistment. Thi'
bill also provided for the continuance Of every
soldiers pension In case OF his death to his
widow in her own right, and increased th,
| pension of minor children. The committee hat
| pending before the last session OF congress an
other bill providing pensions for all widows
without reference to the cause Of the deatl
Of their husbands, bills for the sur
vivors Of the rebel prisons anS
| for the re-enactment Of the arrears law
| While the foregoing does not comprise all tina
| has been accomplished by the Grand ARMY pen
| sion committees, nor indicate by any means tn
entire amount OF their work, it ID sufficientl!
comprehensive, and exhibits enough accomp
lished fact to justify the original appointment
and we recommend that the work be vigorousl,
pushed for the year to come upon the lin
marked out by the national encampment,
ApIUTANT GENERALS REpoRT
| The following points are taken from tn
annual report of Adjt Gen. Eugene +
Weigel:
At the time Commander Warner assumed
command in 1888 the were forty departments
comprising 6, $50 uOsts, with a total member
ship in good standing of 361.149
I and now, after the lapse OF a year
forty-two permanent departments, with GIL
posts, and q membership In good standing o