The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-10-07

/ Ah INolNANJt aha bhAb lUlal utNONlUu
first to the Republican party, and then to
his country. Let me then briefly examine
the claims thus set set up and see how
much there is in them that will justify,
either the Union Soldier or the Colored Vo-
ter, in blindly subjecting himself to the par
ty lash, or yielding implicit obedience to any
patisan consideration. If there be any
class Of persons in this country who would
seem to appeal, in an especial manner, to
the generous and merciful consideration
of the Republican party, they are certainly
to be found among the fathers and moth
ers, brothers and sisters, widows and or.
phans Of the soldiers who surrendered their
lives in the line of duty-but have they
experienced any such lot There is no
department Of the Government which is
so thoroughly misused in the interest of
party as the "Pension Office" | select q
few instances which will fully corroborate
my statement. Take the case of Henry X
bourn, No. 1S1 ,643, as illustrative of the
consideration which the Pension Office has
for suffering applicant. Kilbourn had
filed his application, and waited anxiously
for the result. Patience exhausted, he in
quired the cause of the delay. The answer
comes demanding further evidence. lie
again waits until eternity looms up as more
probable realization than any action on
his claim by the Pension Office. He
again applies for information as TO the
delay, and again receives demand for the
identical evidence previously applied for
and furnished-and thus the matter con-
tinues, until three letters of inquiry had
been sent, and the same evidence had been
thrice demanded, which had been furnish
ed in the first instance. This is by no
means an isolated case, but cases of like
character will be found in disgracefu num-
bcrs upon the Records of the Pension Office
A charge has been made against the
Pension Office that lest it should run out
Of work, it was in the habit of granting
a pension below the grade to which the
applicant was entitled, in order to compel
him to make another application, and thus
there would be new cases for the Office to
work upon, and thereby the the Pension
Office would be able to keep its full force.
Now we will see how far the charge is
sustained, and will take for examination
the case of John Murphy, No. los, ,4S1,
who was blind man, and witness how
generously he was treated. He sent his
application to the Pension Bureau in 1867.
The action of the Bureau was this =
September 18th, 1870, granted pension
of S15 per month. Prior to that the Sur
geons certificate, dated July 2Sth, 1868 is,
"Surgeon Randall reports disability total -
That is, at the time the pension was grant
cd the Surgeon had reported to the Office
that the applicant was totally disabled
he was blind, wandering about sightless,
and in darkness, but leaning on his trust
full confidence in the justice of the Gov
crnment, he yet kept alive the light of
hope, whose dying embers were only sus-
tanned by the stinted supply from time to
time, of bcggarly and disgraceful fuel.
Very soon after the pension of s15 a
month was granted, Murphy received no.
tice from his Attorney to apply for an
increase, and he accordingly applied, and
on the 18th of October, 1870, the grade
"total' was again returned. His certii-
cate is then increased in amount to $50
per month, January II, 1871. But this
is not the final consummation by any means.
1t is necessary to call the matter up again
and require this poor blind man to again
seek his evidence in darkness. He applies
for another increase, and the return total
is again made. He receives from time to
time, notice to apply for an increase, and
every time, he gets it. His pension is
then raised to S24 per month-that is on
the 4th day of June, 1862. First it is
SIS, then $50, and then S24. The man
was blind, and his pension grade was
"total disability" but no difference, they
graded him up and now behold how nicely
they graded him down. Like the King
of France, he marched up the hill and then
marched down again. One might very rea-
sonably conclude that they had about done
with John Murphy, that his case was ex-
hausted, but no, not by great deal, they
were just about trying new method to
make business brisk, They sent out some
detective or other officer Of the service, to
look up Murphy's case, or by some other
means, reduced his grade. We find that
on the !4th of November, 1873, his PEN
sion was reduced to S1S per month. You
might suppose that this would certainly be
the end Of the matter but it was not. In
accordance with a notice, dated January 5,
1876, at time when the frauds of the
Pension Office were undergoing investiga-
tion. Murphys pension, like all things hu-
man, was again subject to change: this
time, how natural and appropriate the
change taking into consideration the cir
cumstances surrounding the Pension Office.
They changed this time to S24, the amount
to which he was entitled at the time he
filed his application in 1867.
l forbear comment, submitting the facts
to fair-minded men for such inference as
they may feel justified in making. 1t is
a notorious fact that the Pension Office is
not now able to account for the sum of |
s2,65S, ,2SS.77, which has been appropria-
ted for that Department. AT least, if they |
are able to state the service to which it has |
been applied, no such satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION has ever been attempted. Per-
haps the following facts may throw some
light upon the subject. A report of the
Committee on Pensions made to the House |
of Representatives, in February of this
year, states, that two Clerks in the Pension
Bureau, Stiles and Caffrey, were detailed
to act as Clerks to the Republican Con-
gressional Committee, and drew their pay |
monthly from the Pension fund, although
they never performed an hours service
for the Government. Its also in evidence
that detective Bell was employed to 60 to
st. Louis during the whiskey trials and
work in the interest of certain parties and
against the Government, and was paid out
of the Pension fund. He was recommen.
ded by President Grant, and appointed by
Secretary Chandler.
| now pass to brief examination of the
claims which the Republican party make
to the undivided support of the Colored