No cause is given of the soldier's death, but it is not claimed that it
resulted from his military service, her pension being asked for entirely
because of her needs and the faithful service of her husband and her
sons.
This presents the question whether a gift in such a case is a proper
disposition of money appropriated for the purpose of paying pensions.
The passage of this law would, in my opinion, establish a precedent so
far-reaching and open the door to such a vast multitude of claims not on
principle within our present pension laws that I am constrained to
disapprove the bill under consideration.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 6, 1886_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
I return herewith without approval House bill No. 5603, entitled "An act
granting a pension to Mrs. Catherine McCarty."
The beneficiary is the widow of John McCarty, of the First Missouri
Regiment of State Militia Volunteers, who died at Clinton, Mo., April 8,
1864.
The widow filed her claim in 1866, alleging that her husband died while
in the service from an overdose of colchicum.
The evidence shows without dispute that on the day previous to the death
of the soldier a comrade procured some medicine from the regimental
surgeon and asked McCarty to smell and taste it; that he did so, and
shortly afterwards became very sick and died the next morning.
It is quite evident that the deceased soldier did more than taste this
medicine.
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