The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-07
IMPORTANT PENSION REPORT
THAT or THE COMMITTEE OF THE
G.. H. II.

tenn Is Strongly Condemned-A De-
| mand That Claims be Placed ON Basis
| of 1s80-Chicago Chosen for Next
Encampment.
Philadelphia, Sept. 6.-The greatest
secrecy is being maintained in regard
to the report of the committee on pen
sions of the G. A. r. 1t is known,
however, that the report begins with an
exhaustive review of the history Of PEN
sion legislation and the causes leading
up to the present pension system and
methods. 1t declares that no class Of
citizens bears more cheerfully the bur-
den Of supporting the government and
us institutions than the veterans. Com
rades in encampment it says, are not
mere to criticise. but to discharge pa
tr1otic duty to the country in consider
Ing the pension question. The national
encampment, the report continues, has
never appealed to the country in vain,
ana for this reason note that passion
and argument instead of inveotive are
becoming to men who are ali marching
on the downward slope of life.
The report says that the veterans
rightfully demand the fulfllment of q
solemn compact made when they man
fully and bravely gave all they had to
the country, not counting the cost to
themselves. The report then cites the
conditions when in 1890 congress passed
the act to provide relief for the disabled
veterans and their widows and orphans.
not conditioned upon evidence that they
We're disabled while in the service. This
act was intended to meet the needs OF
veterans who in advancing years could
not furnish evidence that they were suf-
fering from the hardship of army life.
1t was claimed that the original con-
struction of this law was abrogated in
1898 by most unjust and arbitrary rul-
1ngs of the pension commissioner in
placing the burden of proof upon appIi- :.
cants for pensions that they were suf-
fering from disabilities consequent up-
on their vicious habits and in holding
that widows of veterans who applied for
pensions were not eligible if they had y
an income aggregating eight dollars per
month.
The committee, the report continues.
had on July IL of this year waited upon
the secretary of the interior, the com
missioner of pensions and finally on the
president to point out the injustice Of
those rulings and it expressed conf
dent belief that the president will take
measures to bring about different rul-
ing soon. The committee has asked
that the limit of income to debar wild.
oWs from pension shall be placed at
not less than $3.50 year, and that the
obnoxious rule requiring negative evil
dence he revoked and the former rule
re-established so as to place the basis
of pension claims where it was in 1890.
The Grand Army of the Republic, the
report continues, repudiates with en-
phasis the charge or inference that i'm
plies that the pension roll is inflated by
fraudulent claims and challenges any
who so believe to produce evidence.
The report is signed by r. B. Brown.
chairman Louisville, Ky; John Palmer
OF Albany, ~ Y; j. w. Burst of Syca-
more, ILL.,, and Charles Clark Adams Of
Boston. III. b. Case, the other member
Of the committee, did not sign the re-
port. 1t was said that he had sent
report, but this could not be
confirmed
The debate over the report was be-
coming very warm in the encampment
.o-day when the whole matter was re-
erred back to the committee for speci-
ic resolutions to cover certain points.
A delegate from Kansas caused consid-
,rable uproar by introducing a resolu-
ion that the encampment respectfully
'equests the president to remove the
pension commissioner at once. This
brought score of veterans to their. feet,
I'll of whom wanted to speak, but
notion to recommit was adopted and an
adjournment relieved the situation.
Che delegates are moving slowly in the
natter and generally they do not desire
nything to go through that in any way
effects upon President Mckinley. Chi
ago was unanimously chosen to-day
or the next annual encampment