The Dickinson press., 1889-10-19
THIS IS OFFICIAL.
The Interior Department Eluct-
dates the Evils of Tanners
Pension Order.
Soldiers Who Were Least Disa-
bled Would Be the Only
Ones Benefited.
Favorites Would Flourish While Those
Without Powerful Friends
Would Suffer.

WASHINGTON. Oct. 11.-Thr following
authoritative statement. prepared at the
interior department. in support of tho
action in resembling Commissioner Tan
ners order advancing pensions from 81
tn 81 per month. in certain cases. has
been given to the press.
lin view of tn" recent decision 10y the
department of the interior. relating tn
the authority of the commissioner of
pensions To arbitrarily. on his own mo-
iion. la rcrate some 100000 men by adj
yancing their pension. on his order. from
50 tn 81 prr month. it is worthy of attcn-
ton that the revised statutes of the
United States provide that IL rating made,
the commissioner of pensions. except in
certain cases where 10y LAW Il specific
noun is attached by statue to the di>a-
lility nanlcl. is determined 10y the degree
of disability found by Il medical exam
nation of the claimant. Thus where IA
claimants disability is total. he is given
under the statue a fixed amount. This
WAS formerly S.. and is now fixed at diff
fcrcnt amounts for different cases:
among others SIS total. and the amount
that would be SIS for Il total disability
is snl"lividrd into fractions. that is. less
than total for lesser degrees of disability.
Thus. if one man is found to he a very
little disabled Ivy the medical hoard. he
j, given LIS, or 81: or if he is still more
disabled, 2-lS. or 50: and if still more
disabled. BIS. or So. and so on. If now
lv an order of the commissioner. with
out regard to this medical examination.
the man who has thus been receiving f.
is advanced to 81. without the man who
WAS more disabled. and who had been
rated at 81. being himself advanced. it is
obvious that
INJUSTICE IS DONE
I" the higher graded nan because he is
put on par with Il maj evidently less dis
ahlrd. And so between soldier and SOL
,:irr there is an unfair preference of the
less injured. If these cases. however,
are all referred to the examining sur
gcons aud they find the disability to be
equal To 81, and il is then allowed, every
thing has been done in due order and ac-
c"rling to law and upon /; basis that any
man can understand and which will
have the limits fixed by medical knowl-
edge. experience and professional repu-
tHtiom.
!. slight consideration of this matter
will show that to give away S66. 900 IL
month of the public money ON such an
order as this would be but the beginning
of Il system by which millions could be
expended. uncontrolled by law, as it was
unauthorized be precedent.
Ii is also obvious that such Il course as
this would not be of benefit to the sol
Iirrs ultimately, as it is intended only
TO BENEFIT THOSE LEAST DISABLED:
in other words. those who have the least
claim for disability. If one may Judge
that these men are to be advanced upon
II mere opinion as to what should be the
least amount of pension: the others
might justly claim that their more Sc
we're wounds and disabilities were quite
as uncomprnsated as those of less degree.
In other words, whenever the opinion of
Il commissioner without investigation is
substituted for actual examination as to
disability. every mans pension is put at
risk. either to be so exaggerated as that
the government or people would not al
low it, or to be SD disparagcd as that
nothing could be obtained. If you can
dropa man who is receiving SO per
month from the pension rolls on a mere
opinion of a commissioner, you can drop
off y great many others receiving more
on the same principle. 1t is a
MERE QUESTION OF wHlM n CAPRICE.
1t is upon this that it has been insisted
that the law has been adhered to. and
the procedents established must have
weight.
1t must also be obvious in all this that
There is no expression, as there is no
disposition. to prevent any deserving
soldier from acquiring all the pension
his disability entities him to-eithcr by
original application or application for
increase. All that is being done is to
maintain that the law be literally con-
strned, but by nomleans disregardeq, and
to allow each in his turn without par
TALLY. all he is entitled to.
If the law is abandoned. the weak. the
distant, and those without powerful
friends will suffer: while favorites will
flourish,