The National tribune., 1899-09-14
REPORT OF PENSION COMMITTEE.
Most Masterfm and Comprehensive Review Of the Whole
Question.

ed pensions to surviving soldiers, sailors,
and marines who had rendered service in
the war of the rebellion from 1851 to 1865,
who had been honorably mustered out,
and who had been disabled by wounds,
injuries, or disease originating during
such service. At the time of enlistment,
during the long months and years of ardu-
GUS service, and for many years after the
end of the great struggle, the large ma
jority of the men who stood on the hrlng
line from the opening to the close, gave
but little thought to the subject of pensions
In common with their fellow-citizens who
had furnished the SinewS of war, they re-
joiced in the coming of peace. With de-
votion and patriotism unmatched IN his
tory, they bravely, patiently, and I'M
fiinchingly faced, to most of them, radically
changed conditions. AS the money price
of wicked attempt to destroy the Govern
ment founded by the fathers. vast Ma
tional debt had been incurred; every home
had been
SADDENED BY SACRIFICES
not to be expressed in words, and MANNED
men everywhere reminded the soldier and
citizen of the awful struggle. Heroic
as defenders of the Repulic in the time of
war, they have been no less heroic in the
grander march of the thirty and eight years
that has carried us to the foremost place
among the great powers of the world.
No class of citizens has more Staunchly
stood for the integrity of the Government
and the fulfillmeIt of every pledge made
to her creditors, than they who wore the
blue in the COS. These men. with no
wavering, no haitlug, and no St-agglerS To
mar the symmet Y of the lines. have stood
in solid phalanX demanding that oil the
world shall respect the Nat ol'S flag. and
all that is implie in its presence. at home
or abroad. They have theeifGlly horne
the burdens which oore 10 the citizen,
development which marks our National
progress during Tie last third of tie CEN
tury nearly closed.
Your Co nmi;-cc on Pensions in this
presence co f,cj tSthis ;};:i;d En- ampnent, not
to eaIlOgiZe o: erit:c:se. but 10 discharge q
soidieriy duty in TIE plain statement Of
facts. 1t is CoafiGeutiy affirmed that no
representative assembly ever convened
within the limits Of t. { Unite States his
manifested = edte- CO1gc-n f0c honor nnG
purity iii puniic affairs than tic premier
body of t,,c Grand Amy Of tie Republic
Conservative. digpifiel. and rcsDeL tful al
ways, the National IL, amDa:c1t has never
yet appea'ei ii vain tsttic American public
for hearing C1 mate $ IL which it might
properly ado ass itseis. TIE soldiers and
sailors OF tire 'i}enubl;c- have naught to
fear when ol their iaGse IS fairy unGer-
stood Re iso'. not passion: q gunert,
not lnvect:ye. ie,o re }Ten Wfo arc march
THE NATIONS IGaTIcNS
to its defenders and their deren 'elt onCs
present an important problem, not ncCe--
sarily difficult of solution. however Tonter-
Gus it may become. We have demon
strated our ability rs a Nation 10 ioao- ably
treat one class of creditors, AMI il ought
not to be difficult to apply tie same princi-
pies on precisely the same lines to the other
Shoulder TO shoulder they met and van
ulIShpd common aud cd
TO mankind a common inheritance. The
reward of one was evidenced by obliga-
tionS justly valued and honored in all
money centerS of the civilized world. A
grateful people will not fail to keep the
compact with the other for only ii the
faithful discharge of that obligation can
National honor be maintained.
The pension question and the pensioner
have been discussed quite as much per
haps as any other feature OF National ad-
ministration. 1t is not a new problem,
it is not TO be put aside nor can the truth
long be vailed by those who would juggle
with the rights of the old veteran and his
dependent ones The pension question
has received the best attention of the camp
fire orator and the politician on the stump,
and the veteran Of the COS, conscious
of the value Of his service to an imperiled
Nation, and realizing in his own body the
awful cost TO him, now demands, and
rightly demands, the fulfillent Of the
terms OF a solemn contract. He expects
this much from friend or foe and with
less than this he viii not be content. When
he Wore the blue no sacrifice was counted
too great; all that he had he freely, gladly,
and nanfullY gave. Under no possible
conditions did he stop 10 reckon the cost,
nor summon to his aid expert chroniclers
that they might furnish his Government
with the minUtest details of even a single
days history III his soldier career. When
tired nature pleaded for rest and pain
racked body cried out for repoSe, he kept
his place in the ranks. grirnly intent on a
soldiers duty, little dreaming of the price
less value and logic of a hospital record in
future pension administration. Here as
III all Departments Of the Government,
differences arise in the construction OF
law. policy of administration and the
application Of general principles, and
here. as IN all things human, the exercise
OF saving common sense should have free
play. As it is impossible TO set up a stan
dard by which. accurately to measure the
value OF the services OF the Union soldiers
so now it seems an equally hopeless task
10 adequately determine the reward for
that service as expressed in the pension
roll Of the Government. The Grand Army
OF the Republic does not now, nor did it
ever, seek such an adjustment. The rec
ord of achievements belongs to the ages:
the victories won by the Union arms en-
Grand Army has always demanded, and
does yet demand that no worthy defender
OF the Republic his widow or orphans shall
be compelled TO bear all the burdens grow
Og out Of the sacrifice.
THE OLD LAWS.
Prior to the passage of the act Of June
p, 1880, 1t was necessary, under tho then
existing law granting pensions to soldiers
and sailors who lad rendered service in
the war of 1S61-'65, and who were disabled
by wounds, injuries, or disease originating
during such service, as n condition prece-
dent 10 the granting of pension. that the
applicant furnish proof establishing the
fact that the disabling cause had its origin
in the line Of duty during such service
In case Of the heir of a deceased soldier
or sailor OF such war claiming pension, it
was necessary 10 establish the fact that
the death Of the soldier or sailor was due
10 cause having its origin in the military
or naval service. The evidence required
to connect the origin of disability with the
service was that uf 4 commissioned officer
or two enlisted men of a soldiers company
and regiment. who could testify from per-
sonai knowledge as 10 the time. place and
circumstances OF the origin in the service
OF the disabling or death cause II was
also required, IN many eases, in the alb
sence OF hospital record showing treat
ment of the soldier while in the service
that the testimony Of regimental Sur
geon be furnished, showing such treat
meTIt.
In addition It was required that the
physical condition of the soldier upon his
discharge and return home from the service.
be shown by medical or other satisfactory
evidence, and that the continuance cr the
disabilities alleged 10 have been iticttrrp,i