The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-01-10
DISQUALIFICATION LAW.
Are the Same Rulings and Prac-
tees Warranted Under
the Old Law.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 81.


orally throughout the entire country
ere becoming very much dissatisfied
with the present and growing extrava-
gance of our pension system, and,
with the view to finding a remedy for
it, many silly suggestions, and some
extreme measures are being offered,
Bome by persons in private life, and
others by our Lawmakers; but | have
not heard it suggested that even a
partial remedy lies in the correct and
just Interpretation and execution of
existing laws, where | think it is
There are but few persons who do
not favor giving liberal pensions to
meritOrious claimants who incurred
disabilities while in actual service,
and appropriations of money by the
government for this purpose meet
with
GENERAL APPROVAL
but when to this sum is added large
appropriations for pensioning hundreds
Of thousands of persons for disabilities
which they admit were not received
in the service it tends to bring the
whole pension system into disrepute,
and the appropriations, as whole,
are declared To be outrageous.
The dependent pension law of June
q, 1890. provides for pensioning for
existing disabilities, whether contract
ed before the war. during the war, or
since the war, and is the most unpop-
MAR of all our pension laws. Its only
friends are its beneficiaries and their
ATTORNEYS. \ similar pension bill was
vetoed by President Cleveland because
of its obiectional character.
This law is a law by itself, enacted
for a special class of eases, and is en-
tirely Independent of laws which have
been passed, granting pensions for dis
abilities incurred in the service and in
the line of duty, and while its scope is
largly extended, yet ii
HAS IT'S LIMITATIONS.
which, | think, should be strictly fol-
lowed. One limitation Is that in order
to be entitled to pension under it,
the claimant must be disabled TO such
a degree that he is unable to earn hi,
support by manual labor.
The maximum pension under this
law is s12 per month, with gradations
downward to Sc per month, which is
the minimum pension allowed. For
total disabilities to earn support only
$12 can be granted. Six dollars can
be paid for disability equal to one
half of total. For disabilities less than
0ne-half, or pension less than SIS, this
law does not provide. No specific dis
abilities with special ratings therefor
are mentioned in it.
Nothing but inability to earn
support by manual labor gives a right
to pension under this law, but many
of the old laws governing ratings for
pensions for disabilities incurred in
the service are not based upon in
ability to perform manual labor, but
specific amounts have been fixed for
SPECIAL DISABILITIES
and the rulings and practice under
these laws in regard TO less but SIM
liar disabilities incurred in the service
nave been made upon the basis of
these fixed amounts.
For instance, for total deafness as
pension of $50, and for total blindnes
So is fixed by law. These fixed
amounts for total deafness and blind
ness have guided the Pension Office
in making ratings for partial deaf
ness and blindness. Under old laws
a soldier may he entitled to more than
S12 for partial deafness and for loss
OF sight of one eye or theloss ofthumb
and index finger he is entitled to sl2.
For these and numerous other dis
abilities pensions under the old law
are not regulated by the degree of
disability to perform manual Labor.
A partially deaf man or one who
has lost the sight of one eye, or
thumb and index finger, may be able
to earn his support by manual labor,
but if these disa bilities were incurred
in the service and line of duty, he is
literally pensioned under the old law,
while under the limitations Of the
new law, for these disabilities without
proof of inability to earn Il support
BY MANUAL LABOR.
] think no pension is allowable. vet
the practice of the pension office, un-
der the new law, i based upon the
rulings under the old laws. and under
il, claimants who have lost the sight
of one eve. or a thumb and index
finger, or who are partially deaf, re-
ceiye the maximum pension of SIP.
without any inquiry being made IL Ia