MILITARY PENSIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. The system of military pensions in the United States had its germ in the colonial epoch. The necessity of calling upon the inhabitants for armed defense against the Indians and other foes • seemed to impose the necessity of providing at public expense for those who were disabled, and for the families of those who perished in the struggles. In the Revolutionary struggle the troops were promised similar pensions, and offi cers who should remain in the service till the end of the war were promised half pay for life. The Continental Congress was unable to fulfill this obligation. After the adoption of the Con stitution Congress took up the matter of pensions, and passed in 1792 a general pension law. Sue- / cessive laws were passed improving the machinery for granting pensions, and enlarging the number of claimants. but no increase of rate was granted until 1816, when the rate of a full pension was raised from $5 per month to $8. The application of the law was at the same time extended to those who had fought in the War of 1812.
The principle of service pensions was intro duced by the act of March 13, 1818. All sur vivors of the Revolutionary army or navy who had served until the close of the war, or at any period of the struggle for at least nine months, were entitled, if in needy circumstances. to pen sions for life. For privates the rate was fixed at $S per month. The law was loosely worded and the door left wide open to fraud. The grants of pensions became a public scandal, and a law of 1820 required all pensioners and applicants to file a statement of property in proof of their alleged indigence. Many were stricken from the rolls. Up to September. 1822, as many as 18.880 claims had been admitted. hut at that time the number '' of pensioners was only 12.331, owing to the/ effect of the law of 1820. in 1832 a law was passed which granted full pay for life to all who had served at least two years in the Revolution. any War, and proportional payments to those who had served less than two years but more than six months.
In 1836 began a long series of acts in favor of the widows of Revolutionary soldiers, restricted at first to those who had married before the close of the Revolution, but gradually growing More liberal until pensions were granted to all, ir respective of the date of marriage.
A similar development of legislation occurred with respect to pensions growing out of the War of 1812, and of the Mexican War. A part of this legislation is of recent date and was affected by the more liberal views as to. pension legislation which followed the Civil War.
The first law pensioning soldiers of the Civil War was a disability pension law of July 14, 1862. It provided for the disabled survivor, and for the widows, orphan children, and dependent mothers of those who died by reason of any wound received or disease contracted while in the service of the United States and in the line of duty. Rates for total disability ranged from $8 to $30 a month, according to rank, and these were the rates accorded to widows. Successive laws beginning July 4, 1864, have increased the rates. adopting fixed rates for various kinds of disability.
A powerful stimulus was given to pensions ex penditure by the passage of the Arrears Act in 1879. This 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 prior to the first of July, 1880. The operation of the law is shown by the fact that in 1881 the average of first payments to army invalids was $953.62, and $1,021.51 to army widows.
A bill to establish service pensions for persons in dependent circumstances was vetoed in 18S6 by President Cleveland. A similar bill was passed June 27, 1890. providing that all persons who had served ninety days in the war and who were suffering from any mental or physical disability of a permanent character which incapacitated them from performing manual labor may receive pensions of from $6 to $12 a month, proportioned to the of inability to earn a support. Widows of soldiers who served ninety days who are dependent upon their daily labor for support may receive $8 per month.