Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1888 — VETOED. [ARTICLE]

VETOED.

The President Disapproves a Pension Claim, and Gives His Views on Special Pensions. [Washington telegram.] Three pension vetoes were received from the President and referred to the Pension Committee in the Senate on Thursday. The meesage accompanying the bill granting a pension to Mary A. Doherty states that the greater portion of the Senate committee’s report consists of the petition of the woman, in which she says that her husband left her in 1865 and has not been heard of since. Bho had received a pension as the widow of Doherty until it was discovered that he was living in Philadelphia and was himself drawing a pension there. She had succeeded in getting the pension by false swearing. The police records of her homo (Washington) showed her to be a woman of very bad character. The President says the theory seemed to be established that nO man who had served in tho army could be a subject of death or of impaired health except as a result of army service; even suicide was traced by wonderfully curious ways to service in the army. The adjudications of the Pension Bureau were overruled in the most peremptory fashion by special acts of Congress. In conclusion the President says: “The apprehension may well be entertained that the freedom with which these private pension bills are passed furnishes an inducement to fraud and imposition, whilo it certainly teaches tee vicious lesson.to our people that the Treasury of the National Government invites tho approach ot private need. “None of us should be in the least wanting in regard for the veteran Boldier, and I will yield to no man in a desire to see thoso who defended the Government when it needed defenders liberally treated. Unfriendliness to our veterans is a charge easily and sometimes dishonestly made. 1 insist that t ie true soldier is a good citizen and that ho will be satisfied with generous, fair, and equal consideration to those who are worthily entitled to help. I have considered the pension list of the Republic a roll of honor, bearing names inscribed by national gratitude, and not by improvident and indiscriminate almsgiving. I have conceived the prevention of the complete discredit which must ensue from the unreasonable, unfair, and reckless granting of pensions by special acts to be the best servi.e I can render our veterans. In the discharge of what has seemed to me my duty as related to legislation, and in the interest of all the veterans of the Union army, I have attempted to stop the tide of.improvideut pension enactments, though I confess to a full share of responsibility for some of those laws that should not have been passed. “I am far from denying that there are cases of merit Which cannot be reached except by special enactment, but I do not believe there is a member of either house of Congress who will not admit that this kind of legislation has be n carried too far. I have now before me more than 10J special pension bills which can hardly be examined in tho time allowed for that purpose. My aim has been at all times in dealing with bills of this character to give the applicant for a pension the benefit of any doubt that might arise and which balanced the propriety of granting a pension if there seemed any just foundation for the application; but when it seemed entirely outside of every rule in its nature or tho proof supporting it I have supposed I did only my duty in interposing an objection. “It seems to me it would be well if all our general pension laws should be revised, with a view of meeting every meritorious case that can arise. Our experience and knowledge of any existing deficiencies ought to make the enactment of a complete pension code possible. In the absence of such a revision, and if pensions are to be (/ranted upon equitable grounds and without regard to general laws, the present methods would be greatly improved by the establishment of some tribunal to examine the facts in every case and determine upon the merits of the application."