The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-11-08

from 30 10 SlO, and that vote being at once
taken there were ayes So, noes 3S-not
quorum. Pending roll-calI, the bill was read
again and the following colloquy occurred:
Mr. Riddle. I think both sides would be willing
to compromise on SIS; $40 is too small sum.
The Speaker, pro teaapore. That can be done only
been ordered.
Mr. Rice, of Ohio. ask unanimous consent that
mitee on Invalid Pensions think that $40 is entirely
too small a sum.
The Speaker, pro tsn,p9re. Is there objection to
the proposed modification of the amendment
Mr. Hanna. object.
The Speaker was therefore forced to put the
question, and the amendment was adopted by
vote of ayes SO, noes SO, and the bill as
amended passed without further discussion.
COMBINES COMMON SENSE
When the bill was reported in the Senate It
was first antagonized by Senator COnkIing, and
| thereupon the following colloquy ensued:
Mr.. Conkling. speak within bonds when say
that have received q great many circumstances
TO bill which take to be this pending bfn espee-
Tally the first section which makes it penal, illegal
for any agent to charge fee greater than SO TO
pension claimant win the Senator from, Virginia
tell me whether am right in that?
| MIR. Withers. That is correct.
MIR. Ccnkling. have received from soldiers
not from pension agents or attorneys, but from
officers and privates-telegrams and letters some
OF them have here in my drawer now. urn sure,
and others have at hand, although net in the
Senate Chamber, protesting earnestly against this
upon several grounds. and think they viii all ap-
pear sufficiently in this statement. IL Is said by
these correspondents that there is great difficulty
now in getting competent persons, lawyers or
agents to assume and conduct pension cases where
there are dificulnes that If 10 = provided that tney
cannot pay to exceed $40 in any case the result
/ will be general refusal to take up and manage
their cases, and that although well ntentioned to
protect them, the effect viii be anything but that
supposed and intended By the originator of the
have no knowledge about this excspt that
/ a loft hf.e
Senator; but can readily understand that Il will
be very difficult TO enlist any competent person in
the transaction OF this business II the party seek
ing to enlist him has power 70 agree TO pay him
more than $40. Certainly there Il no attempt made
in the bill, there could not be- to coeree any one
/ by any injunction which might lay upon him
/ TO undertake business of this nature.
Mr. Bayard. The fee Is paid out Of the pension
money when collected.
Mr. Conkling. That Is true; in other words Il Is
to select this class OF persons and treating them
wards of the Nation TO assume that they are not
| competent to make their contracts. That
would be very oOHnmeudable If we could see and
foresee with certainty the particulars or generaIi
ties OF the case, to make it matter Of protec-
ton; but, on the other hand II it simply insures
| to these claimants cold shoulder-attorneys and
agents turning away and saying Z" for this pittanee
we cannot do ii; we are not bound TO act from
charity, and this Is matter OF business and there
| fore we refuse we shall have done exactly that
which it would not be humane or just to do
state this objection in the hope that il may at
tract the attention of the Senator having the bin in
charge and of other Senator'S and if So it win pass
Tor all IL Is worth. Of course have individual
Mr. Spencer think this is too important bill
to be acted upon at this very late stage of the
sion believe If is going to do great injustice to
large and needy class Of our community, those
who are entitled TO pensions and have not received
! them a great many OF these persons have COM
plieated cases, and under this bill they could get
| no one TO look after them
Mr. Withers. 1 viii remark to the Senator, as
his interest seems to be excited in behalf rather Of
the pension agents that there Is large number
OF pension agents here who advertise that they viii
take all cases for the of SO There IS dam
ger whatever of the interests Of the pensioner su-
fering In this regard The danger is that for the
wan OF such a law they viii suffer.
PROTESTS FROM SOLDIERS.
Mr.. ConkIing. If the Senator viii yield 70 me
moment, beg leave to read one of the kilograms
TO which referred, which l happen to find here.
The Senator viii see that it comes from pension
agent; It comes from q colonel OF regiment and
man OF intelligence and respeetabLity. Hear
The bill to reduce attorneys fees to $40 is en- IN
direct blow TO pensioners Many claimants now
eannotfi find suitable attorney to prosecute claim,
If difficult, at even S5; to reduce the fee viii mill
tate still against the claimants by dscourag
ing agents In the name of the wounded and dis
eased OF nay former regiment, protest against the
bill as of no benefit but positive injury. am q
pensioner myself and IL know
Late Col. of 10th New York Vols"
Imsy say that have received from soldiers OF
different Tanksin some instances dispatches signed
by a large number Of private soIdiers-this same
graph IN the interest of pension agents. They be-
lieve, think may assume, what they say. con-
fess, after hearing the Senator, / do not under
stand how it can be in the interest of any man who
has claim to say that under circumstances can
he for the sake OF procuring the services OF
petent person agree to pay TO exceed certain sum
which sum Is so small that we can readily under
stand the difficulty 10 arise from not being able to
increase it.
fact that the Departments here not syInpat by
with the persons seeking to get pensions. Is is the
desire of the Government and always has been, to
make the pension roll as small possible. / think
the fact that the Commissioner Of Pensions and the
Secretary of the Interior advocate the bill is not
good reason why it should pass. As say, they
are deSirous TO pay just as few pensions as pos
sibie. Each administration Is inclined TO make
its disbursements as small possible in order TO
claim credit therefor from the country. hope
that the bill will not pass
Mr.. Withers. I beg to say one thing more in this
connection, and that is, it is wonderful
Mr. Herman. If the Senator VIII yield a mo-
ment want to put suggestion, that he may an
swer it. l received from Brooklyn, IN New York
some days ago, both letters and kilograms of the
tenor Of the letter read by my colleague Being al
the Pension Office, and not being familiar with the
matter, was led TO ask the Commissioner OF Pen
sions about the subject, and understood from him
and that Is what want to say to my friend that
the present law gave the agent SIS, and that it was
paid out of the money coming to the pensioner.
told him of these things. He did say to me as
understood him, that he thought that was too high
and $40 too low, and he thought SIS, which my
friend from Virginia thinks is the present law
would be about right. I only state that because ]
think the present law allows So. This bill
makes the fee SO, understand.
Mr.. Withers said it did. and took occasion to
assert that the bill was being strongly opposed
by the pension attorneys.
Mr. Christiancy. Like the Senator from New
York have received several communications. sew
era protests in fact by way of letters against the
passage of this bill, and from pensioners and from
those who have claims for pensions; and after
looking into the subject am entirely satisfied that
| proposed. 3
is, tends to prevent great many worthy men from
obtaining pensions at all by preventing them from
obtaining competent attorneys to attend to theiE
business. believe that the law would be better
without any such limitations whatever, or IL any
limitation be made, let 1t be left to the Commits
sioner OF Pensions when he allows the pension 70
state how much the attorney shall have A pro-
vision of that kind mig answer; but we ali know
that in some pension cases there is great deal OF
work for attorney to do, while in other cases
there is very little. In some cases the questions
are difficult while in other cases they are easy.
Those difficult cases viii not be taken by eonpe-
teit counsel for any such limited fee as this, and
the result is that the claimant loses his pension
entirely.
Mr.. Withers. There are number of pension
agents here who perfectly willing to prosecute
these pension at the fixed in the bill,
that do not think the objection is wei taken, and
it least resolves itself into the question whether
the legislation shall be in the interest Of the PEN
sioners or the agents Of the pensioners.
Is TT WHOLESOME LEGISLATION.
Mr.. Conl<ling May Inquire of the Senator,
does he think 1t wholesome legislation to so pro-
vide, first that everybody shall be driven to en-
ploy pension agents here, and then coming here
shall be confined to those who choose to advertise