The National tribune., 1900-05-10
PASSAGE THE GAR BILL.

dissenting vote. 1t is the bill as recon-
mended by the National GAR. Pension
Committee, and which had previously
passed the Senate, but not until Henry
Clay Evans had surreptitiously inserted
the words derived and derivable" in the
clause relating to widows pensions
These were stricken out by the House Com
mittee, in accordance with the protest of the
GAR. Committee and the bill now has
to go back to the Senate for concurrence in
this amendment. The full text Of the bill
is as follows:
AN ACT.
In amendment of sections two and three of
| anact entitled "An act granting pensions
to soldiers and sailors who are incapaci-
tated for the performance of manual
labor, and providing for pensions TO
| widows. minor children, and dependent
| parents" approved June 27, 1890.
Be 1t enacted 6y the Senate and House of
| Representatives. Of the United States of
| America IN Congress assembled, That Sec
| tons two and three of an act entitled "An
| act granting pensions TO soldiers and
sailors who are incapacitated for the per-
formance of manual labor, and providing
| for pensions TO widows, minor children,
and dependent parents" be, and the same
are hereby, amended SO as TO read as fol-
| lows:
| "Sec. 2. That all persons who served 90
| days or moro III the military or naval service
of the United States during the late war of
the rebellion and who have been honorablv
| discharged therefrom and who are now or
who may hereafter be suffering from any
mental or physical disability or disabilities
of permanent character, not the result of
| their own vicious habits, which so in
capac;tateS them from the performance of
manual labor as TO render them unable to
earn a support shall, upon making due
proof of the fact, according to such rules
and regulations as the Secretary of the
| list of invalid pensioners Of the United
| States, and be entitled TO receive a pension
not exceeding So per month and not less
| than SO per month, proportioned to the de-
gree of inability TO earn support; and in
determining such inability each and every
| infirmity shall be duly considered, and the
| aggregate OF the dlSa bllitieS shown be
rated. and such pension shall commence
| from the date of the filing of the application
| in the Bureau Of Pensions, after the pas
sage of this act, upon proof that the dis
ability or disabilities then existed, and shall
continue during the existence of the same:
| PrOcideG, That persons who are now re
ctINlllS pSIIoiOAIo cAlStltlp IdWS, Or
whose claims are pending in the Bureau of
Pensions, may, by application 10 the Com
missioner of Pensions, in such form as he
may prescribe, showing themselves entitled
thereto, receive the benefits of this act: ana
nothing herein contained shall be so con-
strued as to prevent any pensioner there
under from prosecuting his claim and re-
| ceiving his pensio nunder any other general
or special act: Prorided, hOiUeUer, That no
person shall receive more than one pension
for the same period: And proUided further.
That rank in the service shall not be con-
sidcred in applications fled under this act.
Sec. 3. That if any officer or enlisted
man who served 30 days or. more in the
Army or Navy OF the United States during
the late war of the rebellion, and who was
honorably discharged has died, or shall
hereafter die, leaving a widow without
means Of support other than her daily labor
and an actual net income not exceeding
| $3.50 per year, or minor children under the
| age OF Is years, such widow shall, upon due
proof of her husbands death, without
proving his death to be the result of his
army service, be placed on the pension roll
from the date OF the application therefor
under this act, at the rate of IS per month
! during her widOwhood, and shall also he
| paid 81 per month for each child of such
| officer or enlisted man under 16 years of
! age; and in case of the death or rernarria re
| OF such officer or enlisted man under the
| age Of IS years, such pension shall be paid
| such child or children until the age of Is:
| PrOClded, That in case a minor child is
| insane, or otherwise physically or mentally
| helpless. the pension shall continue during
the life Of said child, or during the period Of
such disability; and this proViso shall apply
| TO all pensions heretofore granted or here
after TO be granted under this or any former
statute; and such pensions shall com
| mence from the date of application therefor
after the passage Of this act: And prOrided
| further, That said widow shall have mar
ried said soldier prior TO the passage Of the
said act OF June p, 1890"
Passed the Senate Jan. s, 1900.
Attest: VIM. Il. Cox. Secretary.
The Senate viii undoubtedly concur in
the amendment, and the bill become a law.
The question will then become how the
Commissioner Of Pensions may regard it.
He is quite likely TO say, as he has done
with regard to other legislation secured
with the same effort, that ''it is the work Of
claim agents, and no attention need be
paid to it," 1t is the intention of the bill
10 compel the aggregation Of disabilities,
and 10 raise the limit Of widows income to
$3.50. If the Commissioner obeys it. it
viii give relief 10 that degree, and do a
great deal Of good. 1t is mandatory in ifs
terms, but other legislation has been equally
so. II the Commissioner had desired TO do
his plain duty there would have been no
necessity for the passage of the bill.
While not saying so in so many words,
this is shown clearly in the excellent report
Of Representative Graf, Of Illinois, accom-
panying the bill, and which we print in full
on another page, because it states the
whole GAR. contention on the pension
question, and comes from a non-veteran,
who has studied the question from a civilian
standpoint. Mr. Graft is entitled TO great
credit for his report.
! Mr.. Sulloway, the Chairman Of the House
invalid Pensions Committee, stated in
correctly that "this was all that the G lar.
wanted" Representative Norton, of Ohio,
said more correctly that it should not be
called the GAR. bill, but it was for the
present the most that could be obtained.
What the GAR. has vehemently desired
is not more legislation, but the prope,
avac,ytion of that alraadr- ON +ba ct,t,t,