The National tribune., 1906-08-16
the pensions of widows on the roll un-

take SS,24S,256; making O total requir-
ed TO put all those on the roll at less
than S12 per months up to S12 per
month, of S23,733,726S4. This. bear in
mind, would be the annual cost to the
Treasury of the United States, and does
not take into consideration any of those
who have not as yet gone upon the PEN
sion roll at ALL
We estimated that there were sur
Vivors not on the pension roll to the
number of 10000 men. We also esti-
mated that of those it was safe to say
that $4,000 would apply, and this would
add to the above-named amount of %
millions and odd dollars $40, 100000. so
that the closest figuring we could do
showed that to carry out the wishes of
the Encampment would involve an an
nual expenditure by the Treasury De-
partment of $34,533, 1864
With the knowledge before US that
there was at that time a small deficit in
the Treasury-in other words, at that
time the receipts of the Government
were not equal to its eXpenSes-the con-
clusion was forced upon every one of
us that it was futile to go before Con-
greSs and ask to have the amount of
S34, 100000 added in a lump to the an
nUal expenses of the Government. We
had sat down that night with the salts
faction of knowing, through Pension
Commissioner Warner, that that day
the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives had agreed to
an amendment to the general appro-
priation bill which would put into stat
utory law what we have come to know
as the age Order" made by Presi-
dent Roosevelt. While there was no
fear of any reversal of that order while
he sits in the White House, still it stood
only as a Presidential order. and any
President who followed him could. of
course, reverse the order. much to the
disappointment of our old comrades.
We had the further satisfaction of
knowing that the Committee had also
agreed to an amendment to the law
under which, when under the Age Or
der a comrade went to the pension roll
at 62 years of age, or anywhere above
it, that thereafter when he reached, for
instance, the age of 65 years or 6S or
20 years, he would by mere reason of
that fact go up at 65 to So per month.
at 6S to SO. and at 20 to s12 per
month, the limit of the law.
We found that there had been gen.
eral belief that such a condition of
things did exist, but such was not a
fact, as the statutory law as it then
stood provided that prior to an increase
of pension there must be a medical eX-
animation by the Pension Board of
Medical Examiners, and. of course, no
Presidential order could obviate the re-
quirements of the statutory law.
An Age-Seryice Pension.
Thus you see by these amendments,
promised that day by the Committee On
Appropriations, representing both po-
litical elements in Congress, we at once
achieved practically an age-service
pension.
With these amendments in force dur
N 10 aoSIrinu oil
and the expression was unanimous, that
what has come to be known as the "un-
known army" (Which under a general
service pension law would be applying
for pensions, and which in almost every
instance is estimated to be much larger
in number than we believe it will prove
to be) would be so far exhausted in the |
coming year, by the operation of these
that we could easily show
{. year from now that It would not take |
anywhere near $4,000, 900 per annum, |
which would be required now to put |
the desires Of our comrades into effect. |
We had an appointment with Presi |
dent Roosevelt for II o'clock next day, |
and when the time came he cleared |
the deck" so to speak, and gave us free |
hearing. We had to tell him. and did |
tell him, fully of all our deliberations |
and the conclusions we had reached, |
was useless to ask Congress at the pres
ent time to enact legislation which
would add s34,000,000 to the annual |
expenses of the Government, we also
felt that conditions would be so much |
more favorable one year from then that |
we should be on hand when the year |
should have passed, to then unanimous |
Iy urge the enactment of the service |
pension law and the increase for wild
ows indorsed by the Encampment a
Denver, and should ask his powerful
support at that time. He assured US .
that it would be his great pleasure to |
do whatever he possibly could within |
reasonable limits to meet our desires.
1 can but call your attention to the |
fact that each one of the distinguished |
comrades who met with me on that oc- |
casion united in the conclusions we
reached. If we erred. you will easily
concede that it was error on the part Of
men every pulsation of whose hearts
was In favor of the largest benefit to
our comrades and the widows of those |
who are dead.
Consulting the G. A. n. Pension COM
mittee.
I then found myself confronted with |
a personal responsibility as Command |
er-in-Chief I at once communicated
with every member OF the National PEN
sion Committee, enjoinfng them to Sc
crecy for the time being, because att
that time, as stated, the amendments
had simply been promised by the Com
mittee on Appropriations. 1 am happy
to say that the Committee kept faith,
reporting the amendments
to the House, and both the House and
the Senate passed them, and they are
now the law of the land. 1t was evil
dent to me that II would be useless to
have our Committee on Pensions go to
Washington, and 1 so advised, but at
the same time I notified the Chairman
thereof, Rev. Bernard Kelly, of Kansas,
that II he or his Committee differed
with that view of II he had full power
to call the Committee together In Wash
ington any time he saw fit. I told him
in the same communication that real
lied, by the course that we had felt
constrained to pursue, that I must of
necessity relieve the Committee on Pen
sions from all responsibility at this
meeting, and take the whole of It upon
my own official shoulders. I do SO now,
and have only to say to you, my COM
rades, that in what we have done, and
in the course we have taken. we have
acted according to our best lights.
come to Minneapolis to render an ac-
count of my stewardship with the full
knowledge that while we are not able
TO report very much accomplished in
the matter of pensions, we are at least
able to report quite step taken for
ward towards securing the desires Of
our comrades.
In the light of these occurrences !
certainly have no disposition TO recon-
mend anything except strenuous cam
paign during the next session of Con-
greSs In favor of a service pnnaion hill