The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1882-09-01

Their Effect on The Pension Blu
rcau How the New Clerks
are Appointed.

"iS AppV"teos
Nrw iari SUM-
Pensions appropriations are passed.
with hurrah. Whoever attempts %.
can a halt Tor closer examination into
the way The money goes. or expresses a
doubt about The wisdom of what i done
Tor proposed, h certain 70 be accused oi'
injustice toward the soldier, anu i cried
down as q sort of traitor. But for TINS
Tho appropriations 81 the late session Tor
pensions amounting IA round number~
10 one hundred millions ofdollafs would
have STOOL no chance. The political
parties hRye for years been running a
race for the largest sum. and Al the same
time for the soldiers vote-a fact a. little
creditabie 70 the soldier as % the parties.
But for this millions would have been
saved IN the past and millions more
would be saved Ia the future. and not a
shadow Of wrong done 70 the sokiier.
Y tx-Commis,ioner Bentley declared
that millions were annually paid out on
iiauducnt claimsdu allowed. ia his
term the gross annual appropriations
were not more than third q: what they
nre now. IL he was hall right. and
neither Commissioners Dudley nor any
one else seems 70 dispute il, what mus,
kDc the fact now Wien you look AT the
way the tens Of thousands. of pension
cases are examined, al the gr.lfie Of ability
brought into that branch OF the service,
TO the motives for appointing the clerks
and others, on whose examination and
~ whose adjudication alone the millions
are annually paid, II is wonder why
1.-THE sum II not greater. The appoin,ees.
- 4 general thing. are party iavorltcs,
selected on the recommendation 81
lobliged politicians or leaders. Examine
1.-The recent appointments, and while
good many will BE found 70 be trul,
worthy and fairly capable men ior ord',
mary work. you will be sure TO hnd
among them the ward politician, tlA'
fellow whose appointment was the re-
ward for having Knocked some Que dowi
At the polls, and who IN biz own neigh
Iborhood would Al the best be able 20 carr
not half what he gets from the Govern
mcnt.
II 50 happens that pcrsons thus comini
into the service not unfrequently secur
1.-THE better places and have the most re
|sponsibie duties. They hold The mout'
of the bag.
Few fair-mindcd persons Will be dis
9lposcd : 70 question this. Il they know sny
thing about the subject. Il y the fau'
of the practice that such men get places
Il il perpetual incentive 70 men % PEI
tOrm diScreditahle services for poIitica
q leaders. Could the truth bc known,
will be found that the larger part Of thos
: -lemploycd Ia the Pension Bureau an
other departments obtain their appoint
mcnts chiefly IN reward Of political SCI
vices, bad graduating school a "a
public good II 70 be taken into the A,
count. No doubt some are amply quail
fed and wholly deserving.
III This practice II peculiarly injurious !
!" the Pension Bureau. tis on the adlt
dication u such persons hat the incree'
= ing millions are paid. There isno pows
over them. The money goes on thel
say 50. IL j. the place Of All others J
the Government where the best a6il't
, only should pc employed. No busines
man would for ~ instant pay out a
money after this fashion. II ne did p
I. would come 80 ruin Il the Goveri
4, mcnt docs not: 4 y because ne 6over'
ment San stand anything ~ long as GOO
y individuals and corporations max
sIsurc Of rigid accountability, select onl
those whose known qualifications con
lnicnd them. and never think Of placn
one who has knocked his man down I
I&Ix ...lf. ~. 1....o n..<~ a;,,tfIar fIfum