The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-09-20
PLACING THE RESPONSIBILITY.

RLASlNkE HE hESPONSEISlLIlfs
The report of the National Pension Com
mittee to the National Encampment as to its
labors during the past year TO secure proper
legislation for the veterans, and the failure
of those efforts to obtain what is due from
the country to the men who saved its life,
was a terrible arraignment of the man who
brought all those efforts to naught-Col. G.
C. Matson, Chairman of the Committee on
Invalid Pensions of the House of Represen-
tatives.
This arraignment was not terrible in
words-for the utterance Of the committee
was dignifed, temperate and restrained
but in the facts. Even these were not stated
as damagingly as they might have been.
Enough, however, was given Of them to place
the culpability of Col. Matson in the clear
est light, and to show that he deliberately
and cunningly planned to thwart the wishes
of the Grand Army of the Republic, to de-
feat The desire of the people of the country
that the disabled veterans be properly pro-
vided for, and to prevent the friends of the
soldiers in Congress from having an oppor-
tunity to enact such legislation as they had
promised their constituents should be en-
acted.
The committee, feeling the great respon-
sibility of its position, did not tell all the
facts; but we who can speak with freer
voice can be more explicit. We can at least
outline the facts which clearly fix the re-
sponsibility upon Col. Matson beyond expla-
nation or mitigation. Briefly stated, these
acts fare:
At the opening of Congress Col Matson
was reappointed Chairman of the Committee
on Invalid Pensions To this committee
are referred all pension bills introduced in
the House for examination and disposition.
AS the majority Of every committee usually
folloWs implicitly the direction of the Chair
man, and as this was particularly true of
that on Invalid Pensions, which had been
made up with that view, it will be seen that
Col. Matson had pretty thorough control of
matters SO far as they could be controlled in
his committee.
In the House his influence was equally
controlling. The business of legislation is
managed by committees, and to a certain
extent these committees are supreme in their
particular domains. A combination Of cir
cun1stances made Col Matson's supremacy
absolute. His party had strong majority
in the House, the Speaker was his personal
friend and fellow-partisan and in the caucus
the members Of his party hostile to pension
legislation had q majority. Consequently
nothing relating to pensions would be con-
sdered in the House which was not report
ed from his committee, and no time would
be given for consideration which he did moi
ask for. Nobody else would be recognized
by the Speaker, and If Col. Matson wal
dumb in demanding a hearing for the veter
ans, the voice of any other man would b.
raised in vain.
These are facts which no friend of Col
Matson's can successfully deny. 1t canno
be contradicted that he has had it in hi
r power at any time within the nine month
3 and more that Congress has been in session t
report to the House any pension bill that h
E prepared, secure a day or days for its con
i sideration, and procure its passage in som
+ shape or another. To deny this is to di
] reetly falsily or show an unpardonabl
e ignorance of the facts.
t There was every reason for the expecta
e ton that as soon as Congress assembled Co
i MISUNDERSTANDING to the voices of hun
}. ofthousandso fveteransex prest throue
: the Grand Army of the Republic, and to tn
d appeals for relief and justice which came u
t from every part of the country-would a
d once put through some bill which would a
# least do partial justice But though til
!, session is in its tenth month, he has not onl
Y done nothing himself, but has stubbornl