The National tribune., 1880-04-01
The only Outcome Of the Present Disgrace in the
Pension Office is in the Speedy Removal of Com
missioner Bentley.

tn9t TIE horrible uelayS ana uenlas OF uStce IN Ine
allowance of pension claims is wholly due to the
acknowledged and notorious defects in the admin
istration of affairs in the Pension Office.
The whole system is rotten, the whole machinery
is out of gear The good intentions of Congress,
the valuable and liberal provisions of law, are made
futile and Ineffective by the pedantry, the thick
headedness the perverse obstnacy and the wretched
jealousy of the head of the department
Mr.. Bentley's cue is to make himself martyr, to
secure sympathy under fraudulent pretences for
himself as man abused for righteousness sake,
If he is found false to his duty in utterance of
wholesale calumny against all pensioners and
pension claimants" by branding them all indis-
crimnately thieves and perurers, he claims that
this charge on him is invented by claim agents, and
asks to escape the responsibility of his own acts by
a false hue and cry to others
These claim agents are men right here in Wash
ington, of as good standing and as good character
as the Commissioner Nay they are of better
standing and of better character
He was picked up by Senatorial influence for To-
cal service rendered, from a shabby position an
Indifferent and unsuccessful country lawyer, only
redeemed from nsignifcance by his political adroit
ness and as reward for his exertions in this last
line he was put in his present position.
Neither by training in the world, by the generous
education of learned profession, nor in any other
way, was he qualified for this most important Office,
but the same sedulous worship of people in power,
by which he attained his position, is kept as the
main line of his success in maintaining it.
He never a lawyer in any large sense, and
his career in Washington has developed this inborn
pettfogger. He tries every case of poor ignorant
and suffering widow as if he was retained for five
dollar fee Gas of old) before justice of the peace
1t is an infinite disgrace to the volunteer service
of the United States that this man should be kept
in office, over hundreds of gallant and mertorious
officers fully equipped Us lawyers, and who by ex-
perence of war, know and feel something of what is
due to the common soldier.
If President Hayes, himself good officer and a
good soldier, desires to be most kindly remembered
by the soldiers, let him extnguish this pretentious
person and give US man and soldier. The days
of humbug are not over, for Bentley survives, and
shallow as he is he contrives to impose upon many
members of Congress- who are too ndolent to look
for themselves into the real workings of his Office
We say to these going men in Congress- that the
people will hold them responsible for the things
which they "on.it, as we'll as for what they commit y
There is nothing mysterious about pension business
except so far as Bentley makes it mysterious, and
his manifest object in making it mysterious, is to
keep Congress from examining it and correcting its
errors.
The pension system is simply taking and consid
erng evidence to bring about result, and is no more
difficult than any other ordinary judicial action But
judicial action presupposes lmpartiaty, and this
quality Mr.. Bentley does not have. Not only does
he not have it, but he has not the grace pre-
tend to have it.
He boldly afirms that he cannot and will not be
lieve testimony. He denounces all suitors in hi.
court as thieves, conspitators and perjurers. H,
knows that the assertion is scandalous and inta
nous fasehood, but he has made it in more thar
E one official report
Thus, utterly unprepared by education and habi
for this post he has by giving gway to paltry passion
and spite incapacitated himself from Improvement