The National tribune., 1909-02-04
THE VOLUNTEER i ! OFFICERS BILL

'OhSNHEEh oEE AS -
Gen. Sherwood Expresses His Views
tol AsfstO 1t.
Editor National Tribune; For the in
formation of the-scomrades generally.
ana to save myself from answering so
many lettersoosf Inquiry, desire to state
briefly the ptovisdiaens of the new PEN
sion Bill. recently, reported from the
Military Committee of the House.
The bill known as the Civil War
Officers Annuity Honor Roll" As
amended by she Military Committee the
provisions OF the bill also apply to pri-
ea.e soldiers and non-commissloned Of
hcers, except that while the officers are
to be paid at the rate of $50 per month
the soldiers are to receive $25. BY the
provisions of this bill all officers are to
be paid exactly alike, without regard to
rank, and before any officer or private
soldier can be entered on the Honor
Roll, he shall have served for a period
OF not less than one year, and shall have
been honorably discharged. Every
member of the Military Committee was
present when this bill was considered
and the vote in favor OF reporting the
bill stood 10 to 9. Any officer who
resigned or was discharged because of
wounds is entitled to be placed on the
Honor Roll without reference TO his
length of service The bill applies also
to officers of the navy and enlisted men.
No officer or soldier, as the bill now
stands, is available for the Honor Roll
until he attains the age of 10 years.
Any officer holding an official position,
the compensation being equal to $500 a
year. will not be entitled during the
time he holds such office, to the benefits
NJ hi Saaf y,nv~ sol sar. |,
accepts the benefits of this act will
thereby relinquish all his claim to any
other pension from the United States.
No person shall be entitled to any bene-
fit under this act who is now serving
in the United States Army or Navy or
Marine Corps.
The bill is now on the calendar of
the House of Representatives, and
whether 1t will be allowed to come up
for consideration in this Congress is
question that I cannot now answer.
/ am decidedly opposed to the age
limit of 70 years. 1t should be, If
adopted at all, fixed at 63 years for
privates, at least, ard not more than 64
for officers. Officers of the Regular
Army are retired at Ga. The average
age of an officer who served in the
civil war is seven years older than
that of private soldier. This includes
officers of all grades. Hence I propose
an amendment, and will advocate it on
the floor and insist on its adoption as
matter of justice to the men who stood
behind the guns, making the age limit
for private soldier SO years.
A Colonel in the Regular Army, who
is paid 1915 month, and who has
served 20 years and is retired at the
age of 81. is paid 2S1.25 per month dur
ing the period of his natural life. This
is just two-thirds pay. Why should
volunteer officers who fought the long
est enduring and fiercest war of all time
be compelled to wait until they are
within a few days of the cemetery be-
fore they get anything in the form of
annunity or pension? Only about five
per cent of the officers of the Regular
Army see any battle service whatever,
while every officer who is available for
$50 month under this bill must have
rendered one years active service dur
ing period of actual war.
I find number of Congressman who
will oppose the passage of this bill be-
cause the Grand Army of the Republic
in National Encampment at Toledo in
1908 passed a resoiution against Con-
gress passing any more pension legis-
lation for three years. I regard this as
an outrage against. every veteran SOL
dier who stood behind the guns during
the civil war; This resolution was ma
nipuiated and put thru by the life dele
gates of the Grand Army, or what is
known as the House of Lords" and /
need not explain to the comrades what is
meant by the House of Lords" Before
such a resolution as this was adopted
the body of the Grand Army, represent
ed by the Grand Army Posts thruout
the country, should have been heard
from. / am in receipt of reports from
a large number of Grand Army Posts,
who have officially denounced this de-
plorable action of the National En-
canlpment The old veterans, now bent
and griZzled, and halting with the
weight of years, cannot afford to wait
three years more before they even re-
ceive the consideration of the National
Encampment. Even if the National En-
campment should act at the expiration
of three years, it would be another year
before Congress would heed the appeal,
and probably another year before the
Pension Department wcuid De ready to
give favorable consideration to the old
soldiers claims under the bill. BY that
time the most of us VIII be In the ceme-
terry.
Yours in e c. and l..
ISAAC R. SHERWOOD, M. c.,
9th Ohio District