The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-10-13
HATED THE WAR WIDOWS.

Grover Clevelands luminosity against all
those who were effective in suppressing the
rebellion extended to their widows and de-
pendent ones. Weselect one specimen veto
of a widows pension.
To the House Of Representatives
herewith return without approval House Bill
No. 1884,. entitled AN act granting pension to
Sally Ann Bradley
The husband of this proposed beneficiary was
discharged from the military service in 1865. after
q long service, and wns sfterward pensioned for
gunshot wound.
He died in 1889. The widow appears never 70
have fled claim In her right.
No cause 10 given of the soldiers death, but II u
not claimed that ii resulted from his military
vice, her pension being asked for entirely because
Of her needs and the faithful service of her hus-
band and her sons.
This presents The question whether gift in such
o case is a proper disposition CT morey appropri-
ated for the purpose of paying pensions
The passage OF this law would, in my opinion,
establish precedent 80 far reaching and open the
door to such vast multitude OF claims not on
principle within present pension laws, that
am constrained to disapprove the bill under con-
sdeTation. GRovER CLEVELAND.
July 10, 1885.
In reference to This case Gen. Chas. II.
Grosyenor said on the floor of the House:
Thomas ]. Bradley entered the army In the Spring
OF 1851 a mem bey of the oath Ohio. He served
until tho close of 1853. having been meanwhile
transferred by consolidation to the 18th Ohio
which had the honor TO command, and then ssrv-
Ing out total enlistment of nearly four years
He received at tho battle of Nashville, recol-
lect wound which at the time dangerous.
but not permanently so. He went home. He suf-
fered more or less from that wound through the
whole OF his life. which terminated In the Fall of
1882. The physicians say tina. the termination Of
his lie WAS 10 n certain extent (hard 10 be denedl
attributable fairly 10 the wound which he had re-
csiyed nearly 10 years before. He had received
pension for that wound thus being put in the posi-
ton of having established his claim. His pension
was of trifing amount do not remember how
much It is not pretended that the injury was
permanently . serious one: but the Government
gave him pension Of think, at first 81 month,
and afterwsrd possibly S. Icanno state accurately
He had four sons-galant young men. They all
entered the army in 1851. Two were shot dead
upon the batileheld another came home with
arm shot Off and the fourth with eye shot out,
both of these being totally disabled from
ing living. They had property; and Mrs.
Bradley to-day, having passed the age of 20, and
that she may be put upon the pension-rolI to re-
ceive the pittance of . widows pension.
This case alone is more eloquent than vol
umes of Cleveland's profuse protestations.
A more meritorious case could not be found
for the justice of the Nation. Mrs Bradley's
pension was petitioned for by 300 Of the
best citizens of the County in which she
lived. She was past 70, poor, and friendles,.
She had given husband and four sons to
the country, and because of this she was
needy and dependent in her old age. But
the Presidents merciless pen could not be
restrained from adding to her sorrows the
grief of Nations ingratitude On the same
day that he vetoed her pension he signed
bill putting Fitz-John Porter on the Re-
tired List at $500 year.
Comrades, get your uetoes ready.