The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-12-24
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on = Variety Of Interesting
Subjects.
ITO NorrsgpOnds1iLs Write 1uestfona an a ssn-
arate sheet Of paper, give full name and address
and mark II Correspondents Column" NOatten
ton will be paid to cOmnuni cations that are not
accompanied with fail name aud address OF writer
Our readers are requested To inclose "A stamp for
reply 20 their inquiries. Postal cards wifi be
replied 10 by mail oiB. Replies by mail will ordI
narily be made within week. and Il In this col
umn within three weeks.I
A. o. Dr., Milford. Hags.-I Which of the last
three GAR. Eneam pments had the greatest num-
Der Of people In procession? . How many peopI o
we're there In line AT the Columbus (O) Encamp-
meDt? 3. How many soldiers are there in Ohio ,
AHsCsr. l. AT the GAR Encampment In Mil
waukee. In 1880 there were about 81 600 men in
line; at the Boston Encampment, in 1880. there
were about 5O,OOO. and at the Detroit Encam pment
there were $1,000 3 There were nearly 90 600 peo-
pie IN line ~ che parade during tIs Columbus En-
eampment- 3. There are about 1900 soldiers 10
d. C. IT,, E,trly, I9wa.-i How many private PEN
sion bills vetoed by each President from Grant
down To Harrison? VIII yOu please state about
now many, % any, OF the private pension bills
passed prior to CleveIand's Administration were
Tor private soldiers. AH5Ugr i. President Grant
vetoed. cut Of nearly 600 presented 70 him, eight
private pension billa Presidents Hayes, Garfield
and Arthur vetoed none President Cleveland
vetoed more than 49, and returned unsigned
(which under the Constitution u equivalent To- a
Veto somewhat more than zoo, thus defeating S15.
2 careful estimate, based upon an invests gator
places the number OF special acts pensioninV pri.
vate soldiers passed prior 10 Cleyeland's AdnpRis-
+. ". a.. Pan Vert. O.-Please give mo inRor-
nation In regard 10 the appointment Of Cadets to
the Military Academy at Wesl Point. and more
especially as to thOse appointments made by the
President. AHstUeT. One Cadet - allowed for each
Member OF Congress. one for the District OF Column
bra, and 10 at large. The former Of these are aU-
pointed by the Congressman OF the Dislrics in
which they reside, and whenever n vacancy occurs
IN Congressional District, the Secretary Of War
informs the Congressman Of that District tho then
appoints some canhldats and, u he desires, an
alternate, 70 be appointed in case the candidate
ails TO pass the necessary examination. All can
didates must b. between the ages OF II and - and
physically sound at the time Of their admission.
They are subject 10 a rigid physical and mental
examination The appointments st large are held
by the President, and are usually given to s0ss If
deceased officers. As 1t would require consider
able influence 10 obtain one d these RppOintmeuts
and ~ all applicants must be actual residents Of d.
District from which they are appointed. II is pTOba-
bic you will have wait until there is n vacancy
IN your District before applying for an appoint
O. ST., 81 ABans ". Va.-A soldier volunteered
In May, 1852 for three years during the war In
Co. q. llJh w. Va, and remained with she COM
pany until October Of the same year, but was
mustered INTO the service by regular mastering
officer, the company having been on detached
duty. The soldier was taken sick in July 1862 and
when the company rejoined the regiment the Sur
geon, IN his examination, rejected the soldier Said
soldier having served faithfully for several months
and received injuries while performing the dugiaa
OF suiulers - ne not entitled 70 a DensiDn2
sl0er. That depends entirely upon the War Depart
ment records; ordinarily the soldier referred to
could only be pensoned, IL as ali, by special act OF
Congress.
H g., SANDY Like Pol In a widow having
three children under the age Of Is years. and an
income Of about 3l7J per year. entitled to pension
under the act Of June =, does this income debar
her from receiving the benefits Of said act? q II
she Is not entitled. her children be pension ed
under this act? B. IL there not ftvOrtism and par
TALLY for certain claimants at the Pension Bureau?
IHgtOeY j. liz the widows income ia 81 auffiaiank
To support herself and those OF her children who
are supported by her, without labor her part,
she can be pensioned under this act OF June q
$780, II otherwise entitled; but II her income il
such that Is not necessary for her labor 20 sup
port herself and children she cannot be pensioned
under the new law. With this explanation she
herself can best determines whether she has titls
2. No 8. No. See our reply 10 Several Subscribers
below.
SON Psdanara,n. GA soldier enlisted A pril
"a 1861. for three months. and was discharged Au-
gust 20, 1861 He re-enisted May 70 1867 for three
months. and was discharged Sept. 20, 1862: re-sn-
listed April IA, ls6 for three years during the
war; and was discharged June %, 1865, by reasOn
Of the close OF the war. He received 500 bounty
during his service and an additional 500 bounty In
1867. Is there any more bounty due him? AnswsT
No.
o. A. w.. Latimors, Pa.-The card which YOU say
you received rom your attorney simply signided
that he had called the attention Of the Pension Blu
TO the claim. As your usw-law claim was
allowed so recently 1t will be time, la our
opinion before your old law claim III be reachetI
2 We do not have ladies' silver watches.
A. W. r., Bangor. Mel. How many more Repub-
licans than Democrats there Ia the senate at the
present timer 2. Could the Pension Bureau stop
pension granted by special act Of Congress with
out another act Of Congress repeating the former
Ret7 4RsUsT. l. There AZ Republicans 80
Democrats, one Farmers Alliance and one Inda-
pendent in the Senate. 2. That de ponds upon the
wording Of the act. Ifit provides that the Pension
Bureau shall give n certain rate Of Pension to a
claimant, then the Pension Bureau cannot stop his
pension but If the act only provides that the
claimant shall be placed the roll subect to the
conditions and limitations Of existing laws then
the Commissioner may, II his disability Ceases
stop his pension. In either case tine Commissioners
Of Pensions upon satisfactory evidence that fraud
WAS perpetrated In obtaining the special act may
suspend payment OF said pension until Congress
shall have had an opportunity OF repeating such
special net.
Several Subscri5ers write US as to the cause of
delay In their pension claims Il Is not possible
for Us to give such specific information in each
without being familiar with the papers therein
but We think the following general statements will
explain TO many why there appears 10 be "A nrpIeet
In their Some time after the passage or the
act Of june ~ 1880 the Pension Bureau established
the practice IN adJudicating claims OF giving "A
preferences TO those claimants no were not aresly
ON the roll, that their claims could be allowed
more rapidly than those Of the claimants who were
already pensiOned. This rule of action, which 10
on the whole very Just, has been quite generally
followed by the Pension Bureau, until now a great
majority Of the original claims which have been
pending and complete for some time have been
disposed OF, and the balance will hs finally acted
on in n short time. The Pension Bureau is now
Also hctiuB On the class OF claims In which the
claimants now receive a pension under the old law
and have applied for increase under the new Jaw
and those OF this class hO have had claims pend
ing may expect official action within a reasonable
time. Although 10 Is not. of course, possible for
the delay ia all cases to DO explained in a general
statement. we think the above will apply TO nearly
all eases In which there Is apparent 2elay on the
part Of the Pension Bureau.
A. C. H., Clearwater, Kan.-A man was drafted
during the war; and was detailed a clerk at Gen.
HarrIngton's headquarters in indianapolis. AheF
serving as clerk for three months he received an
honorable discharges, having received the pay of q
private soldier, Sl3 per month. Can he receive
pension under the act Of June q 1880? AastUsr.
IL appearing from your statement that the party
referred 10 was regularly mustered into the service
Of the United States soldier. he Is entitled 70
pension under the act of June q, 1s9O if disabled
s. ", Bangor, AG-SOldieF died Feb. r. 1863 and
his widow was pensioHed from April s. 1861. Can
che now Teeefve pension back to Inc date Of SOL
dier's deakhf AHstVer. Yes