The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-08-14
TIE HNCAMPMEuT
OF the Grand Army Of the Re-
public at Boston.
COMMANDER ALGER'S SPEECH.
Ills Sentiments on tho Pension Bill
Tho Membership Of tho Order.
Z Tho New Officers OF the "a,
'f Organization. MI

otthe Twenty.fourth National Encsmr
ment, G. A. R., csme to order In Musi
Hall at II o'clock this morning. Praye
was offered by Past Chief Chaplain I. NJ
Foster. Commander.in.C Chief Alge
then delivered his annual address. Oh
the subject OF pensions General Alge
said: The subject Of pensions has beer
been, as all are aware, the all.Absorbinl
one OF the year, During the early day.
Of the prescn. Congress 1t became evi
dent to tho Pension Committee, Whose
report is before you, that the "service
BILL" go much desired, could not DO en-.
acted into law, many members OF both
branches Of Congress declaring that they
could not vote for IN amount that, taken
with the regular expenditures OF the
Government, would exceed its revenues.
| am aware that many are disappointed,
but the committee has been powerless to
accomplish more than has already been
done. 1t is now believed that the ex.
penditures in pensions, under existing
laws, will exceed sl50, 900 annually =.
More than 100000 applications have
been made to the Commissioner OF PEN
sions under the new disability law, and
he informs me that applications are
coming in at the rate Of 10000 per day.
Large rs this sum Is, it Is a great gratih.
cation 10 know that 1t is distributed
among our own people.
THE DISABILITY BILL.
Much misapprehension exists, think,
concerning the disability bill heretofore
referred to, passed under date Of June
9th, 1890. Let mo quote from section
=: "All persons who served 90 days or
more in the military or naval service of
the United States during the late war
OF the rebellion, and who have been
honorably discharged therefrom, and
who are now or who may hereafter be
suffering from mental or physical dis.
ability, Of permaSent character, not
the result OF their own vicious habits,
which incspacitates them from the per.
lormance OF manual labor in such de-
gree as to render them unable to earn
support, shall. upon making due proof
OF the fact, according to such rules and
regulations as the Secretary of the In
terror may provide, be placed upon the
list OF invalid pensioners OF the United
States, and be entitled to receive pen-
sion not exceeding twelve dollars per
month, and not less than six dollars per
month, proportioned to the degree OF
Inability to earn support"
REQUIREMENTS OF THE BILL,
Under the official rules and regula.
tions attached to the bill are the fol-
lowing: "This law requires in soldiers
case,
II. An honorable discharge.
"2 That he served at least ninety
days.
SO A permanent physical or mental
Inability to earn support, but not due to
vicious habits. Ut need not have oripi.
mated in the service.")
BY n careful reading Of this law and
The official explanation above quoted, it
will be seen that, no matter what a
mans financial condition may be, If he
is physically disabled from performing
manual labor he is entitled to a pension,
the conditions being, first, physical dis
ability, not necessarily contracted in the
service; and, second, that proof OF such
disability may be made upon certificate
from bis physician probably, and with
out the testimony of his former com.
rades. Should any member of this en-
campment to-day receive permanent
injury, mot the result OF his own VIC
ious habits" Ee would be entitled to a
pension. Let US be just to our lawmak.
ers, even though they have not given US
all We asked. No country on earth is or
ever has been nearly as generous to its
as ours.
.n STRENGTH OF THE ORDER,
Adjutant General Hopkins report
contained the following interesting mat
ter: X f.@l. L-
The following table gives the strength
OF the several Departments, and the
gains OF each in Pcs.a and membership
between June 30th, 1859, and June 3O.h,
1890.
These tables show that on June 80.
lS00, there were in the several depart.
mtnt LIS Posts, with membership of
3ol 1885. The gains since June 80, 1889.
tp,.,