The National tribune., 1883-11-15
SMALL TALK
-
About Men and Things.

The Hon. John r. Thomas, Congressman
| from illinois, has been in the city for several
days making ready for the work of the APP
preaching session. He was member of the
Select Committee on Pension, Bounty and
Back Pay" in the Forty sixth Congress, and
takes an active part in legislation for the bene-
/ fit of the soldiers
/ A representative of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
met him yesterday at the Ebbitt House and
asked him what he intended to attempt this
winter in the way of pension or bounty laws.
EQUALIZATION OF BoUNTIEs.
Said he: 81 intend to introduce, the first day
Of the session. the same bill presented in the
Forty sixth Congress and which was reported
favorably by the Committee on Pension, Bounty
and Back Pay, and which introduced in the
Forty seventh Congress, but could never get
report upon it, either pro or con. 1t is bill to
equalize the bounty of soldiers in the late war,
and feel that is one of the most just measures
ever brought forward in Congress. There was
bill passed by the Forty third Congress, but
vetoed, which deducted all local bounties
paid. My bill does not do this. 1t provides
for the payment of a bounty of $50 per month
for the entire time the soldier served, in those
ases where no bounty was paid by the Govern
ment claim that it is not the business of the
Government what local bounties were paid or
were not paid, and that these sums given by
counties, states or towns should cut no figure
in the case. Therefore, my bill does not provide
for taking them into account. Many soldiers
at the outset of the war got nothing, while
along toward the close they received $500 to
$400. a large number were left cut Of the old
bill by the two year clause. My bill makes no
distinction as to time of service"
" Do you think the chances any better now
than in previous CongressesW
" Yes; the Government must sooner or later
discharge its obligations and this is an unful-
filed obligation, clearly. 1t is shame that this
simple act of justice has never been done be-
FORE"
OTHER PENSION MEASURES.
Do you think any other pension legislation
will be brought forward this session ?'
"Yes; shall introduce another bill to grant
pension of So per month to every man who
served thirty days in the army and who was at
least once exposed to an enemys fire In the war
OF the rebellion. The Government can never
sufficiently compensate the soldiers of the late
war for the services which saved its existence.
It is little enough now, after twenty years, to
give such as still live pension
viii there not be violent opposition to such
bill?"
"Of course the cry will be raised at once
that it viii bankrupt the Treasury. That is all
nonsense. The country is just as rich, whether
| the money is in the pockets of the people or
piled up in the Treasury, and in fact richer, be-
cause in the former case ii is in use. In fact
such law would have most beneficial effect
upon the country. The money thus disbursed
among the people wonld go to the purchase Of
houses the expansion of business and the de-
relepment of lands, mines and water-powers.
It would dig canals, lay down railroads, and
tunnel the mountains 1t would plant and
Teapand make ourpeople prosperous and happy.
!; 1T would prevent any financial strngency by
constantly distributing in small amounts the
vast sums of money which the Government is
aInassing in its vaults. 1t would be like the
bill for the payment ofarrearageS of pensions,
which was one Of the most benefcent laws
ever enacted. That law brought us out of the
. hard times and by making money plenty gave
new life TO enterprise"
REMOVING CHARGES OF DISSECTION.
"Haye you any other measure in mind Of
the same general eharacter?"
sYes; have another bill ready to intro
} duce, which certainly should pass without a
} dissenting voice This provides for the re-
moyal OF the charge of desertion standing
against thousands of men unjustly. It is a
fact that thOusandso of men were absent from
their commands q few days or weeks without
leave and In time returned and served out
their term Of enlistment and received an hon
} orabIe discharge Now, it turns out, perhaps,
IN spite Of the honorable discharge, that when
they apply for a pension, there Is found a
charge of desertion entered on the books
| against their name. In nine cases out OF ten it
was simply put there by some officer for petty
spite, and never had any foundation. But
twenty years and more have passed now, and
+ there it stands. Under laws the soldier can
not obtain pension until this charge is re-
4 moved. BY bill proposes to settle the question
of soldiers record by his discharge certificate.
/ hold that if the Government gave a soldier
an honorable discharge certificate it must stand
by it, and is estopped from going back to any
thing anterior to that date to cut off the sol
! der from the benefit of pension
PENSION OFFICE PRACTICE
EDO you think there will be any change in
the present laws with reference to practice
before the Pension Office ~
Il don't know; but there ought to be. The
: law as it now stands is wrong in both letter
! and print. The Government has no right to say
! to citizen that he shall not make such a con-
: tract as he peases with his attorney. The law
: has no right to direct in what way citizen
shall spend his money after he has received it.
1t then becomes his property. Every lawyer or
business man knows that in these arrearage
: cases an attorney does an amount of work
! equal to that in any other matter which
J would pay fee of from $50 to $780, The
present law makes it misdemeanor for the
attorney to take more than $40, when he may
spend much more than that in collecting the
evidence, and in the end secure an allowance
e of several thousand dollars for She claimant.
: Is there any reasonable person who does not
f know that SO fee for such service is ridicu-
f lous? 1t is this law, which more than all other
f things, has caused frauds to be attempted by
unprincipled attorneys, who have resorted
sometimes to the taking of fees when they had
not a reasonable hope of success, because they
: were losing money, and were being unfairly
t dealt with This law with reference to fees
s should be repealed, and each claimant should
3 be allowed to make such agreement with his
S counsel as may be satisfactory to them. 1t is
no one elses business. If some common-sense
law like this were enacted, all this immense
. number of irresponsible attorneys, who have
+ increased under the $40 law, would disappear
and the business, like any other, would fall
into the most competent hands by the ordinary
adjustments of competition in any profession
{ or trade"