The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-02-24

Cihitu, wHO, pIiOr I'd Tue ei3CuOn. wa
the only source in the division through
which case could be rejected. Ahor
the middle OF October | had a father.
, case, which showed that the claimant haf
property sufficient to he fully able tc
take care OF himself. There was no ev
ldepce of disability in the case, nor o
ihe birth OF the soldier, nor Of the mar
rage OF the claimant, or anything o
, that kind; AMI it seemed to me that i
would have been an additional txpens,
to the claimsnt AMI entirely unnecessary
otall for such proof because the claim
must be rejected on account of ths
claimant not being a dependent. In {
case Of that kind we are allowed to use
our own judsmen. in rejecting case'
but we have to 60 to the assistant ctie
for his approvsl l had such q case lr
October, aud / vent to Mr. Smith and
said that on the face OF the case it ap.
pearsd that the Gilman, had property 10
the amount OF sS. 900 or $4,000; thai
he bad one hundred and eighty acres ui
and, and was ther fore not dependent
showed him that, and that the claim
ought to be rejected. He said, "Nn
M, no; we are not rejecting any cases
now. II you RI ct that case it viii lo.e
US six votes 5"
/ And Mr.. Chapman, also an examine
in tho saDA division, testified that he
was Republican in politics and in re-
sponae to questions answered as follows
@ State what you know ahout anv
orders being given to have notices O.
rejected cases withheld just before the
election last fall PA. | do not recol
lect any order Of any kind in regard 10
notices OF rejected cases
@. Do you reco;leet anything in re-
gard TO rejected cases PA. Yes.
q. State whatit was.-A. remem
her that Mr.. Smith, the second assstan,
chief of the division, came tn nv desk,
stood near me, ard said, "If you have
any claims for rejdction do not reject
them at present, but hold them up."
O.. Did he state how long you we're to
hold them up PA. No, sir.
Q Tbat order you understood to he
general throughout the division "a
Yea.
@. Was anything said about the res-
son for that order "A. M, sir not By
him.
Q What was the understanding
among the CLERKS "A understood
that it was for political purposes.
| ~ tIzt Al i
the examiners generally "A. do not
know about the examiners generally.
understood it so myself.
Mr.. Kinney, another Republican ex-
aminer--as a matter OF course most OF
the employees are Repunlicaus-tes,fisd
as 10 the fact of the order as to rejected
cases, and said that he .sinferred, OF
course, that the order was for politicsl
purposes"
FAvoRITE GRuBB.
The rules OF the Pension office give
preference to calls for condition OF cases
made by Congressman, and such call
is treated as especial" and attention is
given to it accordingly. In answer TO
letters written bv Congressman. the
Statute allows the Commissioner OF Pen
sions TO inclose the answer in an official
"peualty" envelop,. AMI the Congress-
man receiving it may forward the envel-
op, which is already addressed, to the
claimant without paying postage. This
Is an important privilege, and no one
thut a si~wser of Congress or osaaatoi
| Is allowed to make such calls and to the
use 0! the envelope.
| Bat in August, 1884. Col. Dudley
then Commissioner made an exception
to this rule. A msn by name OF G. W
Grubbs, q friend OF Dudey's, had re-
ceived the Republican nomination for
Congress in an Indians District in op.
position to Mr.. Matson the presen,
member. In order to help his friend
Gruhbs, Dudley made this order: "Hon
George W Grubbs OF NJ Martinsvll'e, Ind.
is candidate for Congress and his in.
quiries are to be treated as Member oil
Congress" Mr.. Comstock, tie chief o.
the Division. which includes the State Of
Indiana, testified 10 the fact that Dudley
bad given him such instructions, and
that he had carried them out. This
Grubhs, from that time on during the
Congressional campaign, used the blank
slips gotten up especially for Members
and Senators and addressed penalty en-.
velopes we're sent to him precisely q,
though he were Member Of Congress
This thing continued until alter The eec
ton when Gruhbs was defeated, and thu
privilege was taken away from him. In
other words he nas "grubbed" up aftel
his defeat.
/ Another individual from Indians
Republican candidate for Congress, BY
the name OF Gudgel, who was running
against Mr.. Kloimer OF the lst Ind Dis
trict,-claimed TO have this same privi
lnge l understand that his man Gudge
almost another Grubb In name-tolt
ex-soldicrs and claimants for pensions
that be had authority from the Pension
Office to make cases special, and tha
Com'r. Dudley, who was particulsrl,
interested in his election, had granite;
him these special privileges.
1t seems, from a question asked by
Gov. Hart, who Ia conducting the exam
ination Of witnesses before the commit
tee on the part Of the Republicans, tina
Dadley will attempt to jastify his actor
in granting these special favors on tn
ground that he wanled to put the Re
publican candidates on an equal foot n!
with the Mem bers OF Congress who wrr
running against them. That is to say
, he was willing 10 lend the privileges O
the Pension office to Republicans for po
litical purposes; and, with the few case
, that have besn brought to light, it Is fai
to infer there are numerous others.
WHAT TIE FIGURES TELL.
A table of the number of the invali
pension claims allowed during the sev
eral months of 1884, shows. that, Will
the State of Indiana stands fourth j
the list as 10 the number of cases pend
ing, there were 500 more cases allowe
in that State than in any other durin