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

there still we're $50 widows Of Next
can war ve.sans on the rolls of the
pension bureau. The Civil war has
been over So years but last year pen
sions were being paid to 5000 SOL
diers who served in that war, to 80
nurses and to 1925 widows of vet
Grams.
Other pensioners last year were 49,
SO4 soldiers, Ala nurses and s2S,643
widows placed on the rolls by the
Spanish-American war; 5,574 soldiers
and 1000 widows by the Indian wars;
As soldiers and Is widows by the
World war and 14.758 soldiers and
5000 widows by the regular army.
These, with the pensioners previously
mentioned, made total of 477,915
persons who received total of $780,
S9O,1S9 from Uncle Sam. There were
1929 fewer persons drawing pen
sions in 1929 than in 1925 but the total
paid the last year was $924,5l7
greater because the level of expendi-
ture was raised by new legislation
which increased pensions to Civil war
widows more than seventy-five years
old. .
The history of pensions for veterans
Of American wars goes back to the
earliest days of the republic. On June
20, ITO, even before the Declaration
of independence had been adopted, the
Continental congress appointed COM
mittee to "Consider what provision
ought to be made for such as are
wounded or disabled in the land or
sea service"
This committee made a prompt re-
port and on August 26, 1776, the first
national pension act in America was
passed by the Continental congress.
That part of the law fixing the amount
was as follows: "That every COM
missioned officer, non-commissioned
officer, and private soldier who shall
lose limb in any engagement, or be
so disabled in the service of the
United States of America as to render
him incapable afterwards of getting
a livelihood, shall receive, during his
life or the continuance of such dis
ability, the one-half of his monthly
pay from and after the time that his
pay as an officer or soldier ceases"
After the Constitution had been
adopted and the new government had
been organized, it continued for
time the pensions which had been pre-
viously granted and assumed their
payment. Soon, however, strong de-
mand arose for a new pension law,
and on March %, 1892, the first pen
sion law passed by the new govern
ment went into effect.
Later there grew demand for a
pension law not based upon disability
incurred in the service and in his an
nual message to congress on Deem
Der 2, 1917, President Monroe recon-
mended such law. A bill was passed
by the house on December "a, as a
sort of a Christmas present to the
veterans of the Revolution, passed by
the senate Immediately afterwards
and approved by President Monroe on
March IS, 1918.
The loose wording of this law, how
ever, made frauds easy and the grant
of pensions became public scandal.
A law passed in 1920 required all pen
sioners already on the rolls and future
applicants to file statement of prop
erty as proof of their alleged depend
ence upon government bounty for
livelihood. AS result, the names of
many pensioners were stricken from
the rolls.
In 1882 law was passed which
granted full pay for life to all who
had served at least two years In the
Revolution and proportional payments
to those who had served less than two