The National tribune., 1880-01-01
Both National Orgaus Condemn 1t.

The two great National organs of the Republican
and Democratic parties of this city denounce Bent
ley's cruel and infamous Sixty-Surgeon Bill The
National Republican says
Commissioner Bentley occupied the time of the Senate
Committee Pensions for and half hours recently
in advocacy of his bill providing system for the set
construction, mpractcable in execution and de-
void of merit to be incapable of serious consideration
comment.
The bill proposed is perncious one that ii is safe
80 assert that Senator Representative who will take
the trouble and pains to read will for moment hest
tate TO cast his vote in opposition to it's passage.
That something is radically wrong with the pension SER
vice everybody will admit. That 100000 pending claims
should at this late day be upon the files Of the Pension
Office awaiting action with force of about 400 men at the
command of the Commissioner of Pensions is matter
that should receive serious consideration
The difficulty with the pension service is not in the law
not in the present system for carrying the law into
execution but ii is in the absence of proper organizing
head, the want of of sufficient executive ability
advantageously manage the large force under his
mand to discriminate between men, and place each
in his proper sphere.
the system alone increase the salary of the Commits
sioner of Pensions place broad liberal, and legal mind
at its head and the difficulties of the pension service will
be solved
che Post Democratic) asserts:
necessary for the due protection Treasury
that ehe the pensioners applicants should be regarded
as public enemies swinders. Neither the people
their
sion list heavy is considered most sacred obga
tion.
But the Pension Bureau proceeds upon the theory that
application for pension is rsnd ace evidence oil taud
and it has fallen into habit of speaking of the soldiers
collectively if they gang of swinders and conf
ence men, banded together in huge conspiracy to cheat
the Government,
We do not charge that Mr.. Bentley employs these often
s;ve terms in audng the soldiers, but mis- words and
acts imply insulting accusations. The insult
has been fifty rebuked by Senators and members of both
parties the places i'll the Capitol but no reform has
been effected
On the contrary Mr. Bentley persists in regarding him
self as great bulwark barrier set up TO keep the
soldiers from destroying, by fraud the Government saved
by their courage and patriotism His theory that the
who fought that the Government might 1--we now wish
to commit perjury and other crimes to the INJURY OF that
Government.
With this view Mr. Commissioner Bentley has become
lobbyist for the passage of bill that opposed by every
organized body of soldiers in the United States and by all
other soldiers and their friends bill that has been de
nounced the leading statesmen of both parties an IN
suit to the men who fought IN the Union army from loo
to 1855.
We have described the heretofore in detail i
simply provides that sixty doctors and sixty lawyers shal
be organized into sixty courts, and that all pensioner
shall be placed at their disposal and go for
animation often they deem best to dance attend
ance on these courts from January December at thei
own expense 1t is outrageous bill, and the Senat
never wiser than it performed in killing it during
the last session of the Forty-ifth Congress
This week Mr. Bentley is to appear before the Senat
Pension Committee as attorney, to argue in favor o
this measure He is confident of success at least
has so expressed himself We do not believe his condenc
is well founded We believe the Senate will
its action on question If Senators will read the dc
bates in that body when the bill up last winter the
will find that we have not been TOO severe III our denur
citation OF it,
1T vicious BILL conceived in false notions, insutn
TO the soldiers class oppressive to disabled veterans
giving most dangerous power TO the professional gent
whom proposes to organize into courts and total
unnecessary protective measure. Unless we are tor
gard pensioners fclons, don't want to pass tn
measure.