The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-01-28


burg, Pa, Chief OF the
Union ex-Prisoners Of War Association;
Comrade s. NJ. Long, East Orange, N. j.,
Commander Of the Department Of New
Jersey G. A. r. and Secretary of the Ma
tional Prisoners Of War Association, and
Comrades w. T. Ziegler, Gettysburg, Pa;
| O. A. Parsons, Wilkes-Bare, Pa, and
Eza FL. Ripple, of Scranton, OF the Ma
tional Council, were in the city last week
| in the interests of a bill to pension the ex-
prisoners Of war. The following bill was
decided upon and introduced by Senator
Penrose, in the Senate, and by Represen-
tative Dakell, in the House. Comman-
der Walker and his associates were given
hearing before the Pension Committees of
both Houses, and made a strong appeal
for the passage Of the bill as measure
of justice for the men who suffered more
than any others for the cause Of the
Union. Both Committees expressed them
selves strongly impressed, and willing to
| do all they could to insure the passage of
the bill.
"A BILL granting pensions to soldiers
and sailors confined in so-called Confed-
crate prisons.
Whereas many officers, soldiers, sailors,
and marines Of the Federal Army and
Navy were confined in so-called Confed-
crate prisons for great length of time,
suffering unusual hardships and contrac-
ting diseases and disabilities difficult to
fully prove under existing pension laws
Therefore, for the purpose of doing jus
tice to specially deserving class of sur
ylying veterans of the war, a, 80
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
Of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That the
Secretary of the Interior be- and he Is
hereby, authorized and directed to place
on the pension roll the names Of each and
all officers, soldiers, sailors, and marines
| now surviving who, while in the service
of the United States and in the line of
, their duty, were taken prisoners of war
and as such confined i'm so-called Confed-
crate prisons between the first day of
May, 1861, and the first day of May. 1865;
and there shall be paid to every officer,
soldier, sailor and marine so placed on the
pension roll the sum of So for each and
every day he was SO confined in any such
prison; and furthermore, and in addition
such surviving prisoners Of war shall each
receive the sum of $12 for each month
during the remainder of his natural life:
Provided, That each pension shall in each
this act and be paid at the same time and
in the same manner as other pensions are
now paid: Provided further, That this act
shall not entitle any person to draw more
than one pension, but that such surviving
prisoners of war as are entitled TO and are
receiving pension at the time of the pas
sage of this act shall be entitled to the
increase Of their pension which this act
may grant them; and in no event shall
n ic dpa MI, osov,
preclude him from receiving the full
amount of said 81 per day in addition to
the monthly pension allowed him; and the
widow OF any pensioner under this act will
be entitled to a pension Of So per month
so long as she remains a widow."s -te1
This is measure of such undoubted JUS
tice that Congress should not hesitate to
pass the bill The men who were confined
in the rebel prisons were taken from the
firing-ine and suffered hariships such as
befell no other class of soldiers, and the
awful mortality OF Andersonyille and
Salisbury proved sufficiently all this. No
man who went through these heils of tor
ture without suffering grevious bodily inn
pairments, and the men who did SO are
to-day far older than their years, and suf-
fering from disabilities of the most cruel
nature. 1t is a very small recompense to
give them So a day and So per month
for the rest OF their lives, and there
should be no unwilfingness on the part Of
Congress to do this. The number of them
who still live is comparatively small, not
more than few thousand, and the expen-
diture by the Treasury would not be great.
Let US have the bill passed quickly and
without question.