The National tribune., 1881-01-01

has been taken before them giving clearer insight
into the workings of the Office Mr.. Bentley has
been before them, not, as he seemed to imagine as
teacher, but witness. In this capacity he has
been asked many questions, to which his answers
have been made. He was allowed and permitted to
make his statement just he thought best at first
but after completing this, very many searching in
terrogations were put to him from which he could
not well escape under the veil of generolites which
be usually wears
As was to have been expected, his testimony broke
down 1t s easy for a man like Mr. Bentley To
charge vaguely that enormous frauds are being per-
petrated in pension matters but in committee
room before earnest and intelligent men, he is re-
qured to giue evidence to establish and set forth
the data, the actual information, on which he bases
such charges. In this he has wholly failed as we
well knew he would He never had in his profess
sion any reliable evidence, any reasonable basis for
these cruel attacks upon the honesty and patriotism
of the American people
So, too, when confronted before the committee
with the practical working difficulties of his pet pro-
ject in Senate bill No 1885, he has been compelled to
abandon, step by STEP all the points of his new sys-
TEN, and voluntarily to express his approval of at
least two other modes of reaching this result now
pending before Congress. more lame and unsat-
isfacory ending Of great procession has never been
known
The brass-band and drum major style in which he
set forth conquering and to conquer - the eek
cathedra" tone with which he dictated his measures
to Congress, the master teaches his pupils-all
this has melted out of sight before the committee.
Both Mr.. Bentley and his plans now stand for con-
sideration upon their proper merits
So. too, several gentlemen of large experience in
Pension affairs have been fully heard before the COM
mttee, men who have devoted more time. more
brains and more legal learning to the business than
Mr.. Bentley could or ever has done Some of these
are known to be very good lawyers and of high pro-
fessiona and personal character These men in their
evidence have shown familiarity with the law and
the practice of the Office. They have exploded COM
petely the main idea of the Commissioners, that the
proceedings In pension are beyond his control
they have demon strated the many checks which the
office has in its control the testimony upon it
agreeing with the Record evidence in possession of
the United States and which neither the claimant
nor his attorney can ever be allowed to see or ex
anime, and that failure to agree accurately with
these records is fatal
10
claimant and on all his witnesses who were ever in
military service. and how impossible it is for man
without foundation for his claim SO to fit into these
records as to concur and agree with them They
have shown that under the law, as it now stands
the power of the Commissioner to cross-examine all
parties is unlimited and that il is in fact continually
exercised by repeated and reiterated demand from
the Office for further testimony upon any point he
may desire to clear up.
They have shown that the business of the Office
is not conducted with proper system and regularity
They have shown that pensioners have been and
and are dropped from the roll without fair and full
hearing ann that in the processes of secretservce
examination men are encouraged to testify against
them by promise of withholding their names, and
even when the cause for which they are to be dropped
is given the names of the witnesses against them are