The National tribune., 1900-02-15

was my understanding
| Mr.. Teller. should like TO ask the Sena
tor from Nebraska a question, as | per
haps did not understand him. Does th'
Senator mean to say that in the admins
tration of this law if a soldier is found to b.
pensionable at the rate of 81 he does no
get anything at all?
| Mr.. Allen. / do not know whether tha
is true or not, but have been told by severa
pensioners who had been drawing less than
| Sc per month that when that law went into
| force they were dropped from the pension
rolls.
Mr.. Teller If that is so, it is a matter
which | think Congress ought to take up
for we certainly did not intend anything
of that kind. Weintended TO say that every
soldier who was pensionable at any degree
below So should be put I'D to So per month,
and the discussion shows that.
MIR Allen. Yes, want to be understood
| do not mean to say that the statement is
true; | do not know whether it is true ol
not, and therefore ! do not want TO pu
the Commissioner of Pensions in wrong
light; but that is the information have
had from several pensioners who had been
drawing less than SO per month.
If the Senator from New Hampshire
will permit me. | wish to ask one Other
question. | am seeking information upon
this subject, and | stand sadly in need of it
1t has been my understanding do moi
know where l got it from--that the rule
in the Pension Office heretofore was that a
pensioner would not be pensioned in any
sum unless some one isolated disability
entitled him to q specific rating; that is
you could not take one partial disa blllty,
another partial disability, and another
partial disability. aggregate those disa-
bilities, and permit him to draw n pension
but there must be some one single
disability emitting him TO a pension,
say, if that is true, it ought, in my judg-
ment, to be corrected by this bill or some
other bill as quickly as possible.
Mr.. Teller. Congress certainly. did not
intend to do such an atrocious thing as to
should get nothing. That is very clear.
We meant to say that if any soldier had a
disability which would have heretofore
entitled him to Sc rating his pension should
be raised to S6
Mr.. Cullom. That was certainly my
understanding.
Mr.. Teller. We never thought of saying,
Here is n man entitled TO n pension of 50
a month, and because he is not entitled
to more he can not have a pension of 81"
That is absurd.
Mr.. Cullom. 1t never occurred to me
that we were knocking out large number
Of pensioners.
Mr.. Teller. o, no. That legislation was
meant to be in the interest Of the soldiers.
1t may be- am not going to critioisc
the Department-that they have properly
construed the law; but if they have, We
ought to change it, and change it instalter.
wish the Chairman of the Committee on
Pensions would ascertain about that, so
that if necessary We may change il, Ec-
cause we have n contr:ictwith every soldier
when he enters the armyi-for it is really
a part of his contract that if a certain
disability arises he shall have n CORE
spending pension. We can not take that
away from him, and if we have done il in
advertently we should retrace our steps
very rapidly. rts
Mr.. Allen. ! remember very distinctly
when that amendment was under con-
sideration. 1t was an amendment to an
appropriation bill. When it was before
the Senate it was distinctly understood
that S6 per month YVES to be the minimum
pension. g. r;
Mr.. Cullom. ] so understood.
Mr.. Allen. 1t was universally conceded
that all smaller pensions would be brought
to that amount. 4-.f
Mr.. Teller. That is, if a man had any
pensionable disability whatever, his pen
sion should not be less than Sc.
Mr.. Cullom. That certainly was my
understanding. ID
Mr.. Teller. / racaIl it very we'll, Mr..
President. We have not attempted to do
so wicked thing rs that; and if re have
done it, we have done it inadvertently. ]
do not say that the law can moi be con-
strued in that way; do not want to make
any reflection upon an officer who executes
the law as he understands it, because that
is his business; but if there is fault, we
should correct it.
Mr.. Allen. One Of the great faults of the
pension system of the United States is its
eternal delay. II is like the case of Jarn-
dyce vs.. Jarndyce, that perpetualIy and
perennially rollc lis slow length along until
every Htigant and every counsel and every
witness is dead.
| would not speak in harsh terms of the
Pension Office. | do not want to do that,
and shall not do it; but, Mr.. President, is
there not clerical force enough in the Pen
sion Office, or can it not be put there, to
take these cases up speedily and determine
whether they shall be allowed or not, and
not permit a great army of dependent men
or needy men and reedy women and chill
dren to die of starvation and of delay? If it
is the policy of the Government under this
or any other Administration to keep the
pension roll at its present figure, let the
Administration say So Do not constantly
crippled, dependent people that they will
receive pensions when there is no purpose
to pension them. Let it be said frankly
and honestly to them and honestly to the
country that they have received all the
Government will pay them, and that it is
uf'SitSs' " ippetii " tIC uoNSfuIutlt LOT any
further assistance. / believe 4 Govern
ment whose citizens voluntarily come to its
rescue in the hour of peril ought to pay
them when they are crippled or their health
IS injured in consequence of their service.
was thinking a moment ago, when the
distinguished Senator from New Hamp-
shire referred to finger being worth 81
how much mans whole body would be
wOr IN estimated on that basis of calculation.
When men left home and went in defense
of the flag of their country and its institll-
tons, as these men did in the Mexican war
and in other wars, if their health was i'm
paired or if their bodies We're wracked with
disease, or if they lost limbs or were injured,
let the Government make them good and
whole as far as possible. They are en-
titled to nothing less; they are entitled to
that.
But. Mr.. President, above all and beyond
all let the Government move speedily in
this matter before these people arc extinct
It is the delay, the endless, eternal delay |
that is the crying evil in the administration |
Of the Pension Bureau Of the United States.
Mr.. Teller. The act of June q, 1890. |
Now, for the dependents Congress fixed a |
positive and stated sum- and the Depart |
ment can not vary it at al; that is, they can
not raise it. If the disabilities are not
sufficient to come up to; 81, they have |
claimed the right, of course, to fix lower |
rate; but they can not make it $50 or $50 or |
s72, as can be done for complete disability |
under the law.
Mr.. Gallinger. Twelve dollars a month |
is the maximum. - |
Mr.. Teller. Twelve dollars a month is |
now the maximum; and although he may
have incurred these disabilities in the army,
he can get but S12 as a dependent. Now, |
then, the Mexican war soldier is in the same