The Indianapolis journal., 1890-09-24
HORTHISTORY OFPENSIONS
What Has Been Done for the Ex-Union
Soldiers During the Past Decade.
General Harrison the Author of the First Dis
ability Bill-A Majority Of Democrats
Have Always Opposed Pensions.

IN the army. so long as comrade was
we'll he marched and carried his musket.
but when he became sick or was disabled
ne was put In an ambulance. And now we
who are able Will get along as best we can.
but the government should furnish an am
bulance for these comrades who are unable
TO help themselves.
So spoke General Harrison in 1856. and it
was no idle speech, for the record proves
that he was the first man in Congress to in
troduce bill to pension veterans who, by
reason of sickness, injury or old age. should
be unable to care for themselves. This was
the first disability pension bill offered. 1t
was Introduced by him in the Senate Feb.
"A, 1884, and was referred to the committee
on pensions. 1t is entitled bill Ito pro-
vide for certain invalid soldiers and sailors
who have been discharged from the army
and navy after six months service" etc.
The first section declares that every hon.
orably discharged soldier who has a service
of six months duration and an hon.
orable discharge. and who is dis
abled by reason of injury or disease not
the result of his own carelessness, disrepu-
table conduct or vicious habits, shall be
pensioned during the continuance of such
disability lat a rate proportlonate to the
degree thereof. the highest rate of pension
to be S24 per month. divisable upon the
ability of the applicant to perform manual
labor" The second section increases the
pensions of widows from SS to Sl2 per
month. and the third pensions the widows
of invalid pensioners dying.
As early as 1879 Southern Democrats and
others began to make efforts to secure PEN
sions for Mexican soldiers. In the Senate,
in 1879. which wasthen Democratic, as well
II e
but not until every Democratic Senator
who voted was put on record against q
proposition TO exclude JEFF Davis from the
benefits of the bill. At that time Daniel
w. voorhees, and Joseph r. Mcdonald.
Democrats. represented Indiana in the
Senate. but the Record shows that they did
not vote for or against Jeff Davis. General
, Harrison entered the Senate March 4. 1881;
the Senate was tie and the House Repub-
lican. No efforts were made to pass any
pension bill. The next House was Demo-
cratic by large majority, and efforts were
made at once to pass Mexican pension
bill. March 3. 1SS4. under suspension of the
rules, Mexican pension bill was passed
who had served in the Mexican war. This
measure reached the Senate May %. 1884,
for action, and was variously amended.
One On. .as,.; Of these amendmsnts Is was was
of all the sections of the bill intro
duced by General Harrison Feb. "a, 1854.
above referred to. That amendment was
agreed to. every Republican voting for it.
aver Democrat voting against it. Daniel
Webster Voorhees, lodging as usual. The
Mexican pension bill, amended to limit
pensions to those sixty-two years of age
and to others disabled and dependent,
with the Harrison disability bill for Union
veterans attached. was passed by vote of
81 to "a. almost strict party vote. Mr..
Voorhees, not voting When this Senate
bill. with the Harrison amendment for
II
House, in which the Democrats had 92 ma
lority over the Republicans. the Southern
Democratic leaders made bitter war on il,
destroying quorums and lnterposinG dill
atory motions. their purpose being to
make the pensions for Mexican veterans
cover every man who had enlisted in the
service and TO prevent the passage
of bill with the Harrison pro-
vision. Because of this opposition
the measure failed i'm the House. although
an effort was made TO pass the bill the next
session under suspension of the rules. If
that House had been acting under rules
like the present the bill could have been
passed Ii should be noted that General
Harrison's bill was not q dependent. but a
disability bill. About this time the Grand
Army began to move for n dependent pen
sion law. The Cleveland regime WAS in.
The Southern friends of the Mexican bill
had become more moderate in their desires.
and the friends of the dependent policy
were hopeful.
PENSIONS FOR MBxICAN VETERANS.
March 1, 1886, the Democratic House, un-
der suspension of the rules. passed serv-
ice pension bill for Mexican veterans. The
Republican Senate restricted its provisions
to those dependent under sixty-two years
of age. and for all at that age, with q Sec
tion which excluded persons whose polit-
ical disabilities had not been removed.
he
1856, took up the dependent PEN
sion bill reported by the Senate committee,
which was. In effect, the Harrison bill, with
disability clause. and passed ir by nearly
strict party vote. Mr.. Voorhees,. however.
pIucking MP courage enough to vote for it.
When this bill reached the House substi-
tute was offered instead, but no action
taken. Jan. IL. 1887, the House took up
the Mexican pension bill passed by the
Senate, and passed 1t under suspension of
the rules. and on Jan. 20 it became q law
by the approval of Mr.. Cleveland. The
same day-Jan. 1.-THE rules were sus-
pended and new dependent bill was
passed, but a majority of the Democrats
voting voted against it. Jan. q the Senate
passed the bill without division and Feb.
IL Mr.. Cleveland vetoed it. On the vote
passing the bill, those voting for it were
112 Republicans and 63 Democrats those
against were 76 Democrats. On the motion
to pass the bill over the veto 1871 Repub-
125 Democrats voted no" The two bills
were separated this time. at the sOlicita-
tlon of the Democrats. evidently because
they knew that Mr.. Cleveland would not
approve OF the disability bill. In his mes
sage vetoIng the bill Mr. Cleveland made
the following grave accusation against the
Union veteran:
Recent personal observation and experience
constraln me To refer TO another result which
VIII eventually follow the passage OF this bill 1t
is sad, but nevertheless true that already, in the
matter OF procuring pensions. there exists a
widespread disregard of truth and good faith,
stimulated by those who, as agents, undertake
to establish claims for pensions heedlessiy
entered into by the expectant beneficiary, and
encouraged, or at least not condemned, by those
unwilling TO obstruct neighbors plans
To this calumny a majority of the House
pensions committee replied as follows:
Your committee do not share the opinion that
there exists q widespread disregard for truth
and good faith" in the prosecution OF pension
claims Nor do we believe that the ex-soldiers
or the country are prone 10 commit fraud,
perjury and subornation OF perjury for that
purpose, or for any other.
At the next session the Senate passed a
dependent pension bill, but in the House
Mr.. MatsoD presented q substitute which
provides that veterans totally incapacita-
ted for labor shall receive a pension of 1
cent per month for each days service in
the late war. 1t was not called up. and,
although 40 members petitioned Speaker
Carlisle and the committee on rules to as
sign two days for consideration of pension
bills, and the Republican members in eau
paacad q rasnluttn,, a,1,c~ auob 10 q