The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-10-13

add 10 the force of the testimony
and reorganized the Office from bot
tom to top, and as ! told YOU there
was an average of y per cent more
cases settled since | took charge o.
the office; but | cannot go farther
in this direction | have got to the
bottom. but the bottom is 81 many
hundred of feet higher than it should
be as regards the improvement in
the settling of war claims, and the
present system is so utterly made
quate. that there is no use attempt-
ing to sink it any lowers. Itclnnot
be done under that system. have
already said enough to indicate that
| think this Cr-pGrte system should
be put out of the way, both in the
interests of the claimant and the
Government. | want to tellvou
what | propose. | propose that the
proceedings for the settlement OF pen
sion claims, the proceedings to take
the testimony, shall be taken in the
presence of your neighbors and be-
fore an officer who shall be from
among your neighbors and before
whom the pension claimants shall
come with the witnesses and tell
their stories. | propose and have
recommended the adoption of a svs-
TEN which has received the favor of
all civilization on similar questions.
| recommend system which was
adopted by our fathers for more
than forty years settling the claims
of Revolutionary soldiers to pen
sions. | recommend it not lccluse
it protects the Government, becaus
that is the least of the things which
should be considered, but because
il enables the claimants themselves
to present their cases in such a form
that they can establish their claims
and procure their pension within a
reasonable time and without great
delay, 1t is simple; it IS easy and
economical; not near as costly as
the present system. If this public
system were adopted the claimants
own statement would be a founda-
ton rock upon which to build his
claim.
His statement might be tested by
putting 4 few questions to him. and
settling the point which seem doubt
/ full His statement would thus be
the most important testimony in the
case, only requiring little corobora-
ton on this or that point in order
I to establish his right TO pension.
/ As it is now the Commissioner de-
mands he should prove his ease
from the bottom, and such Is the
rule which has come down from the
beginning. Before | leave this point
want to say one word in favor Of
the present system, which | have
condemned. You see that down to
1866 the claims were settled with
great rapidity. and as cheap as five
dollars and a few cents per case.
That was under this er-pdrtc system.
Why was that so? The claims COM
ing in at that time came in with Il
record. The man came with his
arm off or with the mark of the bull
let in his side, with the indications
of the disease upon his face for
which he claimed his pension, and
for which he had been discharged
from the service. The parol cvi-
dence that was needed in his case
was very slight and surely found.
The ec-pdrte system was very well
under these circumstances. Ii was
the best system which could be
adopted for those times and that
class of case The trouble Is that
in the course of events the condition
of affairs has become changed In
stead of the claimants being sup
ported and standing upon the record,
their cases must be settled upon pa
role evidence. In those days the pa
role evidence was of but slight con-
sequence; in these DAYS it is of the
utmost consequence and must be
made the foundation of the case.
The difference in the circumstances
is very great. You see what might
have been proper system and was
a proper system for settling pension
claims in the early day has turned
out to be a curse III these later days
with the claims which are not
established in the record. Now
there Is another point. | have
discussed this question so far upon
the side of the claimant, and in his
interest; now | want to speak one
word in behalf of the Government.
All the soldidrs who came home
were not entitled To pension. Be
cause a man shouldered musket he
is not necessarily an honest man.
He may have made a martyr of
himself he may have done glorious
deeds and won the right to stand
among the foremost in the country,
but 1t does not change the nature of
the man. If he was dishonest before
he went into service, he is probably
a dishonest man all the same after
his return. We find there arc a
great many men who want a pension
who are not entitled to one; who
will attempt to get it by falsehood.
There are so many of this class that
| am safe in saying that we pay not
less than s3,000,O00 per annum to
men who were never entitled To a
pension under the law.
Shall the Government pay these
false claims ? Is it right that you
who have earned your pensions by
your sufferings and secritices and by
your disabilities shall be put upon
the pension roll on a par with men
who have no right to pensions under
the law? Shall the people of this
country be taxed to pay fraudulent
pensions +? The Government as well
as ourselves has a right to have the
pension RON one of honor and not a
subject of suspicion and the Gov
eminent has a right to demand that
there shall be such a system for the
settlement of these cases as will ena-
BILE it to obtain the truth in these
cases that it shall have such sys-
TEN as has been approved by the
civilized world, and shall not be
compelled to accept aud proceed
: u.