The National tribune., 1879-03-01
Pension Attorneys and Claim Agents.

of high place in Congress and IN Office have de-
scended from their high estate to make cheap capital
by ndiscriminatc abuse of the classes named at the
head of this article
The battle is over the smoke has blown away,
the passions of the hour ought now to be cool Let
us consider this thing calmly and dispassonatey.
In the first place then, man just has as good a
right to be pension attorney he has to be Com
missioner of Pensions or Senator or Representative
and if he does honestly and fairly his duties to his
clients and his country he is equally respectable
and entitled to as much consideration any other
man in any other Office or duty
If he fails to do his duty by his clients or his
country he deserves no more respect than the man
who, in any other sphere, fails to do his.
If he resists temptation when offered and keeps
his reputation pure he deserves far greater credit
than the man who has never been tempted or who
has succumbed to temptation
Then there is nothing in the business of soliciting
pensions that is in itself dshonorabe or bad it is
as legitimate and as honorable any other branch
of the law If, then, there be wrongdoing the
wrong-dong is that of the individual or individuals
not of the business, and should be charged to the
man. not to the class
Hence the cruel unfarness of including in one
sweeping and general incupation a large class of
men, without distinction and without justice
This sort of rhetoric belongs to the sensational
newspaper style, and is utterly unworthy of calm
men holding high positions.
The bar of the Pension Office is composed of a
large number of practitioners scattered all the
country.
Some are very likely ignorant, some few it may
be are Intentionally dishonest but the bulk of them
try to do their duty by their clients ntelligently
and honestly.
Now it so happens in this business, as in all 9TH
ers that by advantages of location by becoming
better known, by legitimate advertising, from
other causes there is strong tendency to accumu-
laton of business in few hands at certain centers
This, by the way is the tendency of the age in
all business.
There are firms in this city who have in their
hands large numbers of claims alive and pending.
In this business they have embarked much money
and much time in this business they have acquired
special knowledge; to this they have devoted all
their energies from it they hope to reap a compe-
tent reward
Now all this investment, representing years of
labor and thousands of dollars of money in which
the active abors of a lifetime seek their remunera-
ton hangs upon the condition of good behavior
One misstep, yielding to temptation, one sur
render of professional honor by countenancing a
fraud upon the Government and the Secretary of
the Interior break down the whoe-can dsbar
the attorney and wreck the whole of the plans study
and outlay of life, The security thus given for
good behavior grows larger the business itself is
more valuable An attorney with single case or
few can laugh at the penalty of disbarring,
for he loses little; but man whose whole fortunes
for life planted irrevocably in large business
afford be dishonest if he felt the inclina-
ton. 1t won't pay.
And such is the fact in experience There is no
greater safesuard against pension frauds than the
accumulation of large masses of business in intell-
gent and honorable hands for then the Commissioner
will gather around him whose interest it is in