Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-05-04

under Republican administrations, was base
less and untrue His proofs were So CON
elusive that no Democrat presumed TO make
a denial lie also called attention TO the
unusual expedition with which certain
claims under the Mexican bill had been set
tied which made Commissioner Black ap
pear in an unenviable light
The Mexican pension bill became a law
ON the 20th Of January, 1887, and contains
but six short sections. The first section de
clares who, Of the soldiers engaged in that
war and the widows Of deceased soldiers,
are entitled to he enrolled rs pensioners.
The second section provides the rate per
month. The third section provides as fol
lows:
That before the name Of any pc son shall be
placed ON the pcusiOn-rOll under this act PROOF
shdH be- muds, under such rules and regulations
MS the Secretary Ut the Interior may prescribe, Of
the right Of the applicant to a pension; and any
person who shall falsely and corruptly take any
oath required under tins act shall be deemed
guilty Of perjury etc.
The fourth section provides that the pen
sion laws now in force, and wherein they
are net inconsistent with this act, shall he
taken as a part thereof. The fifth section
simply repeats Sec 471G of the Revised
Statutes 50 far as it relates to the present
act. The sixth and last section provides
that the law shall not apply to persons un,
der political disabilities imposed by the 18th
amendment to the Constitution.
Observe, now, the inaccuracies in the
statement of the Reformer editor.
LIST. 1t is not true that the law makes it
the duty of the pension office to notify all
surviving veterans of their rights under it..
2d Gen Henderson did not charge polit-
ical favoritsm in the conduct of the pen
sion Office because Commissioner Black had
sent a letter, or circular, to Col William r.
Morrison, notifying him that he was en-
| titled to a pension as a Mexican war vete-
ran. Col. Morrison was a member of Con
| gress when this law was enacted, and knew
all about its provisions and what his rights
were under it, The law and the regula-
tions Hereunder as prescribed by the Sec
rotary of the Interior are absolute and
mandatory in this-that to entitle any per
son to be placed ON the pension-roll written
application and proofs under oath must first
be made and submitted by every such per
son claiming pension. What Gen. Hen
derson did charge in the debate was that
Commissioner Black caused to be issued K
Col. Morrison pension certificate by rea
son of his being n veteran of the Mexican
war without application having been made
therefor and without the knowledge of Col
Morrison, and that in so doing he had vic
lated the plain provisions of the statute
He not only charged this, but he submitted
proofs of it, much to the discomfort of tn,
Democrats
3D.. 1t is not true, as the Reformer states
that "when Col Morrison received tn,
circular he replied that he didn'
want any pension, etc Can any one con
ceive why he should have returned 'cir
cular' or letter informing him of his rights
If the Reformer had printed the word Ger
tiiicate' in place of the word circular, i
would have been nearer the truth Col
Morrison did receive the pension certih
cate issued to him by Commissioner Black
and he did return it with Il curt note stat
ing that he had never applied for a pension
under the act and he had no present us
for the certificate
We venture the opinion that the practic
of little more honesty on the part of som
Of these reform administration official
would save lots of lying by the editors q
certain Democratic newspapers. Who
it now that half know what they tai
about ~