The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-12-25
Widows Pensions.

Congressman Grout of Vermont has
received a letter from L. j. Deavitt of
Montpelier advocating the passage of
law giving pensions to the widows of
soldiers who are pensioned, without re-
gard to the cause of the soldiers death.
Mr.. Deavitt writes as follows: "Con-
gress should, in this age of liberal pen
sions to Union soldiers and certain of
their kindred, enact a law giving pen
sion to the widow of every soldier who,
at the time of his death, was receiving,
or entitled to receive, pension, with
out regard to the cause of his death. 1t
is twenty-five years since the war of the
great rebellion ended. The soldiers of
the war, advanced in life, and their aged
wives, are the old folks of this genera
ton, and the stipend from the govern
ment which they honored and served
in its time of need, be it great or small,
is an important factor to many in pro-
viding a comfortable support, and to
not few it is their ALL Under exist
ing laws, if an invalid pensioner is
killed by accident, or dies of disease
not traceable to his military service, his
widow is not entitled to pension, and
in his death loses both her husband
and her support. The grand soldiers
homes in the country, with their doors
wide open to INDECENT veterans, afford
no aid to the soldiers widow, when in
distress, to enable her TO escape the
common poor-house. The neighbors
of such family are often surprised to
learn, after the soldiers death, that in
this country, where in law the husband
w n do In
its part or the whole finer husbands
estate, that no part of his pension is
continued to her. A law is demanded +,
not one to give the widow of pen
sioner his high rate of pension of 1874
or S72 month, but one that will give
her the same pension that is now
given the widow of soldier who
fell on the field or died of a disease
easily shown TO have originated in the
service. Often pensioners die from
their great and long-continued dsa-
bilities without existing proof of that
fact. They are deficient in power to
prevent and escape the bad effects of
accidents, and can not withstand the
attacks of acute diseases; they die sud-
denly, with no physician near to give
the required medical history and the
death cause. Such law in such cases
would give widows, instead of the gov
eminent, the benefit of the doubt as to
the cause of death. Two years ago
Senator Edmunds, at my request, intro
duced bill in the senate providing for
law as above indicated. Although
the newspapers advocated its passage,
petitioners prayed for it and no one OPP
posed it, yet congress could n t., in that
political hour, be aroused to action.
Now is a more favorable time for its
consideration. 1t needs only to be con.
sidered, as it seems to me, to be enacted
Such law would, in effect, only trans
fer and continue to a widow pension
already admitted to be due the soldier
The recommendation of the secretary
of the interior for an appropriation OF
the large sum of over $97 900, 900 fol
pensions the coming year will be more
than sufficient to meet the demand
even if congress adds to the pres
ent needs the amount required to cor
tinue the soldiers pensions to theil
widows"