Grover Cleveland

To depart from all rules regulating the granting of pensions by such an enactment as is proposed would establish a precedent which could not fail to cause embarrassment and perplexity.

I return without approval Senate bill No. 1288, entitled 'An act granting a pension to Robert Holsey.'

I suppose that every army ailment does not necessarily result in death or disability.

I am satisfied that this conclusion of the Pension Bureau was correct.

This I deem sufficient reason why the proposed bill should not now become a law.

I hereby return without approval Senate bill No. 1584, entitled 'An act for the relief of Cornelia R. Schenck.'

I return without approval House bill No. 3624, entitled 'An act granting a pension to Fred. J. Leese.'

There does not appear on the records any evidence of disability.

Every relaxation of principle in the granting of pensions invites applications without merit and encourages those who for gain urge honest men to become dishonest.

A better reason is based upon the entire lack of any facts shown to exist which entitle the beneficiary named to a pension.

I deem myself obliged to disapprove this bill on the ground that there is an almost complete failure to state any facts that should entitle the claimant to a pension.

I find nothing in the facts presented to me which, in my opinion, justifies the reversal of the judgment of the Bureau and the Secretary of the Interior.

I am also thoroughly convinced, from examination of the case, that the claimant should not be pensioned.

I am so thoroughly tired of disapproving gifts of public money to individuals who in my view have no right or claim to the same.

The public money appropriated for pensions is the soldiers' fund, which should be devoted to the indemnification of those who in the defense of the Union have worthily suffered.

My objection to this bill is that it is of no possible advantage to the beneficiary therein mentioned.

I return without approval Senate bill No. 2223, entitled 'An act granting a pension to Elizabeth S. De Krafft.'

The record of his service contains no mention of any disability.

I can discover no just ground for reversing this determination and making a further discrimination in favor of this pensioner.

It seems to me that however satisfactorily the injury which he described may be established, and though every suspicion as to his habits be dismissed, there can hardly possibly be any connection between such an injury and the causes to…

There is such a failure to adjust existing laws to the new departure proposed by the bill as to greatly endanger the public service if this bill should not be amended or at once supplemented by additional legislation.

No Federal courts are held at Zanesville, and there are no Government officers located there who should be provided for at the public expense except the postmaster.

The evidence recited in the report of the Congressional committee to whom this bill was referred, though it tends to show, if reliable, that when the soldier returned from his service his leg was affected, fails to show a continuous…

It seems to me that in the consideration of the merits of this bill the necessities of the Government should control the question.

I think the limitation thus fixed a very wise one.