Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-02-22
THE PENSION LAWS.
A Protest from an Ex.Soldier Against
Proposed Legislation.

Aurora, Ill, February. S.-After
reading circular letter from the pen
of the president OF the Illinois Associa-
ton of Ex-Prsoners of war, the re-
collection comes back to me, like o
half-forgotten dream, that on the Sd
day of January, 1864, at Jonesville, Va. 4,
| was SURRENDERED into the hands of
the confederate Gen. Stone lalias
| Nighthawk), and rciuained In cap
tivity until the 2Ith, of March, 1868 n
period of nearly fourteen months. IL
there was any one prison that was
worse than another must have known
ii, for was in nearly all of them.
The records of the war office will show
that received au honorable discharge,
and those of the pension office will
show tina, have never applied for a
J pension. From these facts, and from
the further fact that there ARE but few
! living who endured the torture of
those "pensn longer than myself, II
would seem that in opposing the Leg
islation suggested should be accord
ed ut least the credit Of working against
my own interests, IL not in lavor OF
honest laws aud good Cover nment.
The difficulties ono n.e,s with In
attempting To get upon the pension
rolls under existing laws do not cosist
81 much in proving the origin and
continuance of disabilities, ~ they do
in proving any pensionable disabilities
at ALL and the extent 10 which they
disable. The honorable commissioner
aud his examiners are no respecters of
persons. Not 40 with the various
examining boards which are scattered
over the country, and whose interests
are in the line OF playing into each
others hands by tossing worthy
claimants, like shuttle-cocks, from
one board To another, giving as an eX-
cuse for such reports as make several
examinations necessary that doctors do
not ali agree. Nor il money or an
increase of practice the only spring
tending To warp human action into
an unjust discrimination in such
matters. John Smith may be brokers
hearted, peevish, and disvgreeahle.
il he goes before an ordinary examin-
ing board the chances are that ewill
leave it rejected. Jones may be agood-
natured fellow who belongs 10 the same
church that the president OF the board
does. The secretary of the board and
Jones' father may have been always
friends. OF course pensionable
disability will he discovered in Jones'
case "Andersonville has done its
work and humanity bids us bear the
grunblings of disordered brain,p
viii probably be the only answer TO
my charges, but they are nevertheless
true. That any legislation tending to
remove class OF claiments to any ex.
tent from the protection OF the pen
sion Office at Washington and 10 es-
tablish sort of II feudal system Of
medical chirftains would help matters
IL not, in my humble opinious. true.
That affairs IN the pension office are
in terrible condition, no honest man
who knows anything abuut them
viii deny. But What should think
better remedy for existing evils
would be law u polishing all pen
sions except such rs are granted fer
amputation and total disabilities, aud
when the proper time comes the enact
according To government records of its
own making
1t is now costing more for clerk hire
and special eXaminers' salaries in cases
of alleged dependent parents than il
would 10 pension all non-dependent
fathers aud mothers Of OK soldiers who
left no surviving widow or minor chill
dren. IL Is not natural that the three
or four thousand clerks in the pension
bureau should be overanS ious TO work
themselves out of II pleasant aud prof
table job, and no one knows how long
they may keep the two or three thous-
and applicants whose claims are now
pending tramping from place TO place,
with IA lorlorn hope that somewhere in
the far-oif future they may overtake
the rainbow. JAMES ID. Fox.