The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-22

disability Of a permanent character not
! the result of their own vicious habits, :"
/ and which disquaifes them from per-
forming manual labor, are to receive a
! pension ranging from So to $l2 per month,
In proportion to the degree of inability
/ TO earn a support.
The third class of benefciaries under
the dependent law are the widows and
| minor children under 16 years Of age of
! honorably discharged soldiers or sail
! ors. Such Widows left without support
| other than their daily labor, shall upon
! due proof of her husbands death with
! out proving his death to be the result of
| his army service" be placed upon the
! pension roll from the date of application
at the rate Of IS per month during her
widowhood and 81 for each child under
IS years of age until it reaches that age.
| An insane minor child or one permanent
| ly helpless shall receive it's pension dur
| ing life OF while the heplessness con
| tinues The only restriction on the widow
| Is that she must have been married be-
! fore the passage of the act
! The result of this act was that thousands
! OF to-day men who were never shot at
| were placed on the list at rates ranging
from IS TO Sl2, the majority at the greater
| amount. AS an instance of this class of
! pensioners is quoted the dozen or more
regiments of 9O-day men which went out
| tysburg. One regiment saw more SER
vice, but the others never came within
gunshot of the enemy. II was a pleasant
outing for the men, who came back bene-
! fited in health If anything, by their trip
| Yet If thirty or forty years later any of
those men met with an accident which
disabled them for performing manual la
Dor they could get on the pension rolls at
$l2 month, more than many soldiers who
had been shot full of wounds were receiv-
ing.
Several prominent samples of the opera
tons of this objectionable law are quoted
in this city Lieut.. William II. Tyrrell,
who now lives at No. 2S15 Mervine street
carried the colors of his regiment in the
charge at Marys Nights in the battle OF
Fredericksburg. When within about ten
feet of the stonewall he was shot and fell;
but, rising in spite of his wounds, he wav-
ed the colors and urged his comrades on.
Five bullets had plowed through his body
before he finally gave up.
For his bravery he was made a lieu
tenant and ordered to Washington on pro-
vost guard duty. There, in arresting an
officer. he was again shot through the
neck. making his sixth bullet wound.
When he applied for pension he was al
lowed Sc a month, or a dollar a shot. Some
years later this was increased to IS a
month.
he recently applleu LOT IuTtueT IN
crease but 1t was not allowed by the de-
partment. In the communication refusing
the request it was suggested that If he
would apply under the dependent pension
law he could probably get S12 a month.
The hero of Mary's flights. refused, how
ever, to go on that roll. He preferred to
remain on the roll of honor.
Another ILLUSTRATION is that of Mai Scott
who is employed in the custom house. He
Is a medal of honor man, drawing IS
a month pension for wounds received in
battle. He also applied for an increase
on the ground OF his wounds, but was re-
fused. He also preferred to remain on the
roll of honor. and declined to go on the
dependent roll.
Many other similar cases might be cited
on the general roll the injuries for which
the pensions are granted are all such as
were obtained in actual service such as
gunshot wounds loss of limbs, etc. on
the roll of pensioners under the depend
cnt pension law gunshot and other service
wounds are few and far between. In
stead appear such forms of disability as
Indigestion, rheumatism. rupture, seniity
and diseases of various organs Of the
body. IL Is also a noticeable fact that of
those pensioned under the general law the
largest separate class is the s. "A month
class, the number being 76,95S. OF those
pensioned under the dependent law the
largest class Is the Sl2 month class, that
number being 1904.
In the same way women who were
not born when the war ended can marry
perfectly healthy men who had served
for At least ninety days and after their
husbands deaths get the PENSIONS for
themselves and all their minor children.
Under this law pensions were recently
| granted TO u widow with seven minor
children, all Of them born within nine
years.
II is this system OF paying pensions
under a law passed for political effect.
which is depicting the United States treas
ury, and is liable 20 still further increase
the aggregate payments from $40. 900 900
year 10 $4,000 600. or even more
The service pension bill. which many
grand army men favored, provided for
a monthly pension OF ! cent for every
| day IN the service. That would have
/ given the nnety-day men % cents a
month instead OF 81, as many OF them
are drawing now Men who served three
| years would have received about $40 n
month. Men who had received serious
wounds would OF course. he rated under
the old law rs az present.
The fact that there are nearly half a
million more pensioners than enrolled
members IN the Grand Army is undouhted-
| ~ partially due TO the fact that 40 many
| Of the 9O-day men have no records TO be
/ proud Of and never took part In any en-.
/ gagement. There are some 90-day men.
! however who did gallant service in sew
cral big battles. But "a large proportion
| OF the difference la numbers is explained
/ by one OF the principal Grand Army men
on the basis OF the poverty OF many Of
the old boys. lie illustrated with the case
| Of Kansas several years ago. Many OF
the old soldiers went out to Kansas after
the war, and some years ago there were
/ 1li,0Q OF them In the state. or that NUM-
/ Der only i70OQ. however. belonged TO the
/ Grand Army Crops had been bad. times
hard, and most Of the other 5000 simply
were TOO poor 70 pay the dues. Even in
/ this city II b. said one post alone lost
about so members By the men dropping
QUO through inability 10 pay tho dues
Does your milkman water his mllk7'
ION Che contrary. be D. 10 honeat That