The National tribune., 1900-05-24

to the committee to report back at once
bill which will leave no DOUBT on the various
questions. / think the bill should define
manual labor; it should provide IN no nc
uncertain terms that the claimants should
| be given the benefit Of the ratings OF the
| local boards and compel the combining OF
| all disabilities; it should give the claimants
the benefit of all doubts in questions in
their claims; it should give the widow s12
per month. l also think the law should
provide that where a soidler remarrleS
after June 81, 1890. and dies, leaving
widow by his last marriage and minor
| children by former marriage, said minor
children, in case the widow is not given
pension, should be entitled to pension
until they attain the age Of i6 years.
by reason of the technical require
mentS since 1893 many a deserving sol
der and soldiers widow has been deprived
| Of his or her pension. Soldiers with
number Of disabilities have not been given
the benefit Of the ratings Of the local boards.
| The Lochren policy in this regard was
unjust and unfair, and MIR. Evans admits
| that he has not changed 1t, and, as they
claim, the law is at fault. l am for any bill
which viii remove that f1imsy excuse.
| IL this bill will do what the committee
claims for it, am for it, because it will
! compel the combining of disabilities and
of the local boards. l am for this bill
/ because it will take away all the excuses
| that exist for technical construction
of the pension laws. | am for this bill
| because the comrades of the Grand Army
of the Republic say they desire its enact
ment"
Many of the speakers went into discus
sions of the rules and orders. This was the
case with Mr.. J. W. Ryan, who reviewed
the National Encampment resolutions and
other points in the subject, made COM
parison OF ratings under the general law
| nd thu rt of luna cT JSHl and then
said:
why, may ask, should the Depart
ment grant a pension OF Sl2 Tor loss OF
sight of one eye under the general law, and
grant but S6 for the same loss under act
| OF June 81, 1890? Why grant pension
Of Sic for anchylosis of shoulder under the
general act. and but Sc for the same dis
ability under act of 1890? Why grant a
pension of $40 for anchylosis OF knee or
elbow under the general act, and but So
under act Of June 81, 1890?
| Under the old laws, Mr.. Speaker. the
rate of pension provided for those who are
entirely incapacitated for performing any
manual labor Is $50 per month. It ap-
pears that it has been the practice of fixing
rates under the act of June 81, 1890. not to
allow the maximum rate provided by the
Iact-$12-unless the same degree of dis
ability or inability be shown. Clearly this
is not in accordance with the evident mean
| ing of the language OF the act of June Y,
| 1880. A man may be suffering from
mental or physical disability or disabilities
of a permanent character which so in
capacitates him for the performance OF
| manual labor as to render him unable to
earn a support, and still he may not be
| totally incapacitated for the performance
of any manual labor.
"This matter has forced itself upon me
and has been made plain by considering
the conditions that prevail in the district
which l have the honor to represent. No
district in the United States furnished a
more liberal quota of soldiers to take part
in the great struggle for the preservation
of the Union. The Nation needed and
wanted only men who were physically.
perfect. The flower Of the young men of
| the district responded to the call Of the
Nation"
He eulogized these men, so many of
whom while they were in the prime of life,
he said, did not apply for a pension; and
| portrayed the condition Of SO many OF
them now, and their difficulty in earning
a support. In conclusion he said:
| The pension should not and must not
be regarded as charity. 1t is sacred
debt which should be willingly paid; aud
| its payment should not be delayed until
the soldier is on the verge Of the grave.
| The amount of the pension, though small,
| will tend to brighten the declining years
of the old soldier and OF his dependent
| widow, and its prompt payment will show
to the world, and especially to our own
people, that the Nation does not forget,
but loves, honors, and admires its de-
fendarsn