New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1905-07-12
RULING MADE ON PENSIONS
Attorney General Cuts Down List
of Eligibles.
Money Goes Only to Those Who
Have Seen Service.
Dates Cover New Ulln Siege ane
TT. Ridgely Defense.

L
ated by the legislature at the last
session has caused more trouble to the /
defenders of the frontier and the state
authorities than a nickel in the pocket
Of a boy on the Fourth of July.
1t now appears, according to a
ruling of the attorney general that
only those who can prove service and
from service during the
time between the 18th of August and
the 1st of September, will be entitled
to pensions of any kind.
This is a just ruling because it
covers the time of actual service in
quelling the uprising of the Indians at
the time of the massacre, when the men
were under arms and serving asyolun-
teers, though there were many that did
duty before and after that date.
It is safe to say that all settlers on
the frontier in the early days are
entitled to credit from those who have
come after and enjoyed the fruits OF
their hardships and struggles with the
Indians but it is unreasonable to pre-
sumo that the state is to enter into a
contract to pay all of these for the dis
abilities incurred in the privati of
those early days.
The legislation for the defenders, as
they are termed, is primarily the work
of VIM. Pfaender. He is the originator
of the movement and the work he has
done to secure the appropriation
covers long term of years. In the
bill approved by him and introduced
into the house of representatives by
Mr.. McCleary, the period of time to
be covered by the appropriation is
even shorter than that covered by the
time of the state appropriation, it
calls for period extending from the
10Th to the oath of August, covering
little more than the time from the at
tack of the Lower Agency to the re-
turn Of the people to New Ulm after
the siege.
| This was the period of actual war
fare, and no volunteer soldiers in any
branch Of the service has any better
claim to pensions than the men who
/ took part in this defense. 1t is true
they were defending their homes but it
was against the blood thirsty wards OF
the nation, and while the United States
has done nothing for them up to this
time, the state is entitled to credit for
coming in at this late hour with the
small relief that it has offered.
In an opinion given Wednesday, the
state legal department holds that only
those persons who aided in the sup
] passion of the outbreak, between Aug.
Is and September, 1862, can partiei-
pate.
In addition, applicants must show
disabilities and prove to the salts
faction of the adjutant generals office,
that the originaI injuries were received
in the Indian conflict. Further, APP.
|plicants must be residents of Mime,
sofa. No money can be paid to per,
sons residing outside of the state.
The result of this ruling will be thai
only a small per cent of those who
have applied for state pensions viii
be paid, and will narrow the estimate
down to about what Col. Pfaendel
represented to the state and The
government when he submitted his
memorial, that is 225 to $50 people.
''The memorial as drawn by MIR
Pfaender reads .'As it is the intention
to provide only for those who were
| actively engaged in the attacks OF
New Ulm and Fl. Ridgely from Angus
10Th to August 24th, 1862, the number
of men or widows to be benefited b.
i the proposed legislation would no
exceed 225 or $50.
i The attempt to get this memorial in
to the form Of legislation dates bacl
to the time when Mr.. Pfaender was /;
member of the Minnesota state senat,
and he has been in close touch with i
ever since, renewing his petition will
each session of congress, until at thu
last session through the services Q
Mr.. McCleary and the intercession Q
J, Senator Clapp he was able to see tn,
! matter taken up in regular form, bu
| it failed to become a part of the ap
) preparations that were made and il
the meantime the state thus tardil.
came to the assistance of Mr.. Pfaen
, der and the defenders and voted SO,
) 900 for their relief.
81 This will give them a pension of 81
/. per month, and small as it is will be J;
} partial relief to many of the old peopl
1 who have been endeavoring for NOR
2 than forty years to recover what the,
lost during the massacre. There ar
mot many who are destitute and Their