Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1901-11-08
ACHAPTER ON PENSIONS
INFORMATION FOR THOSE
SEEKING PENSIONS.

are mostly veterans of the Union army,
and their widows, orphans, and depend
ent parents. There are about l,5UO,
coo living Union soldiers. The num-
Der OF widows, orphans and dependents
is probably twice IA great. They are
scattered over a territory nearly as
great as Europe, and among n popua-
tion greater than that of England aud
France, lie number Of veterans is
continually decreasing. Time mows
them down as the years go by. Not so
with the pensioners Their number
ever increases. 1t is now far greater
O. an ever before. 1t will soon be
greater still The United States is now
paying pensions, including the retired
list, which is only another form Of pen
sions, aggregating nearly $l6O,0OO, ,OO0
year. The pension system of tue
United States combines a vast amount
of good and great amount of evil in
undue proportions. An examination Of
its main features makes this plain.
At first pensions were granted only
TO those disabled either by wounds or
disease contracted in the service. Up
10 1877 the pension, when granted,
dated from the day of the filing of the
application. Not long afterward the
pension arrearages law, commonly
known as the Back-pay Pension bill,
was passed. By this bill a pension was
allowed to date back beyond the date
of filing the application to the date of
the contraction Of the disability. This
was q long step in the direction OF
wholesale pensions. In the original
bill those who we're TO share the benefit
Of the law were required TO take adj
vantage of it by filing their applica-
tions before Jan. /. 1890. But before
this date arrived the clamor of men who
began to feel that they might take ad-
vantage of the law led to an extension
of the time. Since then it has been
extended again and again.
Under all these laws, however, 1t
was necessary for the applicant to prove
that the death or disability of the sol
dier resulted from wounds or disease
contracted in the service. The ma
iority of the mighty army of would-be
pensioners knew that they could prove
nothing of this kind. A cry arose for
the repeal of the obnoxious require
ment and freer granting of pensions
Some favored dependent bill, grant
ing pension to every soldier or sailor
unable to earn living. or to his de
pendent parents, widows or orphans
Others favored service bill, granting
pension to all soldiers aud sailors who
served ninety days or more and wer'
bonorably discharged. The rate of tn,
pension was to be proportional to the
time of service, and irrespective of thu
health or sickness, the poverty ~
wealth of the applicant. On June 2
last the agitation in favor of q depend
ent pension bill crystalized into law
In the twenty-nine years between tn
firing of Fort Sumter and the passag
of this law, under the requirement tha
the disability be contracted III tn
service, between 100000 aud 10000
applications were filed. On June 2
this requirement was abolished. Tn
hood-gates were opened. Since tina
time over 10000 new applications hav
been filed
The reader may wonder how this vas
number of cases is adjudicated Vision
of open court, judges and juries, oflaN
yers, and witnesses examined and cross
examined, may come before him. Con
mon equity would seem to require thf
these cases be tried without favoritisn
each in its turn, in open court, in th
vicinage, or oral testimony, given
witnesses whose actual existence woul
be apparent, whose character could /
Judged, and whose stories could be sal
jected to rigid oss-examinatio,
The interest of the pensioners and
the Government would apparently r
quire this. Assuredly the money Of IL
people should not be squandere
in the payment of pensions
undeserving men on false or forge
testimony. 1t is equally certain tn
justice demands that the cases shou
be tried without favoritism, and a
judicatel without unreasonable della
The applicant for a pension obtains
blank, and fills it out. He states tn
he is the identical soldier who, under
certain name, enlisted on q certain d
in certain company aud regiment; tn
he served in the war, and was honor
bly, discharged at such place on SUI
date. If applying under the old la
he states that he is suffering from CO
tain wounds and disabilities received
contracted in the service. If applyi
under the dependent pension hi Il,
states that he served at least nine
days, that he is suffering from disabi
ties. by reason of which lac is unable
earn a support, and that these disabi
ties are not due to his vicious habi
This application is sworn to bv the 9
plicant and attested by two witness
who can write. II is then filed
Washington. The Pension Comm
sioner acknowledges the receipt OF
claim and numbers it, He sees that
application is correct in form. He |
the army records searched to ascertI