The National tribune., 1889-09-05


tie in the line of practical results has been accom-
plished in the work for which The con'inittee was
| appointed.
Immediately after the holiday recess of Congress
| the Pension Committee held meeting in Chicago
/ aud from thence, by appointment, called upon liC
Prcsident-elCCt Rt his home in indianapolis, having
| Il very pleasant interview, and receiving from him
the most cordial assurances of his warm interest I'll
the great question of pensions and is earnest de-
| sire for generous legislation in behalf oil the de
! Tenders Of the Union
| Immediately after another meeting OF the Com
| miitec held in Washington, but from the cir
cunlstances above mentioned and facts narrated IN
the last report of this committee u was found to
be impossible to bring about any additional legis
lation during the remaining days of the session.
! Following the practically unanimous expression
OF opinion by the Inst National Encnmpment, your
/ committee prepared two pension bills.
/ The disability bin was brondcned in its pro-
visions TO include your Endorsement fora pension
I 10 widows Of all honorably discharged veterans.
This bill as thus enlarged provides pension oi sl2
! per month to all hOnorahly discharged soldiers
and sailors who are now, may hereafter become,
disabled, without requiring proof that such dish.
hity from causes nCtually within the line ot
their service; md, in all other similar bills pre-
I pared bN this committee without any requirement.
OF dependence in relation To such disabled veteran,
tus relieving the bili entirely from thc obeciion-
able iaini of pauperlsm; pension for all depend
eat parents from the time Of actual dcpcndcHce,
whether occurring nt or subsequent to the son
enlistment; increase o pensions 10 minor chliufeh
from two to five dollars per month; and a pension
/ for all widows whether the deceased husband was
OF was not in the receipt Il - pension.
The committee also prepared bill granting n
/ pension To each honurahly discharged veteran at
the monthly rate of cent for each dHy ScrV-
ice, with a minimum limitation of s. per month.
Bills containing all of these provisions were then
IN various forms before the Commit o Congress,
bat II was found upon consultation with members
entirely impossible in the then stage ot public
affairs TO secure any favorable action thereon.
Should the Eucnmpnent reailirm its opinions oi
one year ago these bills ready for early pre-
sentRon To both branches of Congress at the open
lng 81 The session; and from interviews with lead
ing Members of both Houses, and the cordially
friendly attitude of the Administration and the
liberal views of the Secretary OF the Interior ana
the Commissioner al Pensions, the latter being np-
pointed after eight years faithful service on TINS
committee. We believe that before the conclusion
of the next session Of Congress legislation may be
had which shall 20 far toward the completion oi
the full measure of the Nations Indebtedness to
the men who defended her .lag
Perhaps following the accomplishment OF so
liilc ia the way o practical result during the past
year, u may not hc inappropriate here TO note
some Of ihe beneficial legislation secured through
tlle efforts of ihc National Pension Committee oi
the Grand Army
Dawn TO thc time Of the appointment Of this
Committee in 1881 little nothing had been done
10y the veterans "A class towards systematic work
ln relation to the liberalization oI the pension
laws.
Immediately ater the appointment of this Com
miitee u found that the work of the Pension
Department was seriously iiindcrcd. aud the ndIu-
uicaion of hundreds Of thousands OF cases DELAYED
from tuc lack of n sufficient clerical force IN That
Department. as well as la the Offices of tie Ahju-
tani General and Of the Surgeon General, from
gard 10 pension cases must bc secured.
Upon consultation with the then Commissioners
OF Pensions This Committee asked OF Congress an
increase la the force attached to- these various
offices for the purpose Of expcding the business.
lsy the then session 81 Congress tho clerical force
IN tie Pension Office wa< increased from az to
$50; To the A6judant- Generals Office was added
Its clerks. sud To the Surgeon -Grnemi's. i6h. and
- 90 other Departments connected with ihis work
total OF 40 additional clerks, at expense OF
- 0JJtuO annually.
Following this the Committee nsl ed of Congress
aud secured law giving the Commissioner of
Pensions tse power 10 appoint Boards OF Exam
inlng Surgeons throughout the country. wherever
ia hls Judgment necessary 10 expedite the work OF
pension examinations.
The next recommendation of the Committee
which became - law FOR the appointment "f
additional Special Examiners in the field and 80
were appointed 70 hasten tlc examination intO
pension about which questions arose. Another
recommendation which became law was for the
employment ot experts to special diseases in
cases demanding special examinations.
The HeAt recommendation Of the Committee
which became law was the increase OF pensions TO
SO SD and Sls for ito loss of leg, arm, foot,
band. equivalent disability.
The Committee next found that in the prnc-
tcc of thc Pension Dli6s the claim Of soldier To
pension from disability universally attacked
upon tie ground 81 existing disability Rt the ilme
81 hs enlistment. and lIe was compelled TO prove
that Ie wlls Ia sound health when the Government
ucccricd his services. Upon recommendation of
uis Committee a law was enacted that acceptance
aud muster OF soldier should. ia All cases, bc ac-
crted as pTlna-facc evidence Of sOuudnes7 at that
time.
Pension agents had been permitted TO charge
pensioners whatever sums they saw III FOR their
services Ia connection with such pensions. In
naIsy cases these amounts were enormous Upon
recommendation Df tie Pension Committee the
agents fees were fEcd sstid limited by law.
sill later the recommendation II this Committee
WAS adopted by Congress increasing tlie pension Of
a widow from 5 to So per month.
lt was upon the recommendation of This comm It.
tee thai LAWS have been passed very largely in
creasing the pensions for the disabilities
Tie disability bill prepared 10y tits committee.
aud which passed both branches 81 Congress bGt
vetoed by the President. provided Tor pensions
to all disabled soldiers, without reference TO
pi disability To- parents In all cases where they
became ia needy circumstances after the death III
a soldier instead Of tbc present law refusing PEN
sioiis ia any such case except where parents were
dependent upon ilEc soldier st the time Of enlist
nisni This bil also provided for tiic continuance
II every soldiers pension in the of his death
/ 10 his widow ia her right aud increased the
pension for minor children.
The committee had pending before the last seg-
sion Of Congress smother bin providing pensions
for al Nidotss without reference 90 tic cause sl
the death Of their husbands. bills for tile survivors
81 rebcl prisons aud for the Te-enneinent Of the
. arrears law
While the foregoing docs not comprise all that
has been accomplished 10y the Grand Army Pen.
sion Committee. nor Indicate by any means the
entire amount 81 ilIeE work. IL is sufficiently
pTeheu-ive and exhibits enough accomplished fact
10 justify ts original appointment, and we Frcum-
mend that the work lac vigorously pushed la tie
year To come upon the lines marked out by Tie
National FsnrainpmeHt
Respectfully submitted.
gro S MEuHTLL
joins 4 RoUsTZ.
JoHE ". EURAT
RICHARD w. BLUE,
IUcIUs FAIRcnmb.
tension Committee.
Comrade Weymouth Mass. said that not
one quarter OF the comrades present understood
what the committee had recommended. He
was in favor Of accepting the report and con-
/ sideFiBg the adoption later.
The COmmander-in-C Chief ruled this out OF
/ order. The reports Of all standing committees
1 were accepted without a motion 10 that effect.
COmradc Weymouth moved that il be re.
| ferred 10 the Committee on RESOLUTIONS.
Comrade GrOsyenor (Ohio) opposed this ref
/ erence He favored the adoption Of the report
lie made vigorous speech, aud carried the
i Encampment with him.
Comrade Merrill said that the report was 4
mere historical narration, and the only recon,
/ InendatOn was that the work be vigorously
continued on lines that may be laid down by
| this EDcampmeut. lie was loudly applauded
The report was adopted without dissenting
! voice.
/ PLACE or HOLDIgG THE NEXT ENcAMPMKRT
Comrade Beosius moved TO proceed TO select
place for holding the next National Encamp
ment. Carried.
Comrade ". II. Grant Conn., moved TO limit
| speeches 10 five minutes.
COmrade GrOsgcnOr moved TO amend by lin
/ iting the speeches to two for each city.
COmrade Macy moved to amend by allowing
each Department Eve minutes. Carried
The amended motion was then carried.
COmFade Palmer, Oh behalf Of the Depart
| ment Of New York, presented Saratoga Wealthy
gentlemen in Saratoga have offered to put uI