The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-06-13
| PLEA FOR THE SOLDIERS
WIDOWS. q
Aged and Helpless Women Who Richly
Deserve the Natioas Care.

| WIDOWS. Il
Aged and Helples. wo..en Who Richly
i Deserve the Nations Care.
Editor National Tribune: I would
make a plea to Congress I'm behalf of
the soldiers widows In regard to an
increase in their pensions! Eight dol
lars per month is inadequate to supply
their need. The soldiers widows do
not use their IS per 6month for pin
money, as perhaps MANY suppose. but
it is used to procure the neceSsaries of
life to keep soul and body together. 1
wish each one who has a voice in max
ing the laws would stop just moment
and think what they could, do with only
the small sum of IS per month. The
soldiers widows are thankful for that
sum. but it seems that the United
States Government, out of gratitude to
4 the men who laid down their lives for
their country, should supply the needs
j of the soldiers widows. 1t seems I'M
reasonable that a soldiers wife should
get less pension than her husband re-
ceived. Al.ho his health may be i'm
paired so that he cannot do regular
days work or even work for wages, an
old soldier can usually haul and chop
the wood, tend the garden and in many
| ways lessen expenses so that himself
and wife can manage to live on his PEN
sion. He dies, and MS widows pension
is cut down to IS per month. There
are funeral expenses and doctor bills to
/ pay, and the widow has to go in debt
for her food and clothing until she re-
ceiveS her pension, which is delayed
usually a year or two and sometimes
much longer, and when the pension is
allowed the back pay is not sufficient to
I pay the debts.
I If she owns a meager little home,
which some do, she cannot realize any
profit from it unless she has money to
pay out for labor. If she does not own
her home she must pay rent, and it is
/ very poor house that one can get for
less than IS or $40 per month. She
must buy wood or coal. no matter how
high the price is. She has to hire it
| hauled, and If 1t is wood it must be
chopt. If there are repairs of any kind
to be made it takes money. for no one
could think of doing anything for her
without pay, because she has money,
| why. she gets pension!" If she lives
in the country it is necessary to keep
a horse. and feed must be bought for
1t. Food must come out of the pension
and clothes enough TO be respectable,
$50 1t is pinch, pinch and economic
continually.
1 have in my mind an old lady past
| 10 years OF age, who belongs to grand
old family. One of her grandfathers
fought in the Revolutionary War ana
one in the War of 1912. Her two broth
ers fought in the civil war, and she
spent three years nursing in the hospi-
tails. She was down before Richmond
in the field hospital, where they were
under fire for months, and was in the
Webster Hospital In Memphis when
! Forrest made his raid. After the war
she was engaged in benevolent work for
some years. She has been twice the
wife of soldier. After her first IIus-
bands death she did not draw a pen
GinO c he To, t,,I
passed. AT the death of her second
husband she was left with only IS. 1t
vas almost two years before she re-
ceiyed her pension. During that time
she met with serioas accident, and
was confined to her bea six n: on;ns ana
and drug bills were heavy and other
| things accordingly. Her back pay,
which she received, did nbt cover the
debts. Altho she is very economical
and denies herself to save out small
sum each time her pension is due 10
pay her debts. she is still embarrassed
with debt, and is Continuity receiving
duns. Such conditions. arg hard fo- a
proud person to bear. .liTfts is not the
only circumstance which his come be-
fore my notice. There ARE, many such
cases. ~ ="
There are soldiers wfd3Y,s WHO have
never received a PENSION. ailno they
] ~ -
knows they are eligible. but inc Pension
Department puts them Or t-o,in tim. to
time. There are Two s.iei aadits o9 rliV
acquaintance whose. f;fsbalf6s died w-:tii-
out receiving pension. and, OF course.
it is more difficult Tor Them 4, get n
pension under those circumstances. but
the Pension Department siioui;; he III
terested in such cases ana do al! IL its
power TO assist them
1t Is said that some people try to OBJ
tain pensions fraudulentiy 1t may be
so. but that is no reason why the pen
sion laws should be so strict that the
soldiers widows should be left to suf-
fer poverty. Both OF the ladies' above
mentioned are old, one being q hopeless
cripple ana deaf: the other IS feeble
ana not able to make her living, alt:iC
she tries to do so. Her husband was
killed by load of wood turning over
on him, which he was hauling ove:. :,
steep mountain road. Neither his widow
nor her children have ever received a
cent from the Government.
L appeal TO Congress to pass a law
allowing soldiers widows a pension OF
not less than s12 per month, and to in
crease that pension according to age
of pensicncr equal to the sum named In
the McCumber bill
1t Is shame, considering the vast
amount expended by the United States
Government. and sometimes cytrava-
gantly and unnecessarily, that the
widows of our brave men who gave n;
our freedom should live in SUFFERING
and poverty. Their relrsion Should be
sufficient TO keep them comfortably in
their own homes. for there is nothing So |
hard for an old person to bear as to
break up heir home and go to Il hom.. |
for the aged. Along with age increases
the attachment to ones own home.
Who will be the first TO sgitate this
question in behalf of the soldiers |
widows and bring bill before Congress |
providing for their needs. We hope |
and pray that Congress and our Chief |
Executive may show their gratitude TO |
the soldiers by passing such Il BILL
Minnie b. Craw, Canyon City, Colo
Reunion of the Dandy Fifth. |
The anniversary and 29th Annual Re-
union of the 9Th n. Y. II. A. Veteran |