Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-12-14
UNITED STATES PENSIONS.

Nothing has been made palmer than that
the people Of this country desire to deal
literally by the veterans who lost limbs and
health in the war for the Union, as regards
pensions. There is on the whole little grumblipg
ut the enormous sums now paid out yearly In
pensions, aggresating last year upwards of
sirty millions of dollars. But there are many
who complain of the unequal way in which
the National bounty is distributed among the
deserving pensioners and there are morc-and
among them many old soldiers who think ii
outrageous that the public money shonld be
paid in pensions to 50 many men, whose in
jlrcs and impaired health were never dis
covered by their comrades, while in the SER
vice, and became apparent to themselves only |
after the lberIiiy OF Congrcssin allowances OF
arrears opened opportunities to secure
thousands Of dollars IN a lump, on very
linsuilicigntly supported claims. These
healthy inval!ds, whose disabilities arose, or
were discovered, long after the war, arc the
ones 10 whose vig0r AMI tcnacity OF lie is
dac The ''eycecliDgy small" average death
rate Of peu,ioned invalids, alluded to below.
Pens oners Of this class seldom die and
never resign" That thousands OF these
should be paid large arrears and unusual
slipeuds, to which they aro no more entitled
thnu hundreds of thousands of veterans who
have never thought of making claims. is an
outrage. We notice some exceedingly scnsi-
lie Suggestions Oh points relating to this mat
ter in the report Of Capt. Fred Mack, chief
clerk of lhe as.crn division Of the pension
Office well known TO many Vermonters. He
says;
The allowance Of pension for scratches
= That do not constitute actual disability, and
= in cases OF alleged disc Use when the ply steal
condition OF The applicant, as shown by the
y examining surgeons certificate, does not ma
tcrially differ from that of persons of the
same age should tie prohibited by law. The
/, amount thus saved would, as believe, more
than balance the increased rate TO claimants
! who cllly are disabled from causes incident
- to the service.
There is vast difference between the poor
invalid who, by reason of wasting disease,
has become entirely "incapacitated for any
, manual labor" and the man who has lost an
arm above the elbow or a leg above the
knee, and has no disease, and this difference
A ference between the rate for the loss of an
arm above the elbow or n leg above the
knee and the loss of both an arm and leg is
Il entirely inadequate. There should be some
!, provision for the allowance Of additional PEN
10 sion to those who in addition to the loss of q
hand or foot have received wouids or in
l. juries, on contracted disease, and the com.
e bined disability is not so great as TO entitle
d them 10 the next higher rate provided by
Lave fail "a car nj nf MAILING
: all ampu,atiOns at given point of the arm
y or leg pcnsonabe at the same rate whether
&c the pensiOncr is able to wear an artificial
Is limb or not, or regardless of whether the
:, stump is sound or whether unhealthy.
- There is 10 part Of the pension business
N so severely criticised as lie matter Of rates,
81 and the criticisms are in many cases well
w founded. Some method should be devised
so that when different PERSONS living in the
:, same community are receiving scvcialy 81,
I'd So. Sl2, SIG, and Ss24 per month, a recog-
Is nzabe difference in disability is apparent to
-, their neighbos and friends. This can never
~ be done by referring the applicant or pen.
g. sioncr to the ntighhoThpod physician and
0. surgeon" or to board Of surgeons within
nj reach Of his influence ! am OF the opinion
that n limitation should be provided (say
10 1886 or 1887 after which parole evidence
G. should not be accepted to establish claims
=, casional cases would arise when just claim
u might be defeated, but | can scarcely mag
81 inc one where reliable evidence can be Oh
G. tanned by any method twenty or twenty five
"a years alter the event upon which the teati-
- mony is supposed to be based when the cir
IL cums;ances were not so unusual as 10 impress
H. the fact upon the witnesses minds.
n am of the opinion thot the methods Of
taking testimony should be radically chang
! lpb and hat bo al h,iafl,, mt
OF would be practical, simple, and safe for both
I'd the claimant and Government, and would
n, not impose unreasonable trouble and expense
on the claimant or the United States:
:" Designate Uuiied States court commits
nc siOuer, at the county seat or the most aces
d. sblc town in each county, before whom al
aiildavi,s or dispositions relating to pension.
should be taken openly, after notice to tn,
e. claimants to appear at a designated date
Sc These commissioners TO have regular periods
d. of session, and the sessions to be attended by
Il representative of the tension office to cross
u, examine the witnesses. can see no reason
Id why the claimants in pension cases SHOULD
NJ not incur the trouble and expense of proving
or their rights as well as those having othe
claims against the Government or indvidu
10 ais, especially At this late day. OF one thin!
on | am convinced, the testimony should b,
nm taken in an open way where the names o
~ would be publicly known. Soldiers are per
on sonally just as good and just as bad us olhe
tie people, and the temptations and opporluni
M. ties for loose swearing TO imaginary facts ar
" by the present method 50 great us to b.
W. wholly demoraizing. There is not, in m,
lin opinion, class of men on the face Of tn
or. earth who live in such high moral atmo
!. . sphere that majority could resist the tempt
W tation to At least enlarge upon the truth
Ia when sums OF four or live hundred to a
cy maLy thousand dollars could be obtained OF
70 a few aflidavits Gland, stiney made.
~ The exceedingly snnll death rate OF per
III sons on tie pension rolls ms invalids is TO m
OF mind the strongest Argument that could b
, n advanced in favor Of Increased caution us /
jef the methods of taking uiliiavils and dcposi
lions.
~ This is bluntly and sensbly put and sever
10 al other recommendations having referenc
to practical details are added. Capt. Mack
Ike it is hardly necessary to say, is thorough.
" acquainted with the subject, and his sugges
70. tons are worthy Of the serious attention o
- ~ our national legislators
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