The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-02-22
How Applicants for Pensions Are
Treated.

TO the Editor Of TIE Erentn0 Critic.
Has an applicant for pension any appeal, In
fact, from the decision of the Commissioner OF
PensionsY is a question that may be peril
nently asked by those having claims before
that oflcer. At the present time they are told
that any one feeling aggrieved at his decision
can appeal to the Secretary Of the Interior,
and the law holds out this inducement, but by
most Ingenious method or course OF pro-
ceedure this provision of tho law is made In
operative and OF no advantage to the appli-
cant.
One who, for a moment, supposos that any
rules OF evidence known to the legal profess
eioh are recognized In conducting tho business
OF that bureau, VIII, upon moments refec-
tion and q cursory examination of the methods
there in vogue, nnd that he is clinging to
delusion.
The ONCE has a set OF so called rules that
are faid to govern in adjudicatins claims, but
many Of them do no credit to the brain which
formulated them, and are positive disgrace
10 those who enforce them. To be moro
specific: Any applicant for pension was at the
time Of his enlistment subjected to q thorough
ana searching examination, and that, too, by q
surgeon selected and commissioned by the
Government for this purpose, and on this ex.
animation the candidate 10 accepted or re.
1ected, yet, IL years afterward he is ruptured
In the service, and discharged therefor, and
makes application for pension, he is called
upon to prove by medical evidence that he had
ment.
Again, II soldier enlisted in the military or
naval service meets with the loss OF an eye,
and Is discharged in consequence, and seeks
pension on account OF said loss, he must prove
by medical testimony that he had two good
eyes at the time OF hie entering the service.
The officials of this bureau will talk very
nippantly aheut the records, and what they
show, when they do not take those records for
anything, and treat them as OF no consequence
particularly II they happen TO prove what the
applicant claims.
assistant surgeons and acting assistant sur.
geons and required them to keep Il record of
their doings-a thing that comparatively few
OF them did-but II they failed to do so, the
officers OF that bureau Will reject the claim,
though proof is filed that the claimant was
treated by one OF these medical officers, thus
holding the applicant responsible for the fall
ure to Keep q proper record by the oflicer
whose duty It was to keep 1t. Yet, should an
applicant, relying upon the Justice OF his
claim, say TO the Commissioner, when he sets
up his edlct, that "he Will not grant the pen
sion anyway" that he (the applicant) will ap-
peal 10 the Secretary OF the Interior, the sneer-
ing reply comes, "Oh yes, yon can do that"
The question arises, Why all this assurances
and pomposity? the answer being found In
the fact that an appaal TO the Secretary is rc.
ferred to so-called "Bonrd OF Pension Ap-
peals," and is composed OF four men, two OF
whom are clerks In the Pension once, de-
tailed for tho purpose, and are designated tor
detail by the Commissioner, who knows very
well the purpose for which they are called ;
and in turn, 1t may be said, they know the
man they have do deal with, and that they
might be recalled by him at any time when
no should take II into hls head TO do so; and
then he might express fear that they were
troubled with tetter on their fingers, hence
/ their official heads might be found IN tho
basket ere many days pass. BY this II Will
be seen that, In fact, tho case appealed Is
sill in the Pension once and under Its con-
troll.
TASK, II an appeal is offered to applicants,
can 1t be said to be fair TO permit the man
from whose decision 1t is taken to pack the
board or In any way, however remote, to con-
troll 1t, or, In other words, can It be maintained
that this so-called "Board OF Pension Ap-
peals" is properly constituted, or, In fact Is II
an appeal tribunalp
A LOVER OF FAIR PLAY