The National tribune., 1880-05-01
Why we Need New Commissioner.

rity of Wisconsin village and made Commissioner
of Pensions for the soldiers of America probably ,
because he had rendered some party service TO one
who had the ear of the President the Badger State
lost fair S5 Justice of the Peace lawyer and the
United States secured a most unfit and incompetent
bureau officer In the first place the selection should
not have been made of one who never had seen
moments service in the army while there were hun
dreds of admirably qualified soldiers, very many
who had been wounded during the war, and one of
whom would have been the appropriate party for,
the Office Why Bentley was selected is as Dun
dreary remarks, "a mystery no fellow can find
out" Well, without seeking to solve this mystery,
it is enough to say that j. A. Bentley DID obtain the
place While hundreds of competent wounded Off
GERS would have gladly taken the prize this civilian,
whose thoughts dwelt on peace" near the Canada
border during the entire war, carries it off.
Behold Mr. Bentley sworn in as the new Commits
sioner and now the Inauguration of great reforns(O
must begin Well, we think there is pretty sure
test of the ability of officers to be found in their
system Of managing business, when supplanting the
old ones. When one of ample qualifications is ee-
waited position of importance, he is ever exceed
ingly careful about overthrowing established
system which has received the Endorsement of gen
erations as to its fitness for the purpose intended
He is well aware that what called reformations
when carried out may prove defornaations, and may
bring about evils of which he had no conception
infinitely more aggravated than those which he an
lprehends need a cure.
The pension system of the United States has ex
listed since the infant days of the Republic, and has
remained substantially the same as to its mode o
brief period when project akin to that of Bentley
was adopted which, proving lamentable failure
was speedily abandoned But this village lawye
finds himself prominent bureau officer in Wash
ington and concludes he must play conspicuou
: part He must be noticed above the vulgar crow
for doing or not doing something and so he appear
" in the character of the bulldog of the Pensio
Office and the bull-dozer Of American soldiers
Determined to secure notoriety admirably has b
succeeded The future historian of this countr
: will write the name Of John A. Bentley in conne
, ton with thousands of soldiers, their widows o.
= phans fathers, and mothers whom he has driven
desttution if not starvation. This is no rash expre
. sion 1t is sustained by hundreds of letters receive
- by THE TRIBUNE-letters which would bring teal
into the eyes of all who sympathse with the w1onge
. and suffering, and it is established by testimony
vi honorable congressman Read what has been sa
by two eminent members of the House of Repr
sentatives on the Committee on Invalid Pension
Messrs Hostetler Of Indiana, and Taylor, Of Ten
d This is what they say, eve extract from the Co
q gressional Record
- Mr., HOSTETLER. The Commissioner proceeds up
ne the presumption that every presenting claim
ar attempting defraud the Government, unless he
support his application by ten times the amount of e
ar fn man M mn
of We find that of these rejected at the Pension Off
nine out of mertorous the rejection havi
"o been based upon mere technicalty II the evidel
las against man indicted for murder were oneIourth
strong the evidence in numbers of these cases,
'rs ton would be certain.
to Mr. TAYLOR l desire to say, for the benefit of
gentleman from Ohio and other gentlemen this flo
me that the Committee Invalid Pensions when bill
ny referred them, send to the Pension Office for all
papers in the They examine those papers, and if
the evidence therein contained they believe that Unjust
has been done the soldier that his application for pens