The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-09-04
Copcerrine Private Pension Laws.

granting pensions, Congress Is in the
habit Of passing special acts granting
pensions In cases not covered by the
general law.
HOW PRIvATE BILLS ORIGINATED. |
This exceptional method arose out
of certain cases that could not De
reached under the general law, but
were considered to be OF particular
and exceptional merit. This practice |
grew until the latest volume Of the
Statutes at Large, Vol. 26, containing
the acts Of the last, Congress, shows
that more than 200 of these extra
pensions were granted by the last
Congress. Most of these pensions are
larger than could have been obtained
under the general law If the quality
ing conditions had existed. They
have been defended on the ground
that they were peculiarly merltOrlous
cases In which Justice and fairness
demanded departure from the general
rule.
Irhe truth about them is that by far
the larger number have no merit at
all, and are simply favOrs obtained
through political influence. 81
tempts have at times been made TO
reduce this mode OF pensionlng 70
sone system, and unwrltten ruiss
have been urged and recognized with
a view 70 excluding certain classes OF
cases. Hundreds OF applications
have been refused under these as
sumed rules, but the rule never failed
to step aside at the nod of political
influence or the request OF personal
power. 1t has thus happened that
pensions are now being paid under
some private pension acts that are
less deserving than scores and per-
haps hundreds OF exactly similar
cases that were rejected on some rule
against their class.
A NOTABLE EXAMPLE.
A notable example of this unjust
discrimination may be found among
the acts Of the last Congress (Statutes
at Large, Vol. %, page 1881. In June,
1890. Mr.. ParneIl, the Irish agitatoI,
WIS at the height of his popularity
q and power. What Mr.. ParnelPs re-
sources were or where his home was,
or how he passed the time not given
20 the public were matters then OF
more mystery than notOriety. 1t
was, however, Pablicly stated that
Ills mother, an American woman,
was In reduced circumstances and
that her famous sou could not assist
hef. There was much gossip In the
! neWspapera about Mrs. yParnellls con-
sdision, and 1t soon began to be talked
j ahout In Congress-. elf Lflls ~ q --
& bs1It was not long before a bill was in.
q stfod0ced placing on the pension roll
ut fifty dollars per month, the name
OF hSeIlA ]. 3. ParneH, daughter o.
the late Charles Stewart, AN Admiral
ps OF the United States, aud engaged IL
Its naval service in the war of 1872,
% the Mexican war, aud in the late wal
for the Union.n 4s r-tsHur.l q. 5..l.
A that time the Irish element IN
America warmly espOused anything
2 that might accrue to the benefit y
tJMF. PaRnell. From public gossip i
appeared that unless the Govern
Ifient of the United States would d.
something for her, Mr.. Parnell him
self would have to support hi
3 mother. At that time it was sup
posed by the Irish In America tina
y every cent drawn from the persona
resources Of Mr.. Parnell was so mucl
lost to the cause of Ireland. NAtur
ally the Irish favored Mrs. PArnelP
pension bill, aud customArlly thu
politicians in Congress began to looi
at IL through Irish spectAcles.
- Bat an obstacle lay In the way o
pensioning Mrs. Parnell. 1t was tru
Admiral Stewart had been q faithful
& fu and gallant naval officer, butrthe gen
% erai pension law made no provision
for giving 9 pension JO his daughter
who had married, was q widow, ant
had q grown, able bodied son. In til
eve of the general pension law MrE
Parnell was not the daughter of tn
"a Stewart house, but the head OF til
8 'Parnell family It might be just I
give Mrs. PaFnell q pension by spe
ciaT act, but what then would becom
of the many similar applications tina
had been made aud rejected "a too re
mote for the benevolent gratitude o
Congress? r" H-
SOME OTHER LIKE CASES AND THEIl
FATE.
At that moment there was pendin
a oil to pension q woman OF matur
age In such Ill health that she cOul
not maintain herself, who was tn
daughter of one of the most illustr
GUS generals OF our army, who, also
was engaged in the war OF 1872 and
the Mexican war, and with great dir
tinction In both. This daughter Ina
several times knocked at the doors c
Congress, but Congress had stead
lastly declared that 1t could not gran
u pension in such a case.
There was another case also penC
ing that had been up in several form
and always rejected as belonging I
the class Of cases that Congress Ia
facility excluded. This Care appear
from the printed committee report
age, a widow, daily worker for n
own and her children's support;
suffarer from heart disease, VIII
might at any moment drop into deaf
from oVerWork; who WAS WithOU
means: whose father, after more tina
Iurty wears of RrduOus military Sc
vice in Mexico and on our plains an
frontiers, in campaign after can
ia paiRn and battle after battle with IL
10 ,iw AZ
a and while proceeding from one plRC
10 20 another In the execution Of order
was, with his wife, the mother OF ID
% applicant, cruelty drowned In q Shil
wreck IN which much valuable pc
sonaI property went down with hin
AZ And, further, the report aAid that
on whom she had the .rigf
IN to lean, and who was her friend an
asD comforter, was In the military serviC
y tis an officer for many years, ana o.
long after the loss OF the father, n
too, found his death through man
., wounds In the battle In the Law
/, . beds. These circumstances, the con
III u1ittee thought, made an exceptions
g case that should meet the favor I
: " Roth these cases had several time
80 heen rejected on the same grOunI
The first of the two 10 probably sti
s,r pending. 1t was not passed.. Tor
y does not appear In Volume XVI.
sis the United States Statutes. The Otl
20 er case was extInguished by the SUI
den death OF the applicant thrOug
that terrible disease that made
necessary to seek from Congress Il
aid, that was taken from her by Il
untIIneIy fall Of the father and brOtl
er who met such violent and dlstres
tf ing deaths In the military service
-s0 their country. $500 Zoe.
'a THE DAUGHTER OF AN ADMIRABI
OR THE MoTHER OF A PoLITI-
sa ttF CAL LEADER?
Probably II the matter were up b
fore Congress now the daughter
Admirable Stewart would meet vii
no more favor, But q year ago u
mother OF Mr.. Psrnell was the mot
er of the great Irish leader, and as Il