The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-02-28

years but more than six months. In
1886 there began the enactment of a
long series of pension acts in favor
of the widows of soldiers of the Revo-
luton, restricted at first to those who
had married before the close of the
Revolution. These grew more liberal
later until pensions were granted to
all widows, regardless of the date Of
marriage. Out of these pensions, and
similar ones for widows of veterans
of later wars, grew many abuses Of
the pension system, for it became a
practice for young women to marry
aged veterans in order to benefit by
government pension after the death
of their husbands.
The pension rolls of the Revolution
had scarcely grown to their peak when
the United States became engaged in
another war-the War of 1S12-to add
to it's list Of veterans and dependents
drawing pensions. And the same
thing was repeated later at intervals
of two decades with the Mexican war
and the Civil war. The first law pen
sioning soldiers of the Civil war was
a disability pension act of July IA,
1862, which provided for the disabled
survivors, for the widows, orphan
children and dependent members of
those who died because Of wounds
received or disease contracted while in
the service of the United States and
in line of duty. Rates for total dis
ability ranged from So to $50 month,
according to rank, and these same
rates were applied to the widows of
the soldiers. Successive laws, begin
ming July A. 1864, and eliminating in
the recent act which increased the
pensions of Civil war widows more
than seventy-five years old, have in
creased the rates, setting fixed rates
for various kinds of disability.
The passage of the arrears act in
1870 added greatly to the burden of
debt which Uncle Sam bears because
of the wars in which he has engaged.
This act provided that all pensions
which had been granted or might
hereafter be granted should date from
the time of disability, provided appli-,
cation. were made before January /,
1880. The effect of that law is shown
by, the fact that the total sum paid
for pensions jumped from $50 100000
in 1879 to $56,OO0,00O in 1880, the
greatest increase in any one year in
the history of our pension system.
A bill to establish service pensions
for persons in dependent circum-
stances was vetoed by President Cleve-
land in 1856. A similar bill was
passed June q, 1890, providing that
all persons who had served 80 days
in the war and who were suffering
from any mental or physical disability
of a permanent character which in
capacitated them from performing
manual labor might receive pensions
ranging from Sc to $12 a month, ac-
cording to the degree of disability.
Widows of soldiers who served 90
days who are dependent upon their
daily labor for support could receive
IS month.
In addition to the pensions granted
under the generals laws, many claims
for pensions, some Of them rejected
by the pension bureau, have been
passed by act of congress. In fact the
consideration of pension bills forms a
large part Of the activity of congress,
as will be seen by an inspection of
almost any issue of the Congressional
Record. AS this article is being writ
ten many such bills are being intro
duced in the present session of con-
gress. all Of which will add to the
staggering total which Old Man Mars
has collected from Uncle Sam for
wars long since past.