The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-06-03
USELESS EXPENDITURES.
gress Can Not Know More Of Worthy
Pension Claims Than the Bureau Itself

President Cleveland Believes That Con-
gress Can Not Know More Of Worthy
Pension Claims Than the Bureau ITSELF
The remarks of President Cleveland
on this subject in his message vetoing
a bill to double the pension already
granted to a soldier named Hill, strike
at an evil that is too frequent. 1t arises
presumably from the weak good nat
ure or desire to escape opportunities
on the part of the individual members
of Congress who introduce the bills,
which are reported by the committee
at their solicitation, or through mat
tention on the part of the other men,
bers. Before the Senate or House it is
not likely that they are subjected to the
slightest scrutiny, and 60 through,
as is very natural, on the
strength of the committees report.
The extent to which this action is taken
may be inferred from the fact that the
President has now awaiting his sigma
ture two hundred and forty bills grant
ing and increasing pensions and re-
placing on the roll names of men
that have been stricken off. All of
these cases had previously been acted
upon adversely by the Pension Bureau.
Mr.. Cleveland concisely states the OBJ
lection to this class of legislation
where he says in his message that 1.-THE
policy of frequently reversing by spe-
cial enactment the decisions of the bu-
reau invested by law with the exami-
nation of pension claims, fully equipped
for such examination, and which
ought not to be suspected of any lack
of liberality to our veteran soldiers,
is exceedingly questionable. 1t may
well be doubted if a committee oi
Congress has a better opportunity
than such agency to judge of the
merits of this claim" That is it exact.
| ly. How Is q committee of Congress-
heavily burdened with business, to give
the careful examination to a matter o.
department of the Administration full
| ly equipped for the work, and in the
habit of sitting the evidence and judg
ing of its value: If it lack any facilities
for want of which claims are likely te
suffer, the President further suggest.
that they had better be supplied by
Congress instead of attempting to sup
plement its work by this special legis
lation. The President hints that tn,
Pension Bureau has not, in the past
shown any obstructive tendencies il
the transaction of this business, whicl
certainly is true. The iberality of tn,
administration of our pension law
has been the subject of favorable ant
unfavorable comment ever since tn,
war, and there does not seem to be th'
slightest need of the interference o
Congress upon this score. There ha
been altogether too much of thi
special, personal legislation for the re
lief of all sorts of people, including
these under discussion, from the be
ginning until now, and the public ha
had too little to say about it. To Con
gressmen who are handling millions il
appropriations these few thousands o
dollars seem trifling. And SO th'
thing goes on, and the money runs on
of the treasury like water from
sieve; the great body of the popula
ton, who have no claims to put in
paying the fiddler, as it were, withou
getting any dancing to speak of. w,
are glad that President Cleveland ha
had the manliness to put his finge
upon this leak, for while, as he says
it is impossible for him to examin
into all these claims, Gust as impossi
BILE, he might well have said, as TO
Congress to have given them prope
attention), yet he has forcibly draw
the attention of Congress and tn
country to most pernicious practic
of legislation.-Bostos Statesman.