The National tribune., 1900-05-24
THE AFTERMATH.
Speeches In the Pension Debate Held
for Revision.

The following are extracts from some of
the speeches (held for revision) in the inter-
esting discussion of the bill (nov law) in
amendment OF sect n and Of an act
entitled AN act gr. nting pensions to sol
diers and sailors NO are incapacitated
for the performance of manual labor. and
providing for pensions to widows, minor
children, and dependent parents" approved
June 26, 1890.
MIR. Curtis Kan, R.) said in part:
''Thirty-SiX years ago, when the greatest
war which history records was still raging,
months before Lee surrendered to the
Silent General, the Republican party took
its stand on the pension question. The
Republican National Convention in 1864
said:
"Resotued, That the thanks Of the
American people are due to the soldiers
and sailors Of the Army and Navy who
have periled their lives in defense Of the
country and in vfndication Of the honor of
the flag; that the Nation owes to them
some permanent recognition of their patriot
ism and their valor, and ample and perma-
nent provision for those of their survivors
who have received disabling and honor
able wounds in the service Of the country,
and that the memories Of those who have
fallen in its defense shall be held in CRATE
full and everlasting remembrance
"That plank, written while the country 9
brave defenders were in the field, expressed
the feeling of the Republican party toward
the Union soldier then. and there has been
no change in the sentiment Of our party
since. At the grand review in this city,
May 27, 1865. the soldiers and sailors of the
Union army and navy who marched down
Pennsylvania avenue read on the great
banner which met their gaze:
"'There is one debt this Nation owes
which it can never pay; that is the-debt
it owes to its soldiers and sailors
nc rf ba try,
then, and it is the feeling of large ma ajority
of the people Of these United States to-day.
The Republican party has reason to be
proud of its record on the pension question.
Every measure of interest 10 the old soldiers
which has arisen has had the support Of
Republican members of Congress. Since
the war Republican Congressman have,
with but two exceptions, voted solidly for
every general pension measure which has
been taken up and which was in the in
terest of the soldiers. The general law
was enacted in 1862, and from that time to
1875 Il other acts were passed which en-
larged and improved our pension system.
They were all Republican measures. Then
came the act Of 1890, another Republican
measure. A few years ago the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Mahonl gave the
votes of the members representing the two
great parties on the various pension meas
ures which have been before Congress
since 1873. Iwill not give the vote on each
measure, but will give the totals. The
records show Republican members voting
for the bills, 1,304; Democrats for the bills,
Az; Democrats against the bills, 80,
while only two Republicans voted against
them. The Republican members of Con-
gress have shown their friendship for the
soldiers by their votes on private bills as
well as on public measures.
The action Of Republican Presidents in
signing pension measures Is evidence OF
their friendship. / can not say az much
for the only Democratic President we have
had since the war. The record is as follows
and tells its own story:
pension bills vetoed by the martyred
Lincoln, none; by Johnson, none, by Grant,
the greatest soldier the world has ever
known, none; by Hayes, none; by Garfield,
none; by Arthur, none; by Cleveland
{eight years), $50; by Harrison, none; and
by Mckinley, none.
.'The pension laws enacted to 1883 were
satisfactory to the old soldiers. Up to that
time there was but'little complaint against
the law or the management of the Pension
Bureau. The act OF 1880 had been literally
construed, and thousands Of claims were
allowed under it."
Mr.. Curtis quoted order 225 and the
circular Of rules for ratings. Then he said:
"We have been told that the President
must know OF the order and approve it,
but the gentlemen who are defending the
technical rules Of the Bureau forget to tell
you that the ratings under the act are to be
made in the language of order 225, in
accordance with such rules for rating as the
medical referee shall prescribe, subject to
the approval of the Commissioner. So
you see the Commissioner and the medical
referee are the gentlemen who fix the rules,
and as the present Commissioner has not
changed the rules Of Hoke Smith and
William Lockren, l hope a bill will be
passed so that those in charge of the Pen
sion Bureau will be compelled to change
the rules.
"The reading Of the rules adopted by the
medical referee as a guide for the carrying
out OF order 225 will convince any man OF
the unfrlendly feeling that then existed In
the Bureau against the old soldiers OF the
country. Did you ever suppose that such
a rule or circular would be adopted by the
officers of this great, rich, and opulent
country in its administering the pension
laws passed in the interest OF the men who
saved the country? Why, under that
rule man might be suffering from 25
separate and distinct disabilities, and be
rated Sd per month on each one, and yet
not receive pension of over SO per month.
Did you ever hear of such a rule Of addi-
ton? One six and 90 fours make only
eight under i'll The truth is, that rule
expressed the feeling Of the Department
against the soldiers; but there was such
a storm OF protest against it that the Com
missioner, by order No. 241, Sept. 2, 1893,
withdrew the circular Of June IL, 1893.
He then read the order. Then he said:
you will notice that while the order
pretends tc withdraw the circular, yet it
left the question of rating in the hands of
the medical referee, the very man who
issued tho circular Of June II, 1898; and
while it was claimed that the circular was
withdrawn, yet no person who has examined
the papers will doubt for q minute that
the same unfair policy was followed in the
adjudication Of pension claims. The
order 225, the circular or rule of June II,
1893, and the order OF Sept. 2, 1893, Will
explain why SO many claims were re- jected
on medical grounds in 1893, 1894, 1895,
1896, 1897, 1893, and 1899.
81 know it is claimed that the decision Of
Assistant Secretary Busssy In the case of
Henry Ell. Weike, Jan. Z. 1893, during the
Harrison Administration. is responsible
for the action of the Pension Bureau in
changing the rules in regard to the rating
of claimants for pensions and prevents the
combining Of disabilities; but l submit
careful reading of the Bussey decision
will not justify any such conclusion. The
following language is used by Assistant
Secretary Bussey:
"'In determining whether an applicant is
entitled to rate under said act for the char
acter Of disability aforementioned, the only
question is, Is he, from the cause or causes
involved--be they one or many-disabled
for the Dprforropce Of man al labor IN tba