The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-05-31

GUT the borrowing cifcUdar, giving nfGnlJ
important information in regard to thu
efforts for increased pension legislation:
Headquarters Grand Army Of the Re.
public. Fendal Building. Washing
ton, D. c., May Z, 1895.
Circular No. 2.
Comrades: When I was elected ri
Denver last September. 1 told the En-
campment that the will OF the Order
as expressed at that meeting would be
the law and the lode star Of my admin
lstration. At the same time, told you
that l should not have the disposition
70. nsuratively speaking. run my head
against a stone wall" / told you that
was In hearty accord with the ex-
pressed desire Of the Encampment for
the service pension law. which would
give $12 per month to every survivor
OF the Union armies receiving less than
tnat, or none at all: and also heartily
In favor Of the proposed amendment
TO the law increasing the pensions OF
widows from So to $12 per month. At
the same time / stated that there were
three men sitting in the Encampment,
upon whom I should call for counsel
and assistance in laying the matter
properly before President Roosevelt.
l named in that connection Gen. Gren-
vile M. Dodge. OF Iowa; Past Comman-
u A..
dent OF the U. s. Civil Service Commis-
sion; and Past Chief
Maj. William Warner, u. S. Senator
from Missouri. Acting In accordance
with that announced intention, when
returned home to Washington, I had
an interview with President Roosevelt,
told him as near as I could exactly
what had been done by the Encamp,
ment, and what I had said to you.
when 1 named the three men to him,
ne said That's good; they are all good
men. L suggest to make 1t four by
adding Pension Commissioner Yes
pasian Warner" 1 answered that l
had considered that as matter Of
course, as 1 sould call upon him for
all the figures he could give bearing
upon the matter. The question then
was to get up the figures, giving what
information was obtainabIe regarding
the survivors, and the amount it would
take annually to carry into effect the
desires of the Encampment
Before We could arrange for a meet
Ing of all the parties named, with the
ngures before US. time had run away,
until 1T was the night Of the 18th Of
January when we were all assembled
In the parlors of Commissioner Warner
The figures we had before us showed
that to increase to $12 per month the
pensions of those of our comrades al
>NS oih ShC Aoii, lHc ScIIcTdI
law, at rates ranging from 81 per
month up to $11.75 per month, would
take $2,S65. 1864. To do the same by
those who are on the roll under the
act Of June II, 1890, at rates ranging
from IS per month to $11.5O per
month. would take $12.517,734. To
increase to $12 per month the pensions
of widows on the roll under the gem
eral law, at the rate of either So or $40
per month, would take $1O7,2SO, and
to increase the pensions of widows on
the roll under the act of June q, 1890,
at the rate of either So or $40 per
month. would take $S,243,256, making
a total required to put all those on the
toll at less than $12 per month. up to
$12 per month. of $23,733.726s4. 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 yet gone
upon the pension roll at all.
We estimated that there were sur
Vlvors not on the pension roll to the
number of $4,000 men. We also es-
timateds 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, $10,8OO,-
600: 80 that the closest figuring we
could do showed that to carry out the
wishes OF the Encampment, would in
yofye an annual expenditure by the
Treasury Department Of $34.533,72684.
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 Govern
ment were not equal to it's expenses
the conclusion was forced upon every
one of US that it was futile to go be-
fore Congress and ask to have the
amount of over "a millions Of dollars
ADDED In lump to the annual expenses
Of the Government. We had sat down
that night, with the satisfaction uf
knowing, through Pension Commits
sioner Warner, that that day the Com
mittee on Appropriations Of the House
OF Representatives had agreed to an
amendment to the general appropria-
ton bill, which would put into statu-
tory 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 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 comrade went to the pension roll
at 81 years Of age. or anywhere above
1T, that thereafter when he reached.
for instance, the age OF IS years or IS
or 70 years. he would by mere reason
OF that fact go up at IS to IS per
month, at 68 to $40, and at 10 to $l2
per month, the limit Of the law.
We found that there had been a gen-
eral belief that such q condition Of
things did exist, but such was not a
fact, as the statutory law as 1t then
stood provided that prior to an increase
of pension there must be q medical
examination by the Pension Board Of
Medical Examiners, and. OF course, no
Presidential order could obviate the
requirements of the statutory law.
Thus you see that by these amend
ments. promised that day by the Com
mittee on Appropriations, representing
both political elements in Congress, we
at once achieved practically an age
service pension.
With these amendments In force dur
ing the ensuing year, we all realized
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 ii will prove
to be-, would be so far exhausted In the
coming year, by the operation of these
amendments, that we could easily show
a year from now that 1t would not take