The National tribune., 1911-04-27
LETTER FROM GEN. SHERWOOD.
He Is for Any Bill That Will Pass
Congress aud the White House.

| Editor National Tribune: AS Chair
man of the House Committee on IN
valid Pensions l am in receipt of a
large number of letters of inquiry
touching the pension question. 1t is
| Impossible for me. with the clerical
/ force at my service, to answer all
lthesc letters. II como Of the comrades
who read The National Tribune fail 10
get prompt replies 10 letters. either of
advice or inquiry, they will know the
reason.
ain asking the courtesy of The
/ National Tribune to make ii few per-
/ tincnt comments:
First The Invalid Pensions Commit
tee has no jurisdiction in either the
| Mexican War or Spanish War PEN
siors.
Second This Congress is in extra
session. called by the President to pass
the Canadian reciprocity pact. and no
| legislation OF general character. eX-
cnpt such as specified under the rules
adopted at the opening of the session,
| is in order.
| Third. All the appropriations for the
current fiscal year We're passed by the
! last Congress. and should II general
pension bin be enacted at this extra
session the soldiers who would bc
bcneficarics would have to wait for
an appropriation Of Congress. when il
.
Der.
II is my intention. however. as soon
as the business of tho special session
Is disposed Of in the House to try and
induce the Invalid Pensions Commit
tee to ask for q special rule to conSid-
or general pension bill, and. if pos
siblc secure its passage during this
extra session. IT is now generally
conceded that the Senate win delib-
crate for some weeks on the Canadian
reciprocity pact and the farmers free
list bill and the bills to admit New
Mexico and Arizona, and this may
prove an opportune time to pass pen
sion legislation IN the House.
L'D to dat', judging by the great
food OF letters | have already re-
ceiyed as Chairman, the comrades are
divided in sentiment as TO whethc;
;he SUIloway bill should he re-enact-
cd or the Grand Army bill endorsed
at the National Enca ampmcnt at At [
lan;ic City) or my dollar-a- day bill. as
modified and now known rs House /
Bill! No. /. being thc first bill intro |
dUced in this Congress.
| bave received an estin'Gtc Of the /
cost of my dollara-day hi from the /
Pension bureau. and it is estimated |
TO cost S32.000.000 the first year. As |
We have been issuing and are still is /
suing Panama bonds to build the Pan |
ANA Canal "a stupendous enterprise /
that is going to cost over 100000. /
0c0). why not, il the President and |
the Secretary of the Treasury think |
the Cnitnl States Treasury cannot |
stand any more pension legislation. is !
sue. say, $35.000.G0O of these three |
per cent Panama bonds for the benefit
OF the old soldiers vino saved the |
Union of these states a half century
ago? Why not let the old ditch wait
All the soldiers OF my district would
chcerfully take these Panama bonds.
We have lived and grown and -four
ishod for l22 years as Republic
without any 5000. 10000 ditch across
the Isthmus: but We would not be q
continent-wide Republic TO-DAY had |
not the boys of '61 to 'GJ gone to the
front panOplied for war shouting the
battle cry of Freedom"
am for the pension bill that will
do the greatest amount OF good to the
greatest number of worthy comra des
! am for the hill that is most likely 70
pass the Senate and the White House.
to be made available as speedily AS
possible for the comfort and consola-
ton of the thousands of old comrades
in distress and want.
| have inside information which |
consider reliable that the Sulloway
bill would hardly pass tho Senate now. l.
and would not be approved by the
President il passcri. Hence I favor a
bill that has a fair prospect of be-
coming II law.
The Invalid Pensions Committee is
composed of 16 members. including
the Chairman, 10 Democrats and six
Repubicans. and each member will
have an equal voice and vote in fram-
ing the coming bill. No doubt Il lib
oral bill will nc prepared. and there is
no doubt it will pass the House OF
Representatives during the first rcgu-
lar session of the present Congress.
| am anxious to hear from comrades
everywhere as 10 tho most S2tistac-
tory bill TO report for passage, and I
beg 10 assure all the comrades that |
hnNe no views of my own to set up or
HntagoniZe tho will of the majority.
| trust that when the state Encamp
ments meet and the National Encamp-
ment meets at Rochester, y. y. the
pension question will be taken sup and
discussed early in the sessions. ThcE
all the comrades are present. that AL
may participate in the 6ohatc. 1t is
tho most vital question of the hour to
oar rapidly disappearing army. 50
many nf whom are in want and dis
treSs.-isaac L. Sherwood. NJ. c. of
Ninth Ohio District.