The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-10-28

Grover Cleveland's luminosity against
all those who were effective in suppress
ing the rebellion extended to their
widows and dependent ones. Weselect
one specimen veto OF widows pension.
10 the House Of Representatives.
herewith return without approval
house bill No. 1894, entitled IAN act
granting pension to sally Ann Brad
ley"
The husband OF this proposed bene-
ficiary was discharged from the military
service in 1875, after long service, and
was afterward pensioned for gunshot
He died in 1882. The widow appears
never to have filed claim IN her own
right. :,
No cause is given for the soldiers
death, but it is not claimed that it re-
suited from his military service, her
pension being asked for entirely because
Of her needs and the faithful service OF
her husband and her sons.
This presents the question whether a
gift in such case is proper dispo-
sition Of money appropriated for the
purpose of paying pensions.
The passage Of this law would, in my
opinion, establish a precedent go lar
reaching, and open the door to such n
vast multitude OF claims not on prin-
ciple within our present pension laws,
that l am constrained to disapproVe
the bill under consideration.
july l6, 1886. GROVER CLEVELAND.
In reference 10 this case Gen. Charles
II. Grosvenor said on the floor OF the
house:
Thomas ]. Bradley entered the army
in the spring of 1861, as member OF
the Twenty-iourth Ohio. He served
until the close OF 1854, having been
meanwhile transferred by consolida-
ton to the Eighteenth Ohio, which L
had the honor to command, and then
serving out total enlistment OF nearly
four years. He received at the battle
of Nashville, as ! recollect, wound
which was at the time dangerous, but
not permanently SO. lie went home
He suffered more or less from that
wound through the whole OF his life,
which terminated in the fall Of 1882.
The physicians say thatthe termination
OF his lite was to n certain extent (hard
to be detiued) attributable fairly to the
wound which he had received nearly
twenty years before. He had received
pension for that wound, thus being
put in the position OF having establish
ed his claim. His pension was tritiing
amount do not remember how
much. 1t is pretended that the injury
was permanently serious one; but the
government gave him a pension OF, /
think, at first g q month, and after
wards possibly 81. Icaunot state accu-
rately.
Hehad four sons-gallant young men.
They all entered the army in 1861. Two
were shot dead on tho battlefield, an
other came home with an arm shot of,
and the fourth with an eye shot out
both OF these sons being totally disabled
from earning a living. They had no
property; and Mrs. Bradley to-day,
having passed the age OF seventy, and
being without dollar, came to Con-
gross and asked that she may be put
upon the pension roll to receive the
pittance OF u widows pension.
This case alone is more eloquent than
volumes OF Cleveland's profuse protes-
tations. A more meritorious case
could not be found for the justice Of the
nation. Mrs. Bradley's pension was
petitioned for by 800 of the best citi-
zens of the county in which she lived.
She was past 20, poor and friendless
She had given husband and four sons
to the coutry, 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 and grief OF nations
ingratitude. On the same that he We
toed her pension he signed bill put
ting Fitz-John Porter on the retired list
at 50, 800 year.
Comrades, get your votes ready.