The National tribune., 1884-05-15
MIR. Martins nIisfortunes.


Martin, Supervising Examiner of Pensions,
at Cleveland, Ohio, whose statements, as
recorded by reporter of the Leader, of that
city, we took occasion to criticise in eur
issue Of April g. 1t now appears that Mr.
Martin has not been indiscrcet, but simply
unfortunate. He was unfortunate, in the
first place in being interviewed by re-
porter whose memory was in a precarious
condition, unfortunate in the second place
in not taking the trouble to see whether he
was correctly reported, and unfortunate in
the third place in not discovering that he
had been misTepresented until - several
weeks after the publication-THE TRIBUNE
called his attention to the fact Ordinarily,
when a Government official permits himself
TO be interviewed in regard to the business
of his Office, he is apt to take enough inter
est in the matter to ascertain how his state
ments look, next day, in print, and il, as
sometimes happens, he finds himself outra-
geously misquoted, to demand of the offend
ing editor prompt and full retraction; but
in this case nearly eight weeks elapsed be-
fore Mr.. Martin had recourse to this very
proper procedure. In this, as we have said,
Mr. Martin was very unfortunate, since
meanwhile this slanderous article had taken
wings and flown to other parts. But it is
never too late to mend, and we take great
pleasure in giving Mr.. Martin the benefit of
his disclaimer he denies, with even more
vigor than THE TRIBUNE, that he has ever
been beset bya collection of superannuated
and alleged veterans" OF that he has ever
found it necessary to follow up the claims
ofpersons to pension through many devious
ways" and We are disposed to accept his
testimony as conclusive.
But Mr.. Martin goes little too far
when he charges THE TRIBUNE with
having intended to convey the impress
sion that all special examiners aim only
TO procure testimony to defeat claim.
THE TRIBUNE has made no such asser-
ton. We know that there are some very
capable, upright, and impartial men in
this branch of the pension service, just as
there are some who are shown by experience
to be, as Commissioner Dudley himself has
described them, utterly lacking in tact,
good judgment IN dealing with men, modes
/ ty, or some other essential qualification"
and we dare say they do the best they can.
4 1t is the system and not the men that we
have antagonized, and not even the system
per Sc, but the system because of its prac-
/ teal effect, which is to unnecessarily and
| grievously delay the adjudication of merito-
rious claims to pension. We hold that the
I greatest wrong that our ex-seldiers have
ever suffered at the hands Of the Govern
ment is that which is now being perpetrated
| by tie Commissioner of Pensions in per-
petuating through the enforcement of I'M
reasonable and purely technical require
ments the present delay in allowing Claims
and as the special examination system con-
tributes largely to that delay, we believe it
should either be at once abandoned OF so
extended as to effect its purpose without
further loss Of precious time.
Neither Mr.. Dudley nor Congress seems to
realize what this delay means to our ex-
soldiers. They do not seem to be aware that
while they are biggling over TRIES these
veterans are actually sufering-and many
dying-foT want of the aid which is Justly
due them from the Government. Though the
wall Of the orphan, the sobs of the widow.
! the impreeations Of father and brother and
son rise to heaven from every hamlet in
the land, they show no signs of needing.
Last year the number Of cases disposed of
by the special examiners was 6,o00; this
year, perhaps, it VIII be doubled But what
does this amount TO when there are 244,000
claims still pending, and thousands are be-
ing fled each year? Five ten, or twenty
years hence what win these lettering veter-
ans Of Ours care what disposition the special
examiners make Of their claims! They viii
long before have appealed them to a tri-
bunal whose judgments are just and right
cons altogether. Now this year, this
month, to-day-is the time to pay the de-
Tenders Of the Nation the pittapee that is
due them. IF Congress and Commissioner
are determined to adhere to the special ex-
animation system, let the force be increased
to FIVE thousand or whatever number NAV
be necessary to clear the files at once, and
so put an end to this shameful delay and
injustice. If they are afraid to go to that
expense-and indeed the expense would be
out Of all proportion to the results accom-
plished as compared with the amount that
the Government might lose through the
occasional allowance of an unmeritoriouf
claim under the eT-pGrte system-let them
abolish the sy tenn entirely and confne the
operations Of the Pension Oaice to allowing
) nensione solely on the er-Dr,fe evidence or