Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-03-17

/ land, has introduced bills TO place
upon the United States pension roll
al the rate OF $3.50 a month tho
wiloNh OF the later Rear Admirals
Winfield $. Schley and Roblcy u.
Evans This action may start afresh
the much-debated question as 10 'he
ohligatlOns Of the government to-
ward the widows or families OF popu
lar military heroes. and In this case
a little. interest may be added TO the
general situation by the fact that Ma
Jor Ravner. before he entered tAo
serate. was consrl for Admiral Schley
in The famous controversy with the
late Admiral William T. Sampson
growing on. Of the conduct ly Schley
Of the battle of Santiago.
A little study OF the pension sys-
tenn IS II applies to what may be
STYLED famous widows" discloses
some queer things. For example, not
one of the many women who have
been granted pensions ranging from
5000 10 s:5o0 per annum because Of
the distinguished military services NJ
their husbands. was entitled 10 any
such sam under the general pension
laws. Zach was made a beneficiary
of special act of congress. should
George Dewey, the hero o. Manila
and the only full admiral in he naval
service of tho United States. die 10.
morrow. his widow would not be er
ti,lcd to a pension exceeding $50 a
month, ami she might not receive
even that.
II is possible, IL not probable, that
a precedent for action In the case Of
Mrs. Schley. pt least, has beet set by
the case Of Mrs Sampson. who now
receives a pension OF $50 a month
from the government under the gen
eral law Admiral Sohloy died last
fall of apopleNy, and his widow, after
due personal application was placed
upon the pension roll az sl2 a month
Had her husband died as the result Of
wounds or illness incurred in mill
tary service she would have been M
titled 10 SD a month, as was Mrr
Sampson, whose husbands mind CAV,
way under the strain OF the Spanish
war.
/ In considering special pension cases
OF this. as OF any other character, che
I committee on pensions is accustomed
to take into account the income Of the
woult-bc beneficiary from variu,uf
sources. more especially that when
might be derived from the estate 81
her husband. Senator Rayner has
not submitted any data to show how
mrch property was left by Admiral
Schlev. and he has been requested by
the committee 10 do so. Ii is under
stood that the estate OF Rear Admiral
Evans is only about $1,000. The com
mittce Is accustomed TO calculate an
income OF 2 pap cent upon thr proper
( ~ left by the husband: hence Il
would estimate that Mrs. Evans will
he in receipt of an annual income ~
n little moro than $500. His phys,
clan reported that the examining
board of the pension bureau affirm
ed that Admiral Evans died as the
result of his military service he hay.
Ing been severely wounded seve-a,
times: hence without any action OF
congress, Mrs Evans. who is a wcm.
an of ~. would he entitled TO a pen.
sion Of $50 a month.
Except for the precedent Of ne
Sampson case. Il might be predicted
with reasonable certainty that ~
pension committee untimely would
recommend in the case Of Mrs
Schlcy and Mrs Evans pensions II
$50 a month Congress sometime
although rarely, is extremely scnti.
mental In the matter OF pensions. ana
sometimes Is not Joseph Il Hawley
OF Connecticut, was n distinguished
general Of the Union army. and OIL er
servel his state for many wears in
the senate--for so many in fact ;ual
he was unable to perform his 'ulI
senatorial duties the last Few Years
OF his service. The senate passed a
bill granting his widow pcnsion OF
$50 a month. but Il developed in De
bate that his estate was worth some
thing like $4,000. and the house
killed the hill.
Mrs Jchn \. Logan was lore for
tnnate. Her husband wa a major
general during the Civil war and att
erward long n senator from nlno,.
ana candidate for vice president
with lanes G. Blaine In 1884. Con.
gress granted Mrs ogar q pension
ot soc a year hut she appears Ia
he, with one exception-tlc widow Of
Major General Francis T Flair tho
only woman receiving the exact sum
IN recent years. The widow OF Gen.
eral Phillip II Sheridan was granted
a pension OF s. 500 a year and thes,
three are among the very few case
IN which pepsions exceeding 500 a
month have been granted 70 widow,
Tor the strictly military services o,
iheir husbands. Mrs. Georce 3. Ne.
Clellan received a pension OF $1,000
per annum, but General Mcclellan
had been candidate Of the Demo
cratic party for president Of the Unit,
ed States.
Mrs James A. Garfield and Mrs
William Mckinley we're me wives nj