The National tribune., 1879-03-01
Extracts from the Remarks of Messrs. Thurman,
Gordon, and Voorhees,, on the Pensioners Per
ambulatory Court Bill.
MIR. THURMAN.


very few minutes Of the attention of the Senate.
Ii is said that fraudulent claims allowed and var
ous estimates are made of the number of fraudulent
claims Some say per cent. some 10, some 10, some 20
of all the pension claims that are allowed arc fraudulent
claims IL that is the case then one OF two things IS GER
tain or both in fact either that pension system and
the means that provide for ascertaining whether
pension ought to be granted not radically defective
or administration Of the Pension office radically de-
fectve and wrong. One of the must be So both
and now how does this amendment remedy IL? Ii un-
derstand this amendment Notwithstanding the appoint
ment of these one hundred and twenty perpatcians the
Commissioner of Pensions go just as before on
just the kind of testimony IN Just the same mode
granting or refusing pensions Am right III that
Again think the senator will find that his districts
will be- rs say each of them almost large
State Now will take the State of Ohio. These two
gentlemen into the State of Ohio with eighty
counties the State and not single county In the
State in which there is not pensioner am quite safe
in saving that Where they to hold their sngs and
discharge this duty in the time that is specified, and how
these pensioners all to get notice? BY publication in
a newspaper in the district The district may comprise
sixty counties in Ohio and this would not be than
fair average size for each one of the districts and III
some one newspaper in that district there be notice
that this board viii Sit where? Sit for the exami
nation Of whom II to me that it would be utterly
mpractcabe for them to discharge this work. to perform
this duty.
But that Is not ALL doubt exceedingly the proprey
of appointing these surgeons because believe that under
the present system the examination made by surgeons in
the neghborhood OF the man who is under Disability or
has been wounded is much more likely TO result IN COR
opinion than would be an examination made py sur
geon who sees the for half hour never saw him
before and will sec him again There no trouble
when has lost an arm or lost leg or lost an eye
it requires surgeon TO that. But when man is
under disability resulting from disease, how is this sur
geon sent perhaps from Washington City or detailed
from the Army or Navy and seeing for half an
hour whom he had seen before, and with whose
habits he is wholly unacquanted to form correct opn-
of that at all comparable with the surgeon IN his
neghborhood who has known him we'll and is competent
to form Judgment about him do not think it can be
think the present system in that respect BETTER
especially when the appointment of the examining surgeon
rests with the Commissioner of Pensions.
Sir, know some of these examining surgeons IN my
Stete and every one of them whom know is man OF
high honor of high standing in his profession There is
not of them that would give false certhcate much
less of them that could be corrupted to give false
certificate They Just good men as these sixty men
would be under this BILL and that, Mr. President take
it is much economical plan il 1 am right. Here
are to be sixty lawyers sixty DOCTORS and they to
receive ST. 500 apiece each year That 900
the two each district Multiply that by sixty the num-
ber of districts and you have $3O0O0O to be annually
paid these lawyers and these doctors 1t may be that
that would be wise expenditure il may be that it would
result in economy, but it does not look so to me.
MR. GORDON
Mr. GoRpoS Mr. President, | do not wish to antago-
nze this amendment except the extent of asking the
attention of the Senate the fact that as understand
it proposes almost entire change in the administration
of the Pension Office at least in one very important
branch of Administrations it proposes very large num-
ber of appointees and the redisrctng of the United
States into sixty think, sevenysix divisions with
officers appointed and clerk to each of these This
certainly involves very grave change and very large
amount machinery and expenditure to be acted upon
in this late hour of the session
do not know but that shall be prepared to vote for
the amendment after thorough examinations but submit
that in department. where there two hundred and
thirty thousand soldiers interested, WITH think,
about one hundred and thirty thousand applicants
with the expenditure of thirty millions of money per
annum undertake to alter in important particular
all the laws respecting this great department too grave
matter for these last hours Of the session.
would submit, therefore, something better, in my
Judgment that provision be made for commission of
two Senators and three members of the House. who shall
take this question in hand and report to at the next
session upon this the advisabty of some
change in this matter
agree with the Senator from Kansas that whatever is
fraudulent in this department ought to be Topped off.
Wherever there mpostions upon the Pension Bureau
we ought to ascertain the cause but ought thought
lessy huriedy to involve the interests of these two
hundred and thirty thousand soldiers here at this late
hour of session. in probably the nexrcable difficult
les which would arise from this system 1t is not by
any means certain that shall always find honest men
divide the honest from the dishonest pensions and
simply to submit that it is very grave question: and