The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-07-01
Concerning Ex.Commissiener Bcntly.

..N> ~ONe ~ estS sCct8 hutlOfl OOInIIllS-
sioner of Pensions Bently. Mr.. Bent
ly has been vigilant and efficient
official, who has looked sbarplv after
frauds upon the pension bureau. In
consequence he has been the object Of
clamorous attacks on the part Of pen
sion claim agents, and others interested
in making fraud easy. The complaints
SO strenously urged against him, have
rendered change desirable, but it is
expected that his successor will contin-
ue his policy" a..Il
The above from the Register of the
oath instant, attracts me and impels
me to say word with your permission,
and hope l shall step ON no ones corns
or anything of the kind, but still it
strikes me that 1 have seen the pist of
the item in several different papers of
about The same date, all laudatory of j.
A. Behti, fully concur that he has
been vjgilant and has looked sharply
after frauds upon the pension bureau,
and has found hosts of them, as the
other chap did fault, where il did not
exist. In fact, in his estimation every
claim put before his office concealed a
good sized cat we'll rolled in meal,
which must be well examined, cross
examined, re-examined and examined
again before it could pass. no matter
how meritorious, or how well supper
ted by competent testimony the case
might be. AS a.specimen, a gentleman
living iniMiddlebury enlisted into the
army in 1861, sound, healthy man
in the spring of 1864 was wounded in
battle, came home suffering from its
effects, which still continue, and con.
cluded not to apply for pension, but
| within few years changed his mind,
filed his application, stating under
oath that he was wounded at the time
and In the manner specified, together
with the affidavits of commissioned
officer of his company who said he
knew the wound was received as stat
ed, and that of the family physician,
who said that - Jones was free from
any ailment in the injured members be.
fore enlistment, but that upon his re-
turn had received medical treatment
for the injury. While the records of
the war department showed conclu-
sively that the wound was received as
sworn to by two witnesses, what did
this Bently do but demand "medical
or other satisfactory evidence that the
claimant was free from the alleged
gun shot wound of - =
at enlistment" !?
Bently was the originator of the bill
that obliged attorneys TO collect their
fees of the soldier instead of the gov
ernments paying it out of the first in
stalment of pensions after success,
thereby preventing many from apply
Ing for their rights because unable to
raise the fees in advance, or unwilling
to pay fees until earned.
Bently was the author of the infa
nous "Sixty Surgeons Bill" and he
crowded it persistently before four ses-
sions of Congress, leaving the duties OF
his Office for the purpose of lobbying
that measure, which was defeated by
decisive votes whenever brought up;
the effect of the bill, had it become a
law, would have cut o0iseven-tenths of
our MANNED veterans who were draw
ing pensions from the pension rolls en-.
tirely, and kept nearly all entitled per-
sons from applying because it would
be simply impossible TO procure the at
tendance of witnesses and keep them at
the place Of hearing until that particu-
lar case should be called. AS case i'm
point, Scott's 1--WE will call him SOY
case was pending for disease contract
ed, medical evidence was called for.
one of his physicians resided in ILL
nois, and another was travelling in
Italy; he was poor and could not have
paid the expenses of either to travel
five bundled miles, consequently
through the provisions of the bill he
would have been defrauded from his
j~.t .~;eshte
Again, our constitution provides
that every person charged with crime
or misdemeanor shall be entitled to
just and speedy trial by jury of his
peers and be made acquainted with the
nature of the crime charged, but not so
under Bently's regime. An attorney
practicing before him, after spending
years in building up paying business,
could be stripped of all without notice,
debarred from any farther practice in
any form, even in that of q clerk to an
attorney, as justice, or notary, or clerk
of a court of record to administer oaths
to officials, and OIL without notice or
redress.
know man who was practicing
before Bently's court, and for some
thing he did, or did not do, was de-
barred and notice given in the official |
organ of the departments throughout
the land, and he unconscious of the fact |
that there was anything wrong, or any |
intimation that he had ever violated |
any rule of the Office or law of the |
land. But time brings changes, and in |
the course OF a month or so, King
Bently saw fit to change his mind and |
restore the unfortunate attorney to his |
former standing, but did not even
deign to make any explanation, or give
any notice of reinstatement except |
through the organ aforesaid, while a
great injury was inflicted on an inno-
cent man, who in free America was
tried, condemned and the record of it
sent to thirty-eight states, ten terrific
ries and one District and he in blissful
ignorance of the whole transaction.
Therefore, conclude that the great
est fraud ever discovered in the PEN
sion Office was this same John A. +
Bently, the chap who was so patriotic
Turing the late war as to have pressing
business in Canada just before the
lraft. sincerely hope that his successor
will be vigilant for frauds of all kinds,
Ind have wisdom to know his sphere
md keep in it, and knowing him by his
'ecord have no doubt but that time
will show that our honest chief mapis-
rate made wise choice, and one sat
sfactory to those that have done SO
nuch IN parnafuafa fha ooyarn,,o,,t