Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-02-02
THE DEMOCRATIC PENSION WAR.
Ruthless 4 Amendments Proposed I" the
Dependent aud DisnLility Act of 1850.

Ruthless Amendments Proposed TO the
Dependent and Disability Act OF 1870
WASHINGTON, jan. %. Demo
cratic mc,nbors of the House sub committee
on appropriations, in framing the annual
pension appropriation bill for submission to
the full committee have made q vigorous
onslaught on the dependent and disability
ponsion act passed by the Republican Con-
gresss in 1890.
They have adopted a number OF amend
| tnents chaugin. that law. The following
are the principal changes made: That no
widow shall receive pension under the act
| of 1890 unless married to the soldier prior
to 1870; that no person shall receive pen
sion un1or the act of 1890 unless disabled
in TIL service from manual labor and in re-
ceipt Of an income OF less than $500 year,
aud that no non resident of the United
States shall receive pension unless he was
actually disabled In the service
Another amendment provides for the up
| pointment ola commissioner to consider
necessary notifications in the pension laws
aud to report at the next Congress. Most
of these amendments were offered by MIR.
O'Neil OF Massachusetts, who stated that
| they were framed not TO exclude per-
sous actually dependent, but would require
all persons TO prove that they wore in fact
| the title of the act of 1890.
They were adopted by q vote of three to
| two, the democratic members, Messrs.
| Mutcher, O'Nei and Livingston voting
| yea, and Messrs. Grout and Bingham nay
| The fight against the amendments will bo
| carried by the republican members into tho
full committee on appropriations which has
yet to act on the bill.
| Bul Aboi.shos Pension Agepcies
The bill as framed by the njority of the
subcommittee also does away with the pen
sion agencies throughout the country and
| provides for payment Of pensions by checks
| directly from the treasury department;
| abolisbes examinations of applicants by
surgeons and provides for the appointment
| of 100 special examiners to hereafter make
examinations.
Mr.. O'Neill OF Massachusetts, speaking
| for the majority, said: There is no DISPOSE
ton on the part of this House to take a
| pension away from a man who deserves it
| from any man who became disabled in
the Union army.
The proposition to take away pensions
from non-rssdents not citizens OF the United
States seems eminently proper because, I'M
| less these people received wounds during the
war while in actual SERVICE they ought not
to be supported by the United States out
side OF the United States. The proposition
| to take away pensions from widows of SOL
diers unless they were married previous to
1870, also seems just
The granting of pensions Is absolutely
grounded on the promises made at the time
the men went to the front that they would
be taken care Of
If They Became Sick or Disabled
and that those they left behind them would
also be looked after. 1t 10 difficult to see
how any woman who marriss man Is, 30
or % years after the war can come within
the claim that the government promised to
look after her. There Is no disputng the
fact that old soldiers are being married to
young girls and thus perpetuatiug the pen
sion list and creating class of pensioners
never contemplated by the original framer $
of the pension laws.
Tue country wants the pension list re-
duced but it does not want a single worthy
pensioner stricken from the rolls. 1t seemed
to the committee that certain persons were
entitled to pensions
First-The wife who patrlotically allowed
her husband 10 leave her behind to battle
for his country.
Second-The father and mother who, de-
pendent on their sons support, allowed him
to go to the front.
Third-Those women who periodically
allowed their lovers to SO to the war and
married them after they came home.
But 1t Should Stop There.
Mr.. Grout Of Vermont, ole OF the two
republican members of the subcommittee,
said: 1.-THE republican minority are against
these amendments and will oppose them in
full committee and in the House.
a proposition TO do away with examining
boards and have tho work now done by
them, done by examiners will be practically
impossible 1t is only another way of stop
ping the settlement of claims, except the
large number that are already on tho com
plsted lilos. In regard to the amendment
relating to soldiers widows, the question al
once arises, why don't they make
the proposition applicable to Next
can pensioners That amendment
applies only to the pensioners Of
the late war and works no restriction to the
widows Of Mexican veterans nor to pen
sioners in the Indian wars. With refer
ence to the other amendments they are al
designed to limit and embarrass the allow
ance OF pensions to those who did service iI
. the late war; and are simply an attack upon
the pension system as applicable to those
, alone who helped save the Union.
Aged CHI en- of bennington Dead.
BENNINGTON. Jan. 27.-William Bates
t father OF Col. E. l.. Bates, died Thursda.
evening, aged IS. He resided here 10 year
and wss prominent citizens Of this town
, lie died of pneumonia and old age.