The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-02-19
TO AID SOLDIERS,
Speech of Cong. j. P. Conner for
Bill Amending Pension Laws.
TWENTY DOLLARS WHEN 65.
A Measure of Justice to Aged Union
Veterans.

ported from the Invalid Pensions Com
mittee. whereby pensions of widows
are increased from So to Sl2 per
month. is just and reasonable. and
meets my approval.
The amendment relates to the act
of Congress of 1890. which gives to
widows of soldiers So per month: it
does not change existing law. except
to in two particulars.
First. 1t increases the pension of
a widow from So to sl2 per month.
Second. 1t relieves her from the
necessity of showing net income
from all sources of less than $3.50 per
year.
If this bill becomes law. all widows
of soldiers. where the marriage oc-
Cured prior to June. q, 1890, will be
entitled to receive pension of Sl2
per month. regardless of the amount of
their income.
While l approve of the proposed
change in the laws to widows of
soldiers. it does not follow that other
changes are not as desirable. 1t
would seem that widow in case of
marriage to soldier after the act of
June q. 1890. would be as much en-
titled to pension as one where the
marriage occurred Immediately prior
to the act of 1890. 1t only proves the
difficulty of enacting law which
does not discriminate against some
one. and the committee evidently
thought it would increase the appro-
priation too much to have the law
apply to all cases where the marriage
to the soldier occurred since 1890.
have in mind change which l
regard as important as the one in this
bill. and that is the proposition to
amend the act of February, 6. 1907.
known as the McCumber law"
which provides for the payment of
S12 per month to the soldier who has
reached the age of 62 years. SIS per
month to one who has reached the age
of 70 years, and 500 per month to one
who has reached the age of Is years.
In my opinion the proposition to re-
duce the age to which the 500 per
month payment shall apply from Is
years to IS years is not only Just and
reasonable. but in all fairness Is de-
manded. There ought. at least. to
be material reduction below the age
of IS years at which the 500 payment
should apply.
Very few soldiers live. or expect
to live, to reach the age of Is years.
when they can claim the benefit of
the twenty-dollar payment under the
McCumber law. and if it is not
changed, as suggest. it will prove a
little practical benefit to the soldier.
There are 278, Oil survivors of the
civil war who have been granted pen
sions under the act of February 6.
1907; of this number 1888. $50 have
reached the age of Is years. l10.O6s
have reached the age of 20 years. aud
AZ. 500 the age of rs years.
mine just what will be the annual in
crease of the pension roll. but itprob-
ably will not exceed twelve or fifteen
million dollars in the start, and will
be reduced from year to year by rea-
son of the great mortality among SOL
diers who served in the civil war.
During the last year the number of
deaths amounted to 1.2Ol. or little
less than per cent of the soldiers
now on the penison rolls.
have introduced bill to make the
twenty dollar per month payment ap-
ply at the age of IS years. in lieu of
Is years. as the law now. provides.
and | sincerely hope the committee
before the close of the session. will
recommend the passage of this bill.
1t may be claimed by some that the
increased expense will be too great.
but do not believe the criticism is a
just one. Of all the items of ex-
pense of the General Government. the
one most patiently born by the peo-
pie relates to the pension of soldiers
and seamen and those dependent upon
them. and while the Government has
been liberal in its policy of paying
pensions-much more so than any
other nation-still. in comparison
with the great value of the services
of the soldiers to the country aud our
immense wealth. it can not be said to
have been eXtravagant in this regard.
My judgment is that the country is
willing to adopt the policy which
means reduced number of battle
ships each year and fewer appropria-
tions for eXpositions and larger APP
preparations fer it's soldiers. whose
heroic services and sacrifices saved
the Union from destruction and made
possible the greatest and most magni-
ticent Government ON earth. This
non do ,,ofl,;orr +o bn,o,.