The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-09-09
RIGHT OF CLAIMANT TO EXAMINE PAPERS.

claim, shall be preserved and filed with the
papers in said case, and every pensoner or PEN
sion claimant shall have the right in person or
by attorney or representative in Congress to
examine and inspect such aud every such paper,
memorandum, writing, report, letter or ex-
hihit, which has any reference to or bearing
upon his or her pension or claim"
ZINE OF DUTY"
6. The rule referring TO disability incurred
or contracted in line of duty should be re-
stricted TO something like the following:
" j nat IN all claims for pension or increase of
pension, The records OF the War or Navy De-
p6rtments showing disability to have been in
Cured or contracted in line OF duty, shall DO
conclusive OF that fact"
PRESUMPTION OF DEATH.
:. Tho rule applying to the presumption of
death oueht to he modified as 10 read in
su Instance like this:
j hat he common law presumption OF death,
SiicT the lapse OF seven years without news or
tidiucs OF the missing person, shall obt:.in and
be OF force ia The aaminjst ration OF the pension
laws i'Toc9ded, That if snch person shall
aiteIwar,i be proved 10 he alive, any pensios
that may nave heen granted on account OF his
death shalt thereupen cease"
PROOF OF MARRIAGE.
s. That the rule requiring proof Of the mar
as TO read as follows:
Z" That hereafter in the administration of
the pension laws the fact of marriage may be
,,riad fooia prored hy satisfactory evidence that
the parties were joined in marriage by the
ceremony deemed by them obligatory or
habtus.iy recognized each other rs husband
and vile, aud were recognized by their
neigh bors and liTed together such up 10 the
dale OF death Of either of them. or if the sol
dlcr, sailor or marine died in the service up 10
the date OF enlistment. and the children born
of such marriage, so proved, shall lie held and
deemed Tor iensionab!e purposes to be egiti-
maize
CLOSE OF THE WAR.
9. The rule as to the official close of the war
should hold us follows:
THAT IN the admin istration Of the pension
laws the war of the rebellion shall be deemed
and held to have ended and closed on Aug. 20,
1866"
RESTORING RAUM's RULINGS.
10. That Commissioner Raum's rulings on the
grading of pensions expressed In the follow
ing be reinsated
. hat an application under the act of Jnne
y, $780, shall be so Eicient as TO allegation of
disability, il the applicant alleges therein the
existence of disability. not the result of his
own vicious habits, which renders him unable
10 earn support; and every disability found 10
exist al the time OF filing. which is recognized
aS pensonabe under the general pension laws
under the act of jnne % 1880 shall e taken
into consideration in determining the degree
OF disability OF 5uch Bppiic aud to Mi l. is,-
billties pensionabe under the general laws
the same rate II pension shall DO allowed as
under the general IaEs not TO exceed ia lie
aggregate Si2 per month: Pr0Uided, hCWsUer,
That vicious habits shall not he presumed
against the claimant, unless II shall appear by
the certificate OF the Board of Examining Sur
geous or an Examining Surgeon or tire Bnreun
Of Pensions that tie disability foT which
claimant seeks pension appears upon such ex-
animation TO be the result Of vicious fRbits
whereupon claimant may he called upon 10
offer evidence 10 rebnt the sarls;"
Tie foregoing Suggestions arc the rcsnit OF a
caleiul consideration Of the construction OF
the pension laws by your immediate lredeccs
sors, IS web as by former Commissioners when
Juster iibeiaity WIS exercised in the exception
OF tho law. Such course would uot add
materially 10 the sum annually paid FOR pen
slons now, because of the gradual decrease in
the number OF survivors of Tire war still re-
naming unpensioned ut this time and by far
the IDo sf part OF whom 7soiilIi fa placed upon
the rolls at any rate under existing dependent
bills, and because OF The savings that would
accrue In the lessened expenditures arising
from he simplifed manner adjudicating ali
EialUis uHotT Sucu an act as tie one proposed by
your committee. The effect Of the construction
Of the laws by your immediate predecessors. and
the adoption OF series of rules gradually mar
rowing the application OF the laws has tecn to
practically annul the act of .jlihu ~ 1880, and
defeat tie intention OF Congress in the passage
or the act. il IS believed that every priic pie
asked for above was in active operation in the
] Pension Bureau prior 10 the Inauguration of
| Mr. Cleveland as President. Aud we sincerely
Il he taas I'm of,
! result In giving cfect TO the pension laws as
! contemplated by Congress when they were
pissed, and yet will not increase the IEension
disbursements 10 any disastrous extent. More
/ over. the iaies suggested have been within the
! last year, FOR the most part. formulated into a
! bill known as the Pick Ter Bill, and has received
tic ENDORSEMENT of the people by It's passage
IN The representative branch OF Congress by a
very large majority.
/ DEATH EQUIVALENT TO HONORABLE DIS.
CHARGE.
il. We would also most respectfully sugges,
a ruling 10 tie effect that
The death OF a soldier or sailor while in
| the line of duly OF from disease or injury st
contracted IN the service of the United States
and net FOR or in violation of any Law or regua.
ton thereof, shall be considered and held "a.
/ equivalent 10 an honorable discharge in deter.
mining title TO pension under the act OF june
/ ~, 1880"
WIDOWS IEcoMEs
u. Also, that the provisions of the act o
June Il, 1890, relative TO the means Of sup
port other than her daily labor" Of a widow
claimant under the act should be interpreted
/ so as 10 read
That before she shall be entitled to pen
/ sion under the provisions OF said law, she
shall prove that her net income does not ex
coed 500 per annum."
PRIoR SERVICE.
-. We most respectfully ask you TO rul,
! that widows dependent parents apply ug
4 for pension under the act Of June 81 1890
/ shall not be compelled 10 prove any prior ser
vice Of Ihe soldier than the one upon which
the claim for pension is based.
PREVIOUS MARRIAGE
il. And lastly, we would respectfully ask for
/ rnling that widow claimants under the ac
OF jane q, 1890 should not be compelled 1,
prove by other than fair prespmptive evidence
that the soldier had not been married lrevi
ously 10 her marriage to him."
To the end that the pension laws may b,
given the effect that Congress intended shoulC
be given to them, and that Justice NAV be don,
TO the men who risked and dared all for III,
preservation OF a common country we respect
fully submit ;hc foregoing for yonr serjous ana
earnest consideration. The above suggestion
are not merely the personal views of the mem
bcrs OF ;his Committee who have signed ihei
names hereto, bnt 10 some extent emboGy III,
ceaIl expressed wishes OF the body of the 81 ant
/ Army as eSn al their Posts and napar,