National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-10-16
A Union Soldier Cruoined.

ment, can DC 1Ound JOnn N, Luuu, an OH
veteran, aud his wife, broken down 10
health, living upon the cold and scanty
charities Of the world, with a few things
scattered about the room once called furni-
ture. He don't know what to do, and all
the efforts 10 help him have so far come to to
naught. He related to your correspondent
the following story, which, II true, will go
show how somebody must be sacrificed to
serve the ends OF politics ~ am 6l years Of
age, said John X. Ladd, almost doubled up
with rheumatism served in the Mexican
war, and enlisted four times Ia the late war
Of the rebellion. Almost twenty years ago
was pensoned for chronic rheumatism,
contracted in the service, at the rate OF 50
per month, and my pension has been In
creased five times slnce-namely, to SIS,
S1S, $24, s3l.25, nd $50 per month.
ut lie needless to say that had to furnish
all proof necessary TO establish my claim
to pension, and more especially so when
It was well known that was and always
have feen q Democrat, while the pension
office was then administered by Republic
cans. How much Of a Democrat am you
can infer when during the war was offered
n furlough for month and pay II would
20 home and vote for Lincoln, which re-
fused, because my choice was Mcclellan.
All my family to my great grandfather
were and are Democrats, and l put several
eolld votqs as a citizen Of Albany in for
President Cleveland. MY disease growing
on me constantly and becoming totally dis
abled, was advised and put in another APP
plication for an increase OF pension to S12
per month. This application was pending
when the Democratic administration came
in. First thing knew was that special
examiner OF the pension Office called at my
house one day while / was fearfully sick
M aH In N IN mi
life had out of me. In the most abusive
and domineering way he put questions aud
answers all his own way, and then held my
hand to sign them, In presence OF my wife
and another lady, and slammed the door
when he left In manner that indicated
coming storm. l did not know what
signed, but signed 1t because he was an
officer and thought had TO do IL. II
/ signed anything contrary to what |
ever signed before It Is simply fraud.
Yes, put the wife in, he cannot be held re-
sponsible for what he signed on that occa-
sion, FIR he was sick, terrorlzed; the agent
put everything down himself to suit him
self, held his hand to Sign II, and walked
away In the most brutal manner. While
describing how this agent had treated them,
for the purpose, as It now appears to them,
Of defrauding them out OF their pension
their only dependence In old age and in
trinity, for services rendered his country
the tears could be seen rolling down the
checks Of this aged couple In perfect agony"
"Why do you suppose, asked your CORE
epondent, the pension Office should want to
defraud you Of your pension2n "Ah," said
Laid, "you have heard Of the charge Of
Republican abuses In the pension office. /
suppose to show the country how corrupt
the Republicans were In granting pensions.
/, being one Of the high-priced pensioners,
was selected as 'scapegoat.'
al nxI,v Ia,. hnN ALL
himself In company with LaJd's wife to the
pension office to examine the papers on file.
The gallant assistant commissioner at once
ordered the same to be brought, but the
clerk who brought them could not under
stand the reason why any one should take
any more interest in this case, since the
great pension Office had cut this man off,
had been sustained by the Secretary Of the
Interior on an appeal when Ladd was not
represented, and when bill for the relief
of Ladd brought into the last session Of
Congress had failed n..the House Of action;
yet, after little coaxing, he consented to
read some of q small bale OF papers, In
reading over the decision Of the pension
office sustained by the Secretary of the Iu-
terror, it appears that strong artificial case
had been placed on file against this poor
man. Reference is made to circumstances
entirely irrelevant, but calculated to pref
udice the case, and closes with the state
ment that Ladd's name was dropped from
the pension rolls July 10, 1885, on the
ground that the disability for which he was
pensioned existed previous to his first en-
listment, as shown by the record evidence
and confirmed by his own admission. Since
Mr.. Ladd's name was dropped from the
| rolls he has filed the testimony OF several
| persons In good standing to show he was
free from disease prior to his enlistment,
and that they never knew him 10 have
| doctor. Said evidence was not deemed
sufficient to controvert the record, &c.
Ladd by his own affidavit, that Of his wife
and Rachel Snyder on file, states
that he was incapable at the time OF max
ing statement, and did not know what he
signed. He asserts that II 1t contained
anything contrary to what he ever signed
before, 1t is simply fraud, and that he did
not admit that he was afflicted with
chronic rheumatism before his enlistment.
But the law protects person from criml-
mating himself. And II he had known and
In his sound senses made declaration that
he had the disease for which he was pen
sioned-prior to his first enlistment-it Is
not likely that he would or could have OBJ.
tanned the testimony Of what the depart
ment itself terms "several persons of good
standingn to the contrary. Ladd himself
alleges that he obtained the testimony OF
twelve persons Of good standing, people
who knew him, to the effect that he was
sound man before he first enlisted In the
army. Ladd comedies that he was dis
charged for disability after his first enlist
ment, but he enlisted again, again, and
| again, his services were accepted by the
| government, and he served the last time
eleven months. All these facts, he claims,
are matters Of public record In the War De-
| partment and were duly considered at the
| time ho was first pensioned. Now common
sense would teach, and 1t has so been de-
| cided by the courts, that mans enlistment
| In the army is prima facie evidence of the
| fact that he was sound man at the time he
| enlisted. Ladd's pension being granted by
| the proper authorities In 1870 upon his dec
| larations, evidence deemed sufficient, and
| the public records of the War Department,
| the present administration Of the pension
| Office has no authority In law to disturb the
| actions of previous administrations OF that
Office, unless IL can be proven conclusively
that the disabilities for which Ladd was
receiving pension, do not exist. Ladd's
| pension having been increased five times 1t
| Is evident that his case was five times re-
examined, and, says Ladd, 1t never dawned
upon any one that l obtained pension
fraudulently for almost twenty years, under
four different administrations, until my
| the Democratic-party came into power.
Economy is one Of the pet cries Of modern
Democracy, but II they propose TO econo'
mize on the poor, whose votes they court,
and whose special friend they claim to
be-if 1t is to be done at the expense Of
those who have "four times" enlisted
in the defense OF their government
then 1t truly stands out 10 bold contrast
to the actions of the Republican admins
tration toward Democratic Union soldiers.
| 1t does not follow that the heads of the de-
| partments know personally OF this case.
| II may be the work OF underlings, who, 1t
appears, should be looked after, under the
eryi service law, hUr naVng aue maao tne
81 can get the Hon. 7. A. Merrman's (mem-
Der Of Congress, who was captain OF my
regiment) certificate at any time as to my