The National tribune., 1879-11-01
An Admirable Article.

soldiers attorneys &C. we publish the following
editorial from that able and influential journal
called "The Nation published in New York city
The soldiers of the country owe this writer deep
feeling of gratitude for the interest he exhibits
their defender, against wrong and outrage by one
whe should be their protector.
But to the Nations" article. It's editor says
1t is certainly object Mr. Bentley supposes, to
benefit and not iDure the Pension Office but do not
think that this is to be accomplished by covering up it's
shortcomings AS to the responsibility for the law of
june 1873 reducing the fee to agents and directing that
their fees should longer be reserved for them, Mr.
Bentley expressly stated in his address referrng especial
ly the latter point that the law recommended by
him The debate to which he refers shows that the bill
of the Commite Invalid Pensions fixed the fee at $685.
and that amendment from Mr.. Fuller this
duced $10 1t understood the that the final
bil and the provision in the Arrears Law forbddng
any fee to agents in applications met Mr. Bent
eys approval and this is strengthened by the opinion
openly expressed in his address, that claim agents al
together unnecessary. This notion is very
mistaken Not one in ten of these applicants can
write ineligible letter about his there is
class that needs the assistance of counsel As to
whether respectable lawyers prevented from appear
ing before the Pension Office by the inadequacy of
the compensation, think that Mr.. Bentley easily
satisfy himself by enquiry among lawyers and that the
reply will be unanimous In the applications in
which agents fee allowed large part of the work
was done by shysters, who took because they had
reputation to mperl and charged twice mnch the
work worth. The idea that these applications each
of which involved nearly much work ordinary
deed could be drawn by the ilerate applicants them
selves by lawyers who would not wish to be paid
surely conseed and only resulted in throwing the ap
pcatons into improper hands The worst feature of the
law of June was however the abandonment of the old
system of securing attorneys fees The innovation did
and could do good to honest pensioners only ope
rated to enable the dishonest cheat their agents
To make the claimagents business insecure by
aging fraud his expense is its sole object and this law
Mr. Bentley acknowledges especially his own device.
We glad to hear that any system used in taking
up the arrears cases one as imperfect that de
scbed In several of the that passed through
rapidly the applicants openly attributed their to
illicit outside influence, and the plan adopted seems espe
cay open to that danger and with little in
fanced difference in the intelligence of applicants. STILL
it certainly better than no method at ALL The blum
ders and delays of the Pension Office far
and serious than Mr. Bentley admits. Careless equr
of impossible evidence and delays of many months
in examining the evidence submitted altogether iu-
defeusbe, yet both extremely frequent and the diff
culty seems to lie deeper There is an actual hostility
to the applicant shown in refusing furnish him with
copies of papers fled and official records necessary
pete his and frequently his rejected the
secret report OF special agent which is not communi
Gated 10 him, that he is forced to fight in the dark
against unknown charges We have good reason to be-
heve that the number of deserving claims improperly
ected by the office many times greater than the fraud-
lent that have gone through, which last think
have been greatly exaggerated The talk about ten per
cent of the pensions being improperly obtained is the
widest guess-work.
With regard Mr. Bentleys plan of travelling
sons of enquiry has been repeatedly before Congress
and always rejected, and we do not think Mr. Bent
ley has any for charging in his address that the
opposition to it has been CHASED upon misunderstanding
ofts features consisted the badest misrepsena-
ton" The plan offered in the Senate last March,
for example, and Senator Edmund Thurman Voorhees,,
and others took part in the dissession with scarcely
syllable in its favor Mr. Shields styling it sham that de-
served eather-medal 1t there pointed out that
this new commission (whose only duty is to make up
for examination by the Government labor which
should be done by the Applicant attorney would nothep
the soldiers at ALL but the contrary would delay them
greatly in waiting for semannua visits of the commits
sion and them great hardship bringing their wit
before the distant courts most of them being very
poor, besides serious minor difficulties And the Gov
ernmen side it would double the expenses of the Pension
great difficulties in the office the delays in taking up
the and the nablisy 60 deal with them udicay
when reached and both of these evils would be agga-
waited The time spent in accumulating evidence would
manfesty be increased and the dispositions would be
filed not in their present condensed and pointed form but
in tie shape of long and confused verbatim reports OF
oral examination, it would be idle expect the office
unrave he while nearly all the advantage of oral
animation would be lost by net bestowing the examn
ing board any power of decision 1t plain there
fore. that the present evils would be increased.