The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-12-13
THE RELIEF CORPS.
Gleanings from National Headquar-
terS---NoteS from Departments.
JUSTICE FOR WOMEN.

JUSTICE FOR WOMEN.
Assistant Secretary John NJ. Reynolds
Recommends Legislation for the Benefit
of the Families of Neglected Pensioners,
and for Marriage Laws i'm Aid of White
Widows-Patriotic Teaching and General
W.R.C. Activities.
The Woman's Relief Corps has greatly been
aided in securing Army Nurse pensions by the
Just rulings of Assistant Secretary of the
Interior John M. Reynolds, whose services
have been repeatedly acknowledged by those
instrumental in securing the passage of tho
bill.
1t is an additional qualification to read in his
annual report 10 be laid before Congress, that
he is an ardent advocate OF the measure for
some time agitated by the Woman's Relief
Corps, to secure such legislation as will compel
pensioners who. through intemperance or
neglect, spend all their pension money on
themselves, to share their pensions with their
families.
Secretary Reynolds after a recommendation
that legislation be enacted permitting widows.
minors, and dependent relatives to secure the
benefit of accrued pensions under Section AIS,
Revised Statutes, says:
." also believe il important that power should
be conferred by law upon the Commissioner Of
Pensions to order that where soldier in re-
ceipt of pension unlawfully ahandons his
family and neglects to provide for them, such
pension. or part thereof, might be paid to his
wife, or to some one in trust for his helpless
minor children under pensionable age; and
suggest that such legislation he recomme nded
to Congress. thereby applying the law to The
of father that is now applicable, under
like circumstances, to the mother"
M In int arta 10
pensions would bring more aid and comfort to
the families of soldiers than tho law herewith
recommended. There are hundreds of soldiers
in the National and State Soldiers Homes
saying nothing of the many thousands out
side. who draw their pensions quarterly. only
10 spend them in drink and its attendant vices,
and there is no law to say them nay.
The National Relief Corps Home Board,
through correspondence conducted by Past
Department President Emma b. Lowd, has Sc
cured the interest of the National Soldiers
Home Commission in righting. to some extent,
this great wrong so that inmates Of National
Homes are contributing much larger share of
their pension money TO their families than ever
before In some of the State Homes Ohio,
for instance-thanks to Gen. NJ. +. Force,
persuasion has been successfully
employed to secure from pcnsoned inmates
portion OF their pension money for their suffer
ing wives at home.
But, despite all efforts of National and State
authorities and home influences. n very large
sum of the pensioners money finds its way
into the saloons every quarter. It is quite
time that legislation was enacted to govern the
distribution of pensions.
Such legislation as is called for by Assistant
Secretary Reynolds would be an act of justice
to the pensioners. as well as to their families
and the Homes of which they are inmates. 1t
would remove from them terrible temptation,
and break down the colonies of low dives
which are encirclng the Soldiers Homes
everywhere. and protect the worthy pension
ers from the odium brought upon them by
many who disgrace the uniform OF the Union
soldier.
1t is the duty of the Grand Army of the Re-
public and the Woman's Relief Corps. Ma
tiona State. and local, to bring all possible in
fuence to bear upon Congress to enact the
legislation proposed.
PROOFS OF MARRIAGE.
In this connection, it is pertinent to COM
mend, also the following recommendation of
Assistant Secretary Reynolds concerning proofs
of marriage in the applications OF widows,
affecting the States of Massachusetts, Mary
land, and Kentucky:
also invite your attention to a manifest
inequality in the laws governing allowance of
pensions TO soldiers widows to the end that
Congress may be advised Of the same You
are aware that by statutory enactment and de-
cisions of Il G courts, the various States of the
Union, save. perhaps. three, have recognized
and applied the rules of the common law gov
erning marriage. A valid marriage in these
States may lie contracted per rcrbd de pydesent
and upon the holding that marriage is n civil
contract, such a marriage may be proved by
evidence OF acts OF recognition, matrimonial
cohabtation. general reputation and the d, ca
rations and condnct Of the parties. The Su-
preme Court of the United States has gone SO
farm the case of Meister vs. Moore-as to
hold that even though State statute prescrIbes
direction ss 10 solemnization Of marriage, a
marriage contracted at common law shall he
valid unless the statute contains express words
of nuliity.
That a marriage must be proved according
to the laws of the State where il was con-
tracted is a rule that governs in the adjudica-
ton OF pension claims. As carly March g.
1873. Congress realized that the application of
the above rule TO claims fled by alleged widows
OF negro soldiers wonld lead to manifest inus-
tice, since the widow in Tennessee would be
peBsionable. while the widow in Kentucky,
with even better proof of marriage. could not
be. Hence, Congress enacted Section 4705 of
the Revised Statutes, making a marriage law
which is universally applicable to the widows
OF coored or Indian soldiers in every State in
the Union. But Congress has not been so con-
sidcrate of the widows of our white soldiers
and | hereby invite Your attention 10 the
anomalous aud lamentable fact that under cx-
actly the same conditions the widow of white
soldier in Maryland has pension able status
while in the same State the widow Of negro
soldier has. This is also true as to the States
of Massachusetts and Kentucky, and suggest
that there should be enacted such law as will
make proof of marriage in the prosecution
of pension claims universal throughout tho
United States. removing thereby this discrimi.
nation and injustice"
THE sCHooLHoUsE STANDS by THE FLAG
By Hezekiah Btttter,0orth.
We who love the Republic rcmem Der the claim
y. owe To her fortunes, ye owe to her name;
To her yenrs oil prosperity, past aud IN store,
hundred behind you, n thousand before. ~
lis the scIoolhou-e that stands by the flag,
Let The Nation stand by the school;
lis the scho"lb bell that rings for Liberty old,
It's The school.bOy whose ballot shall rule.
The blue arch above us is Liberty's dome,
The green fields beneath u~ EquHlity's honie.I
But the schooiroom to-day IL HumRniiy's friend
Let the people the flag aud the schoolhouse defend
Ills the schooihouse that stands by the flag,
Let the Nation stand by the school
IT'S the school bell that rings for our Liberty old
It's the school boy whose ballot shall rule.
HIGH SCHOOL DEDICATION.
Department President Flo Jamison Miller
was the head Toastmaster at the evening ban
qnet following the dedication Of the High
School building at Monticello, H. Some of
the toasts we're: The School Teacher Of tie
Pas" y; Tho School Teacher of the Future"
aud The Old SchooIhouse"
The dication took place the afternoon pre-