The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-04-25

who forgot self in devotion to country, and
sacrificed every thing to rescue her. He, on
the other hand, is type of those who were
recreant to every instinct of patriotism, yet
lacked courage to take up arms in support
of the rebellion, and curbed their malice
with the rein of bodily fear.
An old prOverb is that there is no Turk
like renegade Christian. Our Indian
fighting forefathers used to say that there
was no savage like white man who had
deserted to the breech-elout and wigwam.
So Mr.. Hawkins is an illustration of the
rank Copperheadism of Vermont emigrant
who succumbed to Missouri influences and
associations. There was an icy malice in his
treatment of Union soldiers that put even
ex-Confederate soldiers to the blush, and
the records of the Interior Department con-
tain protests from subordinates who served
calamity in the rebel army against his cruel
decisions in pension cases. With an eye
jaundiced by hate of all who fought for the
Union, he scanned the claims presented to
him in search of an excuse for denying the
soldier the justice the laws granted. Wher-
ever law could be interpreted unfavorably
to the soldier it was so interpreted; too
often many old rulings that were passively
unfavorable he made actively harsh, and he
added new ones as occasion offered, or could
be made.
The Assistant Secretary of the Interior
is the court of last appeal in pension
cases; he has jurisdiction of all pension
matters, and his acts in regard to them
are virtually those of the Secretary of
the Interior and the President For two
years and eight months Mr. Hawkins held
this important position, and industriously
fettered every limb of the pension system
with the cold manacles of technicalism and
obstruction.
The effect of this was deeply calamitous.
In vain ardent friends of the veterans strug-
gled for reform and liberalization of the
pension system. The Assistant Secretary
was always in the way to cramp it back into
its evil ways with hostile rule or decision
Thus, the tendency Of the system to iIlib-
erality and obstruction, which was born
with it and which has grown with its
growth, was strengthened, confirmed, and
made more difficult of remedy. Everybody
connected with the administration of the
pension system naturally became more o.
less affected by this adverse spirit Thai
they were in many cases unwillingly so i
true, but they were affected nevertheless
as all persons must be who act under
superior clothed with great power.
We mention these facts, Mr.. Secretary, t,
show that We thoroughly appreciate tn
difficulties that confront you. At ever
turn you VIII find barricades of stumblin
blocks placed in the way of the claimant
by former officers of the pension system
and cemented and solidifed by rules an
; decisions of such men as D. L. Hawkin.
4oO 4<AAs q RSAOIAieA9C VI youL SuuOIuindte
: have been trained under this system of cast
iron repression, and until you can infus
your own spirit into them or get rid of sue
b as are intractable, they will be obstacles i
your way, as they have been in the way
those who have thought like you. UI
J fortunately many of them have the ear
> the Mugwump press, to which they hay
> been in the habit of furnishing, more or lie
openly, ammunition with which to attac
any attempted reform, and SO prejudice IL
i people against it. From this source yc
viii have to expect measureless abuse an
n misrepresentation.
That you win not weary in weIl-doin
Mr.. Secretary, but perseyere to the end
g till you have removed the last yestige an
y trace OF Hawkinsism in the pension system
we have not the slightest doubt, nor b