Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-27
NO JUST DISCRIMINATION
Objections to Bill Pensioning Veterans Who
Served Sixty Days.
Commissioner Evans Says Many
Would BE Paid Who Were
Never at the Front.

The Senate committee on pensions has re-
ceived the report of the commissioner Of
pensions upon Senate bill 221 In his
port Commissioner Evans says:
This bill proposes to grant a pension of
SO per month to all surviving officers and
enlisted men. including marines, militia and
volunteers of the military or naval services
of the United States. who being duly en-
listed, actually served sixty days with the
army navy of the United States In any
of the wars Of the United States and were
honorably discharged. end to such officers
and soldiers and sailors as may have been
personally named in any resolution of Con-
eress for any specified service in such wars;
and enlisted men. provided such widows
have not remarked.
Title under the provisions of this bill is
granted to the persons enumerated above
who are or may become seventy years Of
age: and the provisions of section 4116 Re-
vised Statutes pertaining to diSloyalty),
are repealed so far as the same relate to
pensions under this act.
Attention is invited to the fact that this
bill includes all the members of militia or
CARNATIONS who served sixty days with the
army or navy of the United States.
The average age of the survivors of the
civil war Is about sixty years, and in ten or
twelve years their average age will be sew
enty years.
1T is estimated that in 1910 there will be
about 6NO0 survivors of the civil war,
and this estimate does not include the
members of the different militia organiza
lions provided for in this bill.
The bill also provides for about 10000
survivors and surviving widows of the war
of 1872 war with Mexico and the Indian
wars. most of whom would be at once PEN
sionabie under its provisions.
The Probable Cost.
at is safe to assume that from $1,000
to 100000 cases would receive favorable
action each year under the operations of
this bill. and that the annual value of the
pension roll after making due allowances
for those who are in receipt of smaller
rates of pension, would be increased by at
least s20.U0,OO0 each year for the next ten
or fifteen years.
1T Is very difficult to reach correct
estimate as to the probable cost Of this
bill if enacted into law. as we do not have
very definite information as to the total
number and strength of the many militia
organizations who served with the army
during the war of the rebellion, and the
other wars in which the United States has
been engaged, but it is certain that this
class of beneficiarieS would be very nu-
nerouS
No Just Discrimination.
THE greatest objection to this kind of
legislation is that it does not discriminate
in any way between the soldier or sailor
who bore the heat and burden of the day,
who was almost constantly for years ex-
posed to the hardships and dangers of ac-
tive warfare. and those who rendered no
service at the front and who were never.
exposed even to the ordinary dangers of ali
active military campaign
Take. for instance. the cases of the mill
tia organizations of the different states.
many of which served under the command
of a United States officer for more than
sixty days, and yet very few of them ever
left their states or were exposed to any
hardships except those ordinarily incident
to summer encampment. I apprehend
that many of these troops would be in
cluded in the bill, and 1t would appear al
most unnecessary to discuss the inequality
between their services and those who rem
dered service at the front for three or four
long years in active campaigns . "5
Il fail to see any good reason for ex-
tending the provisions of the present lib
eral pension laws in this general way, and
do not believe that the legislation pro-
posed by this bill is in any way justified
for the reasons stated