Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-05-10
Checking Extraordinary Legislation.

Congress pumped down upon the presi-
dent the other day 24O special bills grant
ing and increasing pensions, and restoring
to the pension list the names of parties
which for cause have been dropped. Each
one of them involved peculiar set of facts:
about which, from the very nature of the
case, there was room for dispute, inasmuch
as they had been insufficient to warrant
the pension department in approving and
granting the pensions asked, and yet had
appealed successfully to Congress for its
support. 1t is not reasonable to suppose
that the members of the House and
Senate had examined the merits of
these cases or exercised any judgment
upon them. They had nearly all gone
to and come back from some committee
in which the chances are that one or two
persons considered and disposed of them,
whose judgment was taken by the other
members, and in turn the House acted
upon It's committees report. So that,
after all, as the president foreibly
puts it in a message to the House,
the heinstrumentality devised by law for the
determination of pension claims is thus
overruled and discredited, " under crcum-
stances and by agencies not nearly so tit to
try these pension cases as the bureau.
congressman and committees are beset
with great importantly and it is much
easier to yield than to resist.
What was the president to do with 24O
bills, each of which required probably a
weeks examination and all of which
must be determined by him within ten
daysP He sent them to the pension bureau
for examination and report and got them
back after delay absolutely necessary
within few hours of the limit constitu.
tionally provided for the executive action.
He thus analyzes the character of them
Eighty-one cover cases In which favorable
action OF the pension bureau was denied nv
reason OF the insufiiciency OF the testimony
filed to prove the facts alleged, These bills I
nave approved on the assumption that the
claims were meritorious, and that ON the pas
sage OF the bills the government has waived
full proof OF the facts 26 of the bills were
cover claims rejected by the pension bureau
because the evidence produced tended TO
prove that the alleged disability existed be-
fore the claimants enlistment q cover
claims which have been denied by such
bureau because the evidence tended TO show
that the disability, though contracted in the
service, was not incurred in the line of duty
80 cover claims which have been denied be,
cause the evidence tended to show that the
disability originated after the soldiers dis
charge from the army; AZ cover claims which
nave peen denied because the general pension
could be allowed, and "a claims have never
been presented to the pension bureau.
And he frankly says, while he believes
many of these bills, except such as are
included in the first class, should be dis
approved, he is utterly unable to submit
within the time allowed for that purpose
any objections to the same. They will,
therefore, become operative without his
approval. This is lamentable condition
OF anairs and yet the president has proba-
biy taken the only course open to him
uhoer the circumstances. He puts the
responsibility where it belongs, upon Con-
gress and he says with characteristic
vigor and clearness upon this whole sub.
ject.
"The policy OF frequently reyersing NV
special enactment the decisions Of the BUREAU S
sion claims fully equipped for such exsm;ra ben
ton, and which ought not to be Suspected .,
any lack OF liberality To our veteran soldia,s
- exceedingly questionable. 1t may well be-
doubted II committee OF Congress has a bet.
ter opportunity than such agency TO Judge
Of the merits OF this claim.
'lf however, there is any lack OF power
In the pension bureau for full inyesti-
CATION. II should be supplied. II the
system adopted 10 inadequate To do full
Justice 70 claimants 1t should be corrected,
and II there il want of sympathy and
confederation Tor the defenders OF our gov
eynment the bureau should be reorganizsd.
The disposition TO concede most generous
treatment To the dissoled, aged aud need v
nmon9 our veterans should not be restrained,
and g must be admitted that in some cases
tuettce and equity cannot be at
ta1ned vtthout charitable tendencies OF
fhe goyernment In favor Of worthy