The National tribune., 1900-05-17

two and three OF an act emitted An act
granting pensions to soldiers and sailors
of manual Labor and providing for pen
sions to widows. minor children, and de-
pendent parents" The bill is now a law,
having been signed by the President:
Representative Graft explained the bill.
He recited that "in October last year, when
the National Encampment of the Grand
Army of the Republic met at Philadelphia,
a set of resolutions We're offered by Gen
Sickles in that body which, among other
things, asked that the Encampment ap-
point a committee who were to Investigate
the question OF the amendment OF the act
of June 2T, 1890. popularity known as the
dependent act" The resolutions were read.
Mr. Graft spoke of their adoption and
told of the succeeding steps which led TO the
presentation of the present legislation.
He answered a considerable number of
qustions by diffSent members. MIR. Tai
bert asked if the passage OF the act would
not decrease the number OF applications
for private bills; 10 which Mr.. Graft replied
that he thought so, as he did to the further
question whether there were not a number
of bills that came there yearly that could
be adjudicated under this bill, thereby
preventing so many, special bills.
We extract the following from the de-
bate:
MIR. Graft. The gentleman's question
suggests matter 10 me. At the time of
the change of the regulations from order
1854 to order DDS, Commissioner Lochren
instituted an investigation OF the pension
rolls for the purpose OF rerating all the
soldiers on the pension-rollS under order
225 which had been heretofore rated under
164. He made quite a comprehensive
readjuStment of those pensions, and there
We're thousands who were lowered AT that
time to comply with the order 164, but
there were other thousands who We're not
reached and who were not Investigated.
The result to-day is that there are hun
dreds of soldiers in a town who are rated
under the rule of 16I, while their neighbors
next door are rated under order 225. What
does that mean? 1t means that one COM
rade looks at the other, both having the
same disabilities, perhaps, and one is
rated at Sc and the other at S12, while
perhaps the man who is rated at S12 had
80 days service and the man who is rated
ct six had three. years. Hence it has
eeeated all over the country an immense
amount of Just dissatisfaction and COM
Piaint.
One of the best arguments in favor of the
enactment of this law is that it will restore
something like equality and uniformity
between the men who are rated under one
extreme or the other. i believe that is one
of the strongest arguments in favor of the
passage of this bill.
Under the act of June 27, 1890, there are
something like 405, 1857 soldiers and J., ,925
sailors inyalids, army and navy. Under
Tie law ltltIc dIt t0ZO.tUU-OIO,So sTIly
and 4.721 navy invalid pensions; or about
100000 more soldiers draw their pensions
under the provisions of the act Of June 27,
1890, than under the old law. Hence
am moved to ask Congress to make at least
a reasonable change for the better in the
act of June 27, 1890, because it is more
comprehensive in its terms and because
most of the men who are to-day drawing
pensions under the old law are drawing
pensions largely IN excess Of the maximum
amount allowed under the act Of June 81,
1890. / believe it is better, in a word, to
mete out a little Hberality first to the men
who are drawing small pensions and thea
take men who are drawing S35, $40, $50,
and as high as S72 under the old law,
after we have given to these others, who
are the Larger class, some measure of JUS
tice.
Mr.. Talbert. This affects no other
pension legislation except that act?
Mr.. Graft. Not at all. / wish to say,
Mr.. Speaker, that the private soldier COM
mends himself to me. l was boy during
the war, but | have some boyhood recol-
lections of it, and three men went out Of my
.amily, all the men there were, and they
took their places in the ranks, and they
were three and four year soldiers.
The soldiers monument is his country.
Applause.
Mr.. briggs. Mr.. Speaker, it tunquestion-
ably will be asked by the country after the
passage of this act, if it succeeds in passing
this House, why the necessity for additional
pension legislation; and if this committee
and this House can demonstrate to all
falr-mlnded men that there is a neceSSity
for the amendment OF the act Of June 27,
1890, then this legislation to the country
will be considered as wise.
In the act of June 81, 1890, it was the
Intention OF Congress, as | understand,
that all soldiers who served 80 days during
the war and received an honorable dis
charge should, upon the time Of arriving
at inability TO perform manual labor. re-
ceiye a certain amount Of pension from
the Government. That amount was fixed
by the act OF June q, 1890, at the mini
mum of S12.
Then began an Interpretation Of the law
by the Pension Bureau. General Order
164 was adopted by the Pension Bureau,
and after they had been working on that
for some years they found that 1t had too
much hberality in some of its provisions.
L can not go IN extenso into these liberal
provisions, but would say that it was con-
sidered too liberal. So, then, General
Order No. 225 YVES adopted, and so far as
order 164 went In one way, 225 went in the
other way.
While order fG4 was too liberal. order 225
was far too illiberal; and it is the purpose
OF THIS bill, as | understand it from having
heard II discussed many, many weeks to
reach the medium between General Order
loa and General Order 225; and if this act
DcSOlhc d law, there Is reason tIlnk
that that happy line will be reached, and If
that is done, then We will not hear through
out the country the complaint as to the
vast amount of special legislation that is
passed through this House
have heard it stated that the increase
would probably not exceed 81 .OOO, 600.
We have endeavored to ascertain from the
tension Bureau what will be the amount,
but they have not been able TO give us
satisfactory information; but some people
VINO have made study of it are satisfied
although they have estimated it all the way
rom 100000 10 81, 900, 600, which is the
highest / have heard. Taking what
consider to be the fair amount. II Will not
exceed 81, ,O00,OoO.
Mr.. Wheeler of Kentucky. VIII the
committee permit an amendment to Dc
offered TO this bill providing that no further
applications FOR private pension bills shall
De heard before the committee for an in.
crease, or be considered in this House
Mr. briggs. Well, can not sneak for
the whole Of the committee. hut so far a
am concerned / would object To such an
amendment as that
Mr. Wheeler of Kentucky, VIII IN,
gentleman indicate what he thinks his
colleagues viii really do with an amend
ment of that character.
: Mr.. briggs. | am satisfied, speaking
for no one but myself, that they would b,
opposed to such an amendment as that
Under the act Of June 27, 1880, there woulr
come great many cases, and cases of rea