Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-19

| to take charge OF this lnStltutIon'
have got to have discipline over ny .t thei,
and these people who are am9ns ', M
own friends can go when they PLEASE um.
and do what they can for their own sui ..,i,
| port II they so to this institution. W.
have TO be under a strict governin.enl,' -, ~
| necessity. Ii the money that Is raioeu ~
this State for pensions for these men III.
| their families is not enough, then CIV ~.
them all they should have. VINO asns ~ ~,
| this thing Is 1t universal feenhs VI .n :,
Grand Army that they want tnese pa.
| ticular arrangements made for the future
care of those that are in distress OF 10 !.
| a scheme started for purpose i WI .i ao
mention? One thing has been stateu tiia'
! 1 do not understand. that men VINO hre
poor cannot belong to the G. A. X. gen
tiemen. there Is not a soldier m tne H.a.s
| of Maine that has a particle or mahnoo y
| In him but can belong to any post III .nls
state, without one single dollar tS Sa s ua
| II there is such post as that IN ane ota.e
! hope they cannot exist for ~ hours
| The old soldier Is not driven out Decaus.
| he cannot pay his dues. but he mas risn'
| to join the q. A. r. or not, as ne Pieases
This matter was up two years ago ano
those who were in for II went TO tne conl-
| mittee and said, 1--WE will go to the state
department. and II they say tney want
II, we will come back to you; II tney say
that they do not want It, we VIII not
come back to YOU" Gentlemen. they came
back just the same after thar resolve
was voted down largely. ana SAID u hao
no meaning and amounted TO notnins
Soldiers who are living in the precincts
where these posts are. who do not belong
to the q. A. r.. receive the same TENDER
| care from the hands of the q. a. X. and
Relief Corps as the members themselves
| receive. Every soldier receives their true
sympathy in the days of his sickness.
and when on his death bed. where can
he receive true sympathy more than In
his own family, where his own daughter
and those who have been dear TO him all
Il. flo cnn mi, iatar n
come in and bring all those little Things
that make life pass away as pleasantly
as IT can under those circumstances? Will
that Newport home afford all this? The
thing means well. but is II for the best
interests of the soldier, his wife or
mother or dependent children? The
next year after the voting down
OF the resolution to which
as he had right and duty to do. reia-
tive that as well as to other matters.
went before the department and gave an
address. from which | will read an ex-
tract:
MANY of our most prominent com
rades believe that it is infinitely better
that the veterans shall be cared for In
their declining years in their own homes.
rather than to take them in their cd
age and intirmities to new scenes and
surroundings, to form new friends and
acquaintance away from home. Many
believe that IL such a home was estab-
date but very small percentage of those
who would be entitled to its benefits.
etc.
am satisfied that the Grand Army men
of this State are ready and willing to de
justice to every comrade and his depery1-
ents. | tell you, gentlemen. give m2 a
home near my friends. a home, tharsh II
may be humble. where | can be sur
rounded by those who will care for me.
rather than to put me in a place where
the stranger Is going 10 care for me,
where the superintendent Is going t0s in
form me what l have got to do and what
l cannot do. l think we shall be doing
the soldier the most good TO have him
supported there. than TO send him over
to Newport. l hope the Senate will con-
cur with the House in the action they
have taken.
Mr.. Billings: / wish to read a letter TO
disabuse my comrades mind about this
Home at Newport. a letter from one Of
the inmates of that institution, soldiers
daughter. whose father has died:
Dear Sir: AS a member of the Home.
l am naturally feeling anxious as to the
result of the action in the Senate. to-
morrow. giving the Soldiers Home a;
Newport an appropriation. 1t is q matter
in which am deeply interested. 1t has
been my home for many months. and
certainly hope it may continue to be
while live. for here / am contented and
happy. receiving all the kindly care my
helpless condition makes necessary. My
little pension of s. a month. while God
send. lin itself would not pay for the care
that l now receive among strangers.
am the daughter of a soldier and now
have no home but this. ! know YOU are
interested. and | wish you to know how
closely and intensely we are waiting the
discussion upon the resolve for our home
at Newport.
That is a letter from one of those UNI
fortunate people that had to go to New
port for a home.
Mr.. Morrill,: Mr. President. there have
hoo n hon
straint that one would he under at this
Home. | think if lived in a place where
the municipal officers did not supply my
wants and requirements. l should like a
new boss. and l should try it and see how
1t worked. In regard to men being eX-
PEELED from G. A. r. posts for non-pay-
ment of dues. that has been practiced
right along since its organization until
very recently. when their dues have been
RENTED. If the soldier has a home,
am willing that he should be supported in
it. but if they fail to provide a proper
home where he can be reasonably sup
ported. that is the man We want to care
for. AS to the petitions. l did not have q
roster of the posts. but l wrote to several
posts. sending them copy of this re-
solve. Every one but two responded. and
those are in Aroostook county. Now il
all these people We're properly provided
for and actually received the amount
demanded from the State pension agent
do you suppose that SIS 900 would fill the
Mr.. Morrill, read a letter from l. s.
Bangs, past commander of the G. A. r
of Maine, urging the Importance of the
resolve and expressing the hope that /,
might pass
Mr.. Grindle of Hancock. spoke as a
member of the committee which reported
the resolve. Iney had carefully exam.
ined into this matter, investigating the
work of the Home receiving no evidence
and hearing no dissenting voice against
| it. l believe every member of this body
| is a true friend of the soldier and is will
| ing to do anything for him, If he Is in
| need of help. / fully believe that the de-
sign and object of the Home is worthy
and noble and deserving of an appropria-
| ton from the State for its support.
On motion by Mr.. Morrill,, the yeas and
nays were ordered.
Yeas-Billings. Clason. Engel. Grindle
| Hinkley, Merrill. Morrill,. Parsons Poor
| Reynolds, Roberts. Salley, Stearns
| Weeks. Witham. Wyman.-l6.
Nay-Chamberlain, Hargraves. Head
Hurd, Maxwell Mccullough. Pike, Rey-
| nolds. Savage. Sharp, Walls.-l1.
| Absent-Drummond Ferguson, Smp-
SOn.--S
And 16 voting in the affirmative and Il
| in the negative, the Senate voted to non.
| concur with the House in the indefinite
| pOstponement of the resolve.
The resolve was then given its frs
| reading and tomorrow assigned.
| Bill an act for the registration of guides
| and collecting statistics relative to in.