The National tribune., 1897-01-07
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

lCorrespondents should write each question ON
separate sheet O. paper give full name and ID.
attention will be paid to communications not ao-
con,panied with name and address Of writer. Il Is
ie.,era Postal cards viii be replied to By mali
only. Replies by mail will ordinarily be made
wilhina week. aud " in this column within three
weeks.l
HK.C., Ann Harbor, Mich.-1. ID the widow
of survivor of the Mexican war entitled 70
more than s. pension per month"; 2. II .
widow pensioner under the act Of June "a,
1890, has helpless child soon to become 16.
must she make application for the continuance
OF the So additional in order to get Il? AnsUer.
]. No; but ono or moro bills looking TO tho in.
crease of such pensions are pending In Congress.
g. Yes. unless In her own application she al-
legged the hslplessuess Of the said child.
Enquircr.-Please state whether; under the
circu instances here set forth, the widow il
likely to bs able to establish title TO pension:
The husband was first q commissioned officer
in the late war and Was dismissed the service.
Then, he again entered the service rs IN en-
listed man and served honorably until the
close of the war. when discharged, and has not
since been heard from. The widow ID depend
entitled to pension under the general law, be-
cause she cannot prove that his death (even if
conceded dead) Was q direct result Of cause
originating in line of duty in the service.
Long-contnued and unex plained absence may
raise the presumption of death, but never the
precise cause thereof. Under present rulings
there is no title under the act Of June q, $780,
because the soldier was not hon0rably dis.
charged from all his war of the rebellion serv.
ice.
w. r. Togus, Me.-A soldier enlisted in 1861
for three years, and was dishonorably dis
charged again enlisted in the war of the re-
beilion, and was honorably discharged. Is he
entitled to pension, does the fact of dis
honorable discharge from the first service bar
his title? Ans,cer For any disability contracted
in line Of duty in the service he is, upon due
proof entitled to pension under the old law.
Under present rulings he would be held to be not
entitled to pension under the act of June "a,
1890, for the reason that he was not honorably
discharged from all of his service during the
war Of the rebellion.
p IT,, Boston. Mass-A pensioner drawing 81
month for wound of service origin made APP
plication for pension under the act of June 81,
1890 and is granted o certificate hereunder at
the rate of So per month, and is called upon to
| surrender his old certificate does so and &C.
| cepts the new One Now he does not like the
way that it is worded. and wants the old one.
| What can he do? Ansuer. He may apply for
renewal and increase under the general law,
| and if found to be entitled Hereunder to rate
| in excess Of Sc per month he will get an issue
| under the old law at an increased rate. We are
of the opinion that in such case the Pension
| Bureau will not issue new certificate under the
| general law at the same rate as that specified in
| the one accepted under the act of June "a, 1890
| as in the first place nothing would DO gained
thereby, except tho qualification of sentiment
and. secondly, the said Bureau has too much
legitimate work on hand to spend its time in
such manner. The rights Of this pcnsionel
to q prospective increase or the prospective
title Of his wife. if any, to widows pension
are in no degree abridged BY the fact that b
1890.