The National tribune., 1879-02-01
New York Tribune on the Pension Arrears Bill.

We publish for the information Of our readers the
article below from our distinguished contemporary
and namesake:
Owing the general of adverse criticism upon the
Pension Arrears bill by the press of both parties the opn-
ion is prevalent here that the whole scheme will be al
lowed to fail for the of appropriation by Congress-
1t is certain that If any member of either House becomes
sponsor for appropriation bill to carry out the provis
ions of this he will find much spirited OPP
position than made when the bill itself being dis
| cussed.
The committees of both Houses seemed to have relied
upon the canageats exclusively for information the
probable working of the scheme for the Commissioner Of
Pension kept in ignorance that such bill being
discussed until after had passed both Houses of Con-
and ready for the Presidents signiture The
bill introduced by Mr. Rice in reference to which the Com
missioner wrote the letter which was quoted in debate
a widely different affair.
for long time of which the Commissioner speaks favor
ably but which has merits in the eyes of the claim
agents. ltprovdes that pension shall begin when the
proof establishing disability fled in other words, when
it asked for In this way if pension is delayedn
examination for two years. often the owing to
the large number cases ahead of it, the pensioner will
ultimately receive the amount if the office had
sidered his The bill in itself is full of de-
ec and supplementary together with decisions
of the Attorney General regarding its provisions, be
had before payments can be begun under it.
We regret to say that other papers representing
as does the New York Tribune the money power
of the Country indulge in similar unfounded
criticisms
I We say to those papers that if they would read
the reports of the committees of Congress on PEN
sions, they would find that bills in all substantial
points similar to this have been again and again rec
commended favorably, and sustained by arguments
which never have been and never be answered
We say further that there is no ''tone of adverse
criticism upon the bill" except among some of the
great dailies in the cities whose whole idea of Gov
ernment seems to consist in the accumulation of
gold in the Treasury for the benefit of the bondhol
ders
4 They talk great deal about the sanctity of the
debt-meanng the bonds-but this debt which this
law discharges is older higher and sacred than
the bond. 1t has the pledged word of the Nation
given to its citizens who saved its life and but for
whom these bonds would have been as valueess as
confederate paper.
i We sincerely believe that the correspondent who
telegraphs so frequently to the New York Tribune,
is inspired by the Commissioner himself and
believe it the by his stock phrase of the claim
agents"
Now, the Commissioners, the correspondent, and
the Tribune knew that the law in question forbids
any compensation at all under any circumstances to
the scaim agent" so that their labors if so impor-
tant stated were singularly dsinterested.
The law is not plain as it might have been, but
there is no such inconsistency in it that it cannot be
applied If 1T be put into honest intelligent and fair
hands to administer. If however, it is to be con-
strued with the petogging spirit, that has marked
the administration of other great remedial measures,
if it is to be put into hands that hostile to it. it
may well enough be stranged by incompetency or
/, ill will We trust however that Mr. Bentley may
enlarge his vision suicently.to see plain way to
execute the law in the spirit which enacted it, and
very certain that the Attorney General good
soldier and good lawyer, will be able to show him
how to do it,