The National tribune., 1882-04-08
Give the Soldier a Hearing.


give serious consideration to new pension
measures and the antipathy of the daily
press to pension legislation in general are
the outgrowth Of n prejudice rs unreason-
able as it is unjust. OF all the arguments
that have been brought forward by the OPP
position hut one possesses the least scmblance
OF truth, and that is the fact so often ad-
mitted in these columns, that pensions are
costly. There was absolutely no other foun-
dation whatsoever for the foolish clamor
against the Arrears of Pensions Act, and we
/ have waited in vain for some fresh consider
alton to be adduced against the measures
/ that are now pending. Ii is true that
/ charges of fraud have been made in a gen
/ eral way against the Pension Bureau at
various times, but 10 substantial proof has
ever been offered in support OF these allega-
+ tons. When challenged TO produce the
/ evidence upon which their assertions were
based the newspapers have either evaded
the question or ignored it altogether. So
far rs we know not one well-established
instance of fraud has ever been cited in cor
Toboratjon of the grave accusations which
such journals as the New York Herald have
brought against the Pension Office, while
the records of the Bureau show beyond dis
pute that, so far from being of common oc-
currence, the percentage Of fraudulent claims
is absurdly small. No weIl-informcd jour
nal, indeed, has ventured to utter such
SANDER, for nothing is more notorious in
Official circles than that the safeguards
which the law provides against the granting
Of Illegal claims render it well nigh impossi-
bic for bogus papers to escape the scrutiny
OF the examiners. The rejection Of worthy
claims owing to some trifing informality is
much more frequent event than the pass
ace of fraudulent claims, no matter how
cuuniugly they may be devised, as we have
repeatedly taken occasion to show, and we
90 not believe that even those who have
been most conspicuous in raising the cry Of
fraud really believe Ia its existence.
The opposition to pension Legislation finds
its chief support. as We have said, in the fact
that pensions are costly, and we shall not
undertake to deny that they are. We do |
deny, however, that the naked question of
expense is the only consideration that should |
have weight with our legislators in the mat
ter. The real points to be determined by |
Congress in all cases where an expenditure !
of the public money is contemplated are, /
first, is the expenditure necessary, and, sec
ond, are the revenues Of the Government !
sufficient 10 meet it, The advocates Of JUS /
tice for the soldier ask 40 more than this. /
They demand simply that pension bills shall .
be considered in the same light as any other
measures calling for an appropriation from
the Treasury and not be contemptuously .
thrust aside At the bidding of so called .
economists. Take the proposed increase in
the clerical force Of the Pension Bureau for
instance. That is a question which ought .
to be decided squarely on its merits, instead
Of being settled ofhand without fair con-
siderdtion of the interests affected If Con-
gress is disposed 10 take deposition that
the expediting Of the settlement of the accu-
ululated pension claims is not Of sufficient
moment TO warrant any extra appropriation
Of money for that purpose, let Us have the
reasons therefor and vote upon the propo-
sition. We have seen that it is always
willing to give its attention to any measure
IN which the interests OF the bondholder are
involved, and surely the claims Of the soldier,
whether equitable or not, are equally deserv-
ing of full and fair discussion. The Ameri-
can Congress cannot afford to make fish of
one and fowl OF the other