The National tribune., 1884-11-13

Enp yUS pettetVss S yotVs W ctS t"eHeSutNtC
passage Of the amendments to the Mericaa
Pension Bill" and do 1t at once. IyG,e is
precious.
INDICTMENT AGAINST COL. DUDLEY.
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE has arraigned
Col w. w. Dudley before the bar of public
opinion on an Indictment of exceeding seri-
business.
1t has arraigned him in the name and on
behalf of hundreds Of thousands of ex-sol-
diers Of the Union, and their dependent
ones, whose Just dues he has withheld, in
their day of sorest need, to the great aggra-
walton of their misery.
It has arraigned him in the name of the
justice-loving people of this Nation, whose
generous intent he has deliberately frus-
trated.
It has arraigned him, in the name of his
superior officers, and of the Grand Army of
the Republic, for the breaking of solemn
promises and the non ulfillment of the
strongest pledges.
These are terrible charges to prefer against
any man who has occupied the position of
Commissioner of Pensions, or any other
where an opportunity is given to abuse the
trust and confidence of an entire people
What are the counts that make up the
indictment? They are, briefly:
First Count: About four years ago Col
Dudley, on receiving the appointment of
Commissioner Of Pensions, pledged himself
to the appointing powers and to the leading
men in the GAR that he would radically
reform the Pension Bureau; that he would
remove the grievances and expressions of
which loud complaint went up from all parts
Of the country; that he would make simple
justice and common-sense take the place of
technicality, and, finally, that
he would infuse such vigor and energy into
the conduct of the Bureau that every just
claim against the Government should be
allowed within about three years after his
Second Count: In consideration Of these
solemn pledges he received the appointment.
So much Importance was placed upon them
that the President took occasion to allude
to them in his message in the following
words:
I" 1t is stated by the Commissioner Of PEN
sons that by an addition of $50 clerks (increas-
ing the adjudicating force rather than the
double the amount of work could
be accomplished, 80 that these cases could be
acted upon within three years.
" Aside from ths considerations of justice
which may be urged for q speedy settlement of
the claims now on the files Of the Pension
Office, it is no less important OH the score of
inasmuch as fully one-third of the
clerical force Of the Office is now wholly occu-
pied in giving attention to thousands Of claim
ants whose cases have been on the files for the
PAST 18 YEARS.
In December, 1881, the Joint Sub-Com-
mittee of the regular Pension Committees
of both Houses asked Col. Dudley this ques-
ton:
eff your present force is doubled how
soon can you bring up the pension business
of the office SO that delays will cease and
the office be up with its current work?"
He answered:
"To shift the responsibility for delay from
the Office to the claimants, properly, and to
settle the claims that are aud will be ready
for settlement, it will require three years, in
my judgment, If the increase is given me at
once; that is to say, / believe the work may,
under such circumstances, be brought to
that condition by December, 1884"
Col Dudley repeatedly reiterated his
promises to Congress, and that body, re-
fecting the anxiety of the country to do
ready justice to its defenders, gave him alb
solutely everything that he asked as neces-
sary to enable him to finish up his work in
the shortest possible time In July, 1882, it
voted him the enormous increase of SIT
clerks, at an aggregate yearly salary of
81 Ola, 400! At the same time, and on his
demand, 1873 clerks were added to the Adju-
tant-Generais and Surgeon-General's Offices
to aid him in the Pension Bureaus work,
making, with certain other clerks altogether
1,190 additional clerks, at an additional
yearly salary of 81, ns,430!
The following is q detailed list Of the
additional clerks given him, with the salaries
paid:
No. Extra Amount of
Clerks. Salaries.
Pension Office SH SI,0l3.600