The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-10-31
Pension VetOes.

A WATCHMAN representative recently
asked Il. j. Deavitt, ESQ, of Montpelier, a
recognized authority in pension matters,
what he thought of the presidents vetoes of
pension bills. He answered that the presi-
dents actions in signing and vetoing private
pension bills appeared to him Inconsistent
1t would be more consistent to sign all or
veto all Those that he signs generally pos
sess no more merit than those he refuses 10
sign The great majority of the presidents
vetoes of private pensions bills are strangely
outlandish. They are not the result of his
own mind. They are ground out for him
in the pension Office, where the medical
referee who has led the commissioner of
pensions and secretary of the interior round
by the nose ever since the summer of 1885,
does the same thing by the president; that
instead of occupying the high place ac-
corded the president by the constitution OF
the United States as a part OF the law
making power, he assumes the subordinate
place of an official charged with the adjudi-
eating of claims under existing laws His
opinions, even on medical questions, were
never regarded as final until 1885. His ac-
ton, like that of other subordinates in the
pension Office, was subject to revision by
the commissioner; but now the commits
sioner of pensions, the secretary of the in
terror and the president of the United States
most hunbly bow to the arbitrary edict of
the medical referee. When claimants can
not get Justice in the department they have
no where else to go but to congress. In do
ing this they lose the arrears (Which aver
ages 81 900 case), for pension given by
special acts only commence from the APP
proval of the act. Commissioners Black, in
his last report, of which 10000 extra
copies have been printed and circulated as
a democratic campaign document, describes
the manner of posting the president thus
" Upon the receipt at the executive mansion
of special act granting pension, it is referred
IN whose
duty it is to present for the consideration
of the executive all the facts, favorable and
unfavorable, shown in the records and files
of the bureau of pensions concerning such
case. To this end the commissioner en-
ploys the services of the chiefs of the boards
of review and re-review, and under them
four men from among the most highly
trained and best-eQuipped in the office,
whose sole duty in connection with the case
is to present an impartial and accurate
brief of all the matter in evidence and
every substantial averment of the claimant
and every part of his military record. The
substantial evidence in support thereof is
added, as well as that which is adverse
thereto. The briefs thus prepared are sub
mitted to the commissioner of PENSIONS
who examines them with view first, to
the correction of any error; next to indi-
cate the complexion of the case under the
general law, and to state whether the action
of the Office on the case is one based on
equitable grounds, as shown by the whole
of the evidence. When this work is so done
it is forwarded to the president" The
presidents vetoes are only echoes from the
pension office. The laundering of the pen
sion Office is generally only known to the
claimants and their attorneys. The vetoes
are published and known to the public.
This accounts in part for the prevalent opin-
ion that General Black is more friendly to
the soldier than the president. In the AGO
special acts signed by the president the
beneiiciaries received 81 400 900 less than
they would have received had their claim
been granted under the general law with the
usual arrears of pension. General Black
must have found these claims all worthy or
he would not have advised the president
to sign the bills. We have no record of
any case where the president has gone con-
trary to General Blacks recommendation
One of his early decisions to deter disap-
pointed applicants from going to congress,
was to override long-established practice
of the pension office, sustained by many
cases, to allow pensioners by special act to
complete their claims under the general law,
afterwards, if they could, and receive the
arrears, deducting therefrom the amount
received under the special act. This was
just and fair to both the soldiers and the
government. The secretary of the interior
in affirming this remarkable decision of the
commissioner says 1.-THE practice of this
department since August 2S, 1873, has recog-
nized the right OF pensioner under
special act to surrender his pension GER
tificate issued hereunder and take in lieu
thereof one under the general law At the
date given above it was decided in case of
Charles Lynch that pensioner under a
special act might elect to take in lieu
thereof under the general law. Because an
error has prevailed for twelve years, how
ever, is no sufficient reason for perpetuating
it indefinitely, and until it becomes hoary
and venerable with age. Because it has
been done in other cases is no sufficient rea-
son why it should be done in this case. The
decision in the case of Lynch is overruled,
and your action in reversing the practice,
which you found prevailing in the pension
office in like cases, is fully concurred in by
this department"