Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-23
TWO PENSION BILLS VETOED,
The President Gives His Reasons for With
holding His Approval.


Washington, April 22-The House
to-day entered upon the consideration
Of the general pension bill reported
from the invalid pension committee. 1t
amends the existing pension laws IN
some very important respects.
The Senate disposed of the sectarian
school question by adopting compro-
mise framed by Senator Cockrell, OF
Missouri The Indian bill, as it came
from the house, provided that mo mon
ey herein appropriated shall be paid for
education in sectarian schools. Ihls
provision is struck out by the Cockreil
amendment, as adopted and 1t is de-
clared to be the settled policy of the
government to make no appropriations
for sectarian schools after July l, 1898,
thus giving two years for the abandon
ment Of sectarian schools, instead OF an
immediate abandonment.
During the day the bill was passed
providing government regulation OF eX-
cursion fleets attending regattas; also
the resolution calling for information
as to arrest of Bishop Diaz in Cuba.
The presidents vetoes of two pension
bills brought out some criticism OF the
chairman of the committee on pensions,
Mr.. Gallinger, but no action was taken
on the vetoes beyond referring to them.
The vetoes are as follows:
To the Senate:
return herewith without my appro-
val Senate Bill No. 249 entitled an act
granting pension to Charles F. Jones.
The beneficiary named in this bill was
a photographer who accompanied one
of the regiments of the Union army in
the war OF the rebellion. He was in-
jured. apparently not very seriously
while taking photographs and where no
battle was in active progress. He was
not enlisted. and was in no manner in
the military service Of the United
States.
Aside from the question as to whether
his present sad condition is attributable
to the injury sustained it seems to me
the extension of pension relief to such
cases would open the door TO legisla-
tion hard TO justify and impossible to
restrain from abuse.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
The other veto was in the case OF the
bill for a pension to Nancy G. ALA
bach. 1t provides for pension for Mrs.
Allahech who is the widow OF Peter H.
Allabach, who served in both the Mex
lean war and the war of the rebellion.
The President calls attention to the fact
that Mr. Allabach made no application
for pension on account Of disabilities
during his life. 1T is not" he says,
"now claimed that he was in the least
disabled as an incident of his military
service nor is it alleged tina his death
which occurred nearly 20 years after his
discharge from the army was in any
degree related to such service. He says
the widow was pensioned after her hus-
bands death as the widow Of a MexI-
can soldier and that her case falls un-
der the general act of 1890. 1T is pro-
posed, however" he continues "by the
special act under consideration to give
this widow pension Of $50 month
without the least suggestion of the
death or disability of her husband hav-
ing been caused by his military service
and solely so far as discoverable, upon
the ground that she is poor and needs
the money. The condition is precisely
covered by existing laws; and if a pre-
cedent is to be established by the spc-
cial legislation proposed | do not see
how the same relief as is contained in
this bill can be denied to the many
thousand widows who in a similar Sit
uation are now on the pension rolls
under general laws"