Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-06-26
PENSION BILL.
The Senate Adopts the Conference
Report.
THE PENSION QUESTION DISCUSSED,
What Is Due the Soldier and the Condition
of the Treasury-Text of the
Dependent Pension
BIN.


yesterday after passing the Educational
Fund bill for the aid of agricultural
colleges, took up the conference report
Of the Dependent Pension bill, and
spent the remainder of the day in its
consideration.
After a short speech by Senator Berry
in opposition to the bill, Mr.. German
took the floor and expressed himself in
favor Of the soldiers being taken care
of when not able to care for
themselves and families; he said
further that there was a limit to
what the Government could do for
the soldiers, and as the enormous
appropriations were kept and increased
every year in proportion to what they
have been up to this time that we can
not boast of q hundred millions surplus
which is no longer in the treasury;
but that an already Overtaxed people
will have to be levied on yet more heav-
lily to pay these claims. He said that
the promises made by the Republican
party to the soldiers was a delusion:
that more claims were now in the Pen
sion Office than the force could adjust
and no appropriations had been made to
increase the force.
Senator Davis, in a short speech, said
that Senator Berry's remarks were re-
petition of what he has expressed on
more than one occasion before in the
Senate-that he Berry was against
any further pension legislation; that he
considered it gratuity and according
to the views expressed by Senators
Berry and German, should their party
ever come into power, a great deal that
has been done for the soldiers would
have 10 be undone; but said he, when
Ii was proposed to put survivors of the
Mexican war, at the age of sixty-two,
on the pension roll, neither Senators
Berry or German raised their voices in
opposition. In closing he said if the
claims are just ones and are due them,
the Governments duty is to pay them
and that nothing right is extravagant.
Ingalls, said that there were 500, 600
claims fled that were not adjusted The
cause was not insufficient force in the
Pension Bureau, but inability. in ap-
plicants to produce the necessary evil
dence to prove the claims. He asked
the Senator from Maryland if the con-
sidered the claims gratuitiOus or con-
tracts the Government had made.
Contracts by all MEANS" said Mr..
German.
Then on what grounds are they not
just said Mr.. Ingalls,, and why should
they not be paid? 1t was promised when
they were enlisted that their survivors
would be taken care OF, and it is the
duty of the Government to see that 1t Is
done II it were a gratuity we might
consider expense, but now it is not
question of how much or whether we
are able, but are they due the ap-
piicants? II this were true, he cared
not whether it was a hundred millions
or a thousand millions
lie believed that every soldier ought
70 be placed on the rolls, irrespective of
disability. The soldiers of 1912 and the
soldiers of the Mexican war were put on
the pension list and the soldiers of the
late war should have been by this time
put on the pension roll Even if more
money is paid for pensions than was
paid for carrying on the late war, the
obligations OF the people to the soldiers
will not have been paid.
Vest said that he had voted for every
pension bill that was just and right and
the people had approved of such action,
but he believed the present bill was for
personal and political purposes. He be-
lieved that pensions had been granted
largely in Indiana under Commissioner
Dudley for political effect Pennsyl-
vania, Massachusetts and other States
had furnished more soldiers than Indi-
ana, but a much larger number of PEN
sions are now being paid in Indiana
than in many of the States which fur
nished more soldiers than that State did.
Turpie came to the defense of Indi-
ana, saying that the State of Indiana
was too closely divided to make such
proposition practical one. He thought
the Senator from Missouri was mis-
taken in his views on this matter.
After few remarks by Senator Haw-
ley in support of liberal pension legisla-
ton, vote was taken on the conference
report and it was apopted, yeas 3S, nays
IS, as follows: Yeas-Allen, Blair, Call,
Casey, Chandler, Davis, Dawes, Dixon,
L I
Hale, Hawley, Hearst Higgins Hoar,
Ingalls, Manderson, Moody, Maddox,
Pettigrew, Pierce, Platt, Plumb, Powers,
Sanders, Sawyer, Spooner, Teller, Tur-
pie, Washburn.
Eays-Barbour, Bate, Berry, Black
burn, Coke, George, Gibson, Harris,
Kenna, Mcpherson, Morgan, Pasco,
Payne, Pugh, Reagan, Vance, Vest and
WalthalL
TEXT OF THE BILL.
WASHINGTON, June 2+-The Depend
ent Pension bill as passed by the Senate
Is as follows:
Be it enacted, That in consideration of
the pension claims of a dependent parent
the fact of the soldiers death by reason of
any wound injury, causualty or cause which
under the condition and limitations of ex-
listing laws would have entitled him to an
invalid pension, and the fact that the soldier
left no widow or minor children having been
shownlas required by the law, il shall be nee.
essary on Y to show by competent and suf.
ncIent evidence that such parent or parents
are without other present means of support
than their own manual labor or the eontFi.
button OF others not legally bound for their
support: Provided, that all pensions al
lowed to dependent parents under this acS
shall commences from the date of the ding
OF the application hereunder and shall con.
tinue no longer than the existence of the
dependence
Sec. 2. That all pereons who served ninety
days or more In the military or naval ser.
vice OF the United States or during the late
war of the rebellion, and who have bean
honorably discharged therefrom and who
are now, or may hereafter be suderine from
mental or physical disability of perma.
Heat character, not the result of their vicious ]
habits, which incapacitates them from
the performance of manual labor in such |
degree as to render them unable to earn 1
q support shall uuon making dua r,-o11 /