The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-03-18
TWO NEW PENSION BILLS.

Promptly upon the assembling of
Congress last Monday Hon. Galusha
A. Grow, Representative-at-Larg from
Pennsylvania, and one of the very best
friends the comrades have in Congress,
introduced the following bills:
A Bill fixing the lowest rate of pension
for disability.
That from and after the passage of this act
any pension heretofore granted, or that shall
be hereafter granted, for disability shall be
rated at not less than S12 per month.
A Bill providing that the widows of pen
soners married before the close of the late war
shall receive the same rate Of pension that
the pensioner was receiving at the time OF
his death, provided that the rate Of her PEN
sion shall not be less than $l2 month.
That from and after the passage Of this
act any pension heretofore granted, or that
may hereafter be granted, to any soldier or
sailor in the late war of the rebellion, under
any general law for disabilities, shall be
continued after his death at the same rate to
his widow: Provided, That she was married
to said soldier or sailor before the Goth day
of August, A. d. 1866. Sufficient evidence
of such marriage shall be the sworn testi-
| mony of one or more persons living in the
neighborhood of said soldier or sailor at or
about the time of said marriage that the
| widow applying as such for pension was at
the time above specified living with said
soldier or sailor as his wife, and was reputed
in the neighborhood to be his wife, and that
she continued so to be to the time Of his
death. Upon fling such evidence at the
| Pension Office the name of such widow shall
| be entered upon the pensiOn-roll by the Sec
| rotary of the Interior. Any money due her
husband at the time of his death shall then
be paid to the widow, and thereafter she
shall receive at the times provided for the
payment Of pensions the same rate of pen
sion that her husband was receiving at the
time of his death Prosided, That the rate OF
| her pension shall mot be less than $12 a
month nor shall it exceed the amount for
total disability of ahe rank of her husband
at the time of his discharge.
In speech at tie last session, advo
eating the passage Of Widows Pen.
sion bill over Cleyeland's veto, Mr.
Grow said: Z ~
The war widows of the Union Army in
this mightiest conflict of arms in the history
of the race are a class of meritorious pen
sioners not large in number, the youngest Of
whom must now be over so years old. and
the last of whom will, with the frosts of 6
few more Winters, be gathered to theil
earthly companions in the bivouac or
flames eternal camping ground" This
Spartan mother named in this bill, caring
for and watching over the home Of thu
soldier while periing his life OH his
countrys battlefelds at the end of each day
with her little ones around her, closed hel
eyes in sleep for the night with shudder
, ing doubt whether their earthly protector
would be numbered in the coming morn
with the living or the dead. And the Presi
dent would have her close her eyes in hel
last sleep on earth with gaunt poverty sit
ting at her fireside and sorroving want
surrounding her deathbed. 1t may we'll bs
said the Republic is ungrateful to its brave
defenders if its lawmakers permit such in
justice to the living and wrong to the dead
Loud applause.