Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-11
A cAvEAT.

in the prosecution Of claims.
would respectfully caution the public against the
ssPersions thrown on Mayo 4 Moulton's book on
Pensions and Bounty Lands, BY the above named in
review OF their recent publications ON the sub
JecI In the mean time submit the following state
ment:
have thoroughly examined Trplstt's book, and
have taken cursory glance Benefits, having
seen his but yesterday should judge that these IN
dyduals have been la hot haste TO get up and issue
their book inced probably to their defective produo-
tons, without taking adequate time 70 mature them
by their own labors, and save themselves from the
graceless and the ungrateful policy of taducng what
they found convenient TO their hand TO make short
work Of theirs melted, probably say, by the tempt
aJsor on the subject Of Pensions and Bounty Lands,
seeing that Mayo Mouiton's book had received con-
siderable patronage from both those sources.
Except for their attacks upon the competency
Of Mayo Moulton's book, their publications would
be viewed by me in no worse light than an interfer
ance unheard Of among honorable book sellers and
publishers, who are known TO attempt to super
sede one another In publications that any Of them
above making unioanded Or even plaus5ls pretences
and excuses for doing In that light should have
permitted those individuals 10 enjoy all the benefits
they might derive from such speculations without
remark and leave them to the sure Reproduction Of the
public, who must, in due season, form proper esti-
mate Of the usage of honorable men in regard to it.
But, however reluctantly, am driven from that
course of silent abiding, to repel ut the asper
labors, obviously by such artifices TO win unmerted
public confidence in theirs; not in direct TERMS but
underhandedly by both Of these personages each in
bis own way, not 10 be mistaken BY any one denoun-
cling all compilations heretofore made on the subject
knowing that Mayo Moulton's is the only one that
has been made, first by the senior editor in 1888 and
recently extended by the edition Of ls52-'5s.
+. +. @. Triplett says:
"That the o5scurQy complained of in reference to
the laws IL not inherent in the subject ITSELF but has
arisen from the ,Dant Of system in the here
tofore made. ! think the present (hisl work will
demonstrate ofwhich will now proceed to give the
plan"
Now it turns out upon examining his plan, that it
is but mutaton of the very system actually given
in tabular analysis in the preface to my compilation
Of 1883, which has been used in the Pension Office
ever since, and repeated in the introduction to the
late edition.
G. w. Bennett says:
The object Of the publisher has been to furnish
work giving in detail all the laws relative to pensions
structons, as well as the various decisions under
them, and to accompany each with such instructions
as MS experience has shown to be necessary to be
observed, and origina! forms which have been pre-
pared 50 as TO be easily understood, and which COM
ply fully with the rules Of the Office they exist
In these respects, his work." says he differs
from that OF any other publication. Relative to the
portion Of the work respecting pay Of the army &c.
It Is simply necessary to state that no acork
tanning such information has eUer been published"
The emphatic words above are itatioised by Mr..
Bennett 70 attract attention, and show that he is
as before, that Mayo 4 Moulton's book has every
thing he denies to call other publications" as he
was in duty bound to know. In the first place
1t only required the little trouble at his hands, turn
TO the index and look over the enumeration and abb
stracts Of the laws on the various subjects with which
his long experience should have made him familiar,
to find that they are all there and many more than he
has in his book: He would also find alf the forms and
yrtsa. 49,
torneys General greatly exceeding what he has placed
in his book. And more particularly, if he would turn
TO the item of "PAY OF THE Army AND NAVY" in the
last PART Of the Index, he would find in the supple
bular statements Of Army and Navy Pay, through Ill
periods OF time from the revolution TO the present
inclusive, which Trpett also says peculiar his
book.
Having thus summarily repelled these disinpenu-
ous imputations, though obliquely made shall be
excused if carry the war into Africa by paving my
respects to Of their own perta5 deficiencies as
samples merely, for the present, Of q great many
others hereafter TO be shown up, more at leisure.
Neither Mr.. Tripletts book nor Mr. Benefits book
contains the important act providing pensions for
persons disabled in the revenue cutter service, APP
proved the 2sth April, 1914 the first and only legs
latiye notice in the way Of pensions, that has
been taken Of that useful auxiliary of the navy
proper.
Also in regard to the Navy Pension act Of the 18th
August 1s4s, these compilers differ very widely in
y
in which they are both equally in the wrong. The
said Trpett only gives the second and third sections
of the act; and the said Bennett gives q mutilated
portion of the LIST section only while the whole act is
OF equal Importance to widows, in whose behalf they
mutiiate 1t, each in his own way. They have, how
ever, both of then used (and abused the term Di-
gesf' in the titles of their books, perhaps because
they think there is charm in the term, that eors IL
up into fictitious importance in public estima-
ton, superior to the law itself; and that whatever
does not assume that title, in relation TO such compa
tons, is worthless. have not been ambitious of
such an ailTsmeat Of public opinion, although Mayo
Moultons book, In reality, contains digest Of
all those laws, and like digest of the opinions Of At
torneys General and Of the decisions OF the Depart
ments, on the subjects Of Pension and Bounty Land
Claims, may be seen by inspection Of them, in
the form Of dbsdcts prefxed TO each ACT, OPINION,
and DECISION: and are again repeated in the index,
from which more copious digest Of the laws, opin
IONS and decisions, is there available 10 any who
will take the trouble to examine them, than what
those ndividnas 80 boastfuy profess TO ax to each
law, principles Of action in the execution of the
laws; where they 70 be taken upon trust ms
plete, often without date reference authority Tin
Trpetts particularly by which corrections might be
made OF omissions or inaccuracies so different from
the digest in Mayo Moulton, where onissions or
isaocuracics can be detected on the spot II any
found 70 exist, and that ! presume, Is digest"
enough for all practical use IL IL only called So
But these far from being the most discrediiabe
features Of their productions They have brought 10
bear upon Mayo A Moulton's book, something like
tdbor-sdung machinery They have given the most
indubtable evidence Of having copied Mayo a Moul-
ton as far suited their purposes; Bennett has
copied from Tripletts book being the latest pubca-
hon-Trplett having first copied Mayo a Moultons.
These evidences are too numerous to go into now.
/ viii barely mention one class of them, viz. few
typographical errors that occurred In Mayo a Moul-
tons book, repeated in Trpletts and In Bennets
with exactness that cannot fail TO prove their orr
GIN unless the freaks Of condolences have conspired
against them Orcmmstdntidl spidence far less sfroag
has settted TIE hosh Of many man. The rest here
after.
In the meantime win take this occasion TO say,
that Messrs. Lucas Brothers, of Baltimore publish
ers, have stereotyped edition Of Mayo Moulton at
press, carefully revised and extended which will be
ready for sale and delivery by them in ful6lment Of
existing orders in a few days; when It will appear
hope, that II l have not worked by steam, / can
WELD the sledgebammcr and the fail on OCCASION TO
break down obscurations that thrust themselves in
the way OF ANALYSIS, whose infalble clue leads TO
TRUTH through the most intricate labyriatss dark
siasost'es, and nysti6oations from whstever
arising. r. MAYO.
WASHINGTON, December Q, 1854.
p. s.. Had Triplett and Bennett made original COM
pilations, and made no dsparagements Of all other
publications the subject necessarily including
Mayo 4 Mouton,) should have taken no notice of
them but they have cast the gauntlet, and / was in
honor bound 10 take tup. R.M