Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-03-25
L0UNSBERRY TALKS ABOUT
M'CUMBER Pension BILL

Washington, March 20.-(Special
Correspondence.)-I notice some OF
the papers are criticising Senator NC
Cumber's bill for pensioning certain
widows of the. Civil war, Spanish
American war and the war with Mex
leo soldiers.
The pension policy of the United
States was established In the days OF
Washington, and pension 10 as
much the soldiers due as was the sal
ary and the allowance for, clothing
and rations and medical attendance
received by him during the, war;
When Abraham Lincoln called for
the first quota Of $1,000 men, the
loyal sons of the republic responded
confident that the government would
do justice to them, to their widows
and orphans. ~
For long time the pension stood
at So per month for the enlisted
men, SIS for second lieutenants, 81
for first lieutenants, $21 for captains,
$25 for majors and $40 for officers Of
higher grade, for disability incurred
in the service, and at the same rate
for their widows where it could be
shown that the soldier died In the
service or from wounds received or
disease incurred in the service, pro-
vlded they had no income suflcien: to
meet their needs.
Under the law the ratings for the
enlisted men ranged from 81 per
month up, 81 to IS being frequent
rate and even then there was great
difficulty in procuring evidence, and
the expense and trouble of examine
tiOns were not unfrequently prohibit
tory.
There were ratings above the fig
ures named for the loss of limbs or an
eye, and for some lines of disability,
in which the distinction between Of
ficers and men are wiped out, buv
special acts were passed with officers
widows receiving $50 to 500 per
month, and even more in few in
stances, while the widows of enlisted
men had to be content with a much
less sum.
Whan Senator McCumber became a
member of the committee on pensions
he determined to do justice to the
disabled soldier, and to equalize and
adjust their pensions. He caused to
be adopted as a rule governing the
pension committee that in cases of
restitution there should be no dis
tinction between officers and men,
that the destitute private or his widow
should receive the same consideration
as the destitute major general or his
widow.
In the 9th congress he secured
the enactment of the age pension
bill under which it is only necessary
to establish the fact of honorable SER
vice and of age when the private and
the major general stood on a level
and each were to receive the same
pension, and as they advanced in age
their pensions were automatically in
creased. The widows were not pro-
vided for in this bill, through no
fault of Senator McCumber, but they
were under the act Of April 10, 1908.
Further legislation is demanded by
justice and with one voice by the
grand army Of the republic and that
is provided for in senate bill 6O58,
introduced by Senator McCumber.
and reported favorably by Senator
Curtis. provides for the widows of
certain soldiers married within three
years of the death of the soldier since
June, 1890. These under the present
law, have no pensionable status. The
boys averaged less than twenty years
Of age when they enlisted. Many
were not married prior to June, 1890.
Many had become widowers, with
large families of children who needed
mothers care. The soldier, too,
needed the care and the comforts In
his declining years that can only
come through honorable marriage.
and to discriminate against their
wives as the laws now do, If felt by
the great mass of those. who know,
and especially Of the Grand Army
people, to be a disgrace and a shame.
The bill, like other pension 1egisla-
tion advocated by Senator McCumber,
Is likely to become a law.
The opportunities of early man.
hood, the days when most is acquired
BY observation and much by exper.
fence, the years when the foundation
for an education or for business is