The National tribune., 1901-07-25
KANSAS VETERANS PROTEST.
Emphatic Resolutions on the Pension Ques-
tion Adopted st DEPARTMENT Convention.

7
Hon Adopted st Department Convention.
The 2oth Annual Encampment Of the De.
partment Of Kansas, held at Junction City,
is reported to have been one of the best and
mcst successful in the history of the Depart.
ment. W. w. Martin, Department Com.
mander, presided.
Commander Martin delivered a splendid
address, and in lengthy speech thoroughly
| covered every matter of interest to the Kan
Sas veterans. On the subject of pensions
! the Commander said:
so familiar to all Of you is the pension
question that / would deem it a waste of
your time and patience to dwell upon ii. BY
! the untiring efforts of those comrades to
! whom We delegated the power to represent
I us we now have beneficent laws that if exc,
| cutcd IN the spirit of fairness and feal;y that
! controlled the comrades that suggested and
our representatives In Congress that enact
ed them, no complaint will be heard.
1t was an unfair and illiberal interpre-
tation Of good laws that carried pain and
disappointment to the thousands of diseased
| and disabled veterans whose sacrifice of
youthful years and manly strength in the
great war had left them unable TO continue
the battle of life in competition with
younger and stronger manhood
The pension appropriation, enormous as
1t has been, has ever been held 10 be the
soul of patriotic gratitude from grateful
people. And not one solitary organized body,
political or otherwise, North or South, East
or West. has ever excepted TO or protested
against 1t.
Inc creation of Pension Court of Ap-
peals was a measure that originated with
our National Pension Committee, and re-
celved the Endorsement of the 34th National
Encampment, at Chicago, by unanimous
vote. This should have been sufficient to
have secured the earnest effort OF every
cOmrade who was In n position to aid 10y
voice or vote its enactment into law that
would have given us a judicial interpreta-
tiOn of the many pension laws, and made II
obligatory on all officers and employees of
the Pension Bureau to have administered
them in accordance with such decisions, eS-
tablished rules and precedents, that could
not be set aside and annulled by every petty
clerk that fears to lose his position If he
does not cater to the whimS and prejudiCeS
of his immediate superior. Yet | am forced
to admit that this mertorious bill was de
feated in the House Committee by q vote
of those bound TO US by the strong tie of
comTadeShif.
IF there has ever been any good or half
way sufficient reason offered why the laws
governing the yearly distribution OF millions
Of dollars, and the rights of the men whose
fOrtitude and bravery made this Government
a possibility and its wonderful advancement
4 fact, are not Of sufficient Importance TO
warrant the creation of q court of competent
jurisdiction to pass upon and settle for all
time TO come the mooted question that has
been so conspicuCusly juggled from hand TO
hand, to the detriment of dying heroes and
their suffering dependents, have never been
fortunate enough TO see or hear 1t. 1t only
remains for the rank and file OF the vet
Grams and their friends to so plainly express
their views upon this subject that no man
may err as to what they mean
Commander Martin paid a splendid tribute
to the Womans Relief Corps and other pa
triotic Orders. that have done so much to
assist the veterans in their declining years.
Capt. NJ. Norton was elected Department
Commander; COmrade J. b. Remington. Pos;
800, Senior ice-COmmander; Il. +. PeaIer,
Junior Vice-COmmander; Comrade G. T.
Smith, Of Winfield, Chaplain, and Comrade
nf MnlSn
The report of F. A. Lyon, Assistant Adju-
tant-General, showed a net loss In member
ship of ~; the number remaining in good
The report OF W. F. Denison, Assistant
Quartermaster-Ge General, showed the Depart
ment in good financial condition, with bal
ance on hand Of S1,77690.
Among the important resolutions passed by
this Encampment was the following:
Whereas, there Is an lmmOvable convlc-
tion that the pension laws are not being
construed and administered in the spirit
which prompted their enactment, nor in ac-
cord with the merited demand of the dis
abled veterans and Of the widows and Or
phans Of those who are dead, nor in com
pliance with the wishes Of the people as
expressed in the National platforms of ell
political parties; and
.. Whereas, the act Of March 9, 1896, pro-
viding that pensions allowed under act of
June p, 1880, shall date from the date of
application, has been ignored, and the act
Of May O. 1900, providing that in considering
all claims under the acts of June q, 1890, !
and March 9, 1896, all the disabilities of the |
claimant shall be considered and rated to
ascertain the extent of claimants disability !
to earn his support by manual labor, has not
been applied as contemplated by the act:
Therefore, be It
Resolved, That the comrades of the Grand
Army of the Republic, Department of Kan
sas, in Encampment assembled. do most re- |
request the President to appoint
as Commissioner Of Pensions for the ensuing
term one who will construe the laws in the |
spirit in which they were enacted and ad- |
minister the avs according TO the ordinary |
rules Of evidence; and
Resolved, further, That this matter be
brought TO the attention of the National En- |
and that said Encampment be re-
Guested 10 take such action as will add its
influence to the accomplishment of the OBJ
iect Of the foregoing resolution"
The social features of the Encampment
were not neglected. and many Campfires and
Reunions were held, in which the members
Of allied Orders participated.