New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-05
A PENSION SCANDAL.
THE CASE FROM WHICH j. r. VAN MATER
Is ALLEGED TO HAVE REMOVED
TIE SLIP"
HISTORY OF THE CASE OF GEORGE T. BOND
Cu1Ey OF UIvIsIoNS STARTLING REPORT
ON rc'sU BoaD1NAT1oN IN THE

ON rNsU BOaDINAT1oN IN THE
PENSION BUREAU.
r9Y TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIpCSEl
Washington, Sept An . recent dispatch referring
to tic abuses in the Bureau OF PcrsioIs' ao h'oic
particularly to Jacob X. Van Mater' WHO s@A''e'
charged With removing important ad1udieatoiE Or NY
visory slips nom pension clams-an offence pnni'haoe
under statute Of the United states by Sne d hot
more tban % 600. Or imprisonment at hssd mo0r not
moro than three years. Or both"-The Tribune corre-
spondet failed to give the particular case from when
Won Mater Is alleged to have removed the sup IN
Justice to this man and also to Commissioner Nanm
L. proper perhaps cite the case which is u'ae OF
George J. Eond, Company A. 74th New-forA lnIantry,
certificate No 4o77O. The following is synopsis Oh
tho case
Of IL -: :Soaisst fsas;cssd Gp 10
June Z, is72 to Ca rom is7s to $50 iIo%
AS from August l. 1850
Cu May 81, lee0. the pepslouer f'cl al appIcat on
for rcratns. claiming that the rate OF ~ % snou
h. made to bcsln from March 8, 1870. On June 4.
1850. tho case was made special by George Is.
squires. private secretary ss appears from SIP Az
tschcd to brief ce. On June 10. 1882 Comrl,Ss@nef
Tanner made the following ruling
Tie act of Mach 3. 1879, provides that an pen
s slse'S Re n pssS ID t ron for .npatson leg
4 he hip Gn; sn Tss s ds 81 ho is
ibis at House COMMITTEES On Pc re1;s ss IN } }ss2
ssA .s II he ,S g to s h o
e %So has lost his arm It TIE Shoulder ]Slnt EQUALLY
D :ns eS VIA inc Sn ss Who Il M o:t
% hp ont Is Dan' Injustice eo :" mae s s,s
f0 sSSoGsnse t Mp 5 % ING sn!s finally
sss vs s ha T'f hs 81 81 sS:ss se 9 .
Joint cussd b. Injuries reeyed 10 The scyySe q ts .r
ssSs. T rea:dn 'as ns Ct s e. -
70 tie ssnie amount that tho law now gives 70 soldiers
5SS e: s .ss Var sSp H2ys III S
he pension roll AERsovcs %s'n 3 a., LEA Sassed
between the two cases-w,,h boss Of leg at hip jnnt
sS S where the aIs rscites that their pensons shall be
Imcrcased to the same amouns. II seems to me tas
ts sS css ana ShS% 1--WE snc SArn
cw Of the fact t,; those r who lost sa S Of he ny
? Slncn s'f those who lost s an arm shoulder
n s I ss xSs aSs tho
uniss; the ratio q sa7 50 begins 1t tho S'Oe a'o'
WI an therefore Of the opinion that the act o: March
o. 1855 should be 90 construed and TINS anpli''rnt
should bs paid in ;sSEs S '@sa ioe
In accordance with the above ruling. reissue Wis
made on the llth day Of Juno, 1880 f,r tie PUP
pose OF reratns and fixing the date Of beginning II ere
rate OF 49, so at Nsrch 3. 1870 1t appears also
, bat on the same dsy. June II, 1889. Commissioner
Tanner r,ade the following ruling as appears HVm
slip attached 10 fare brief
Tie ruling Il June 10. 1890 in the sbovc d"sgnnfcd
e hereby ~vohcd. Let r-,.nc b" nsdr to ~.
JAMES TANSER. Commissioner.
In compliance with thc above. s'spcislon Of pay.
same day; and at this date August .. 1889, thc ~
issne hos not been made.
Now Is was almost wholly upon the favorable srS7l
(t,.xf 49, nj Dr.
Ia, Pcrson Commissioner Tanner made the abare
formal ruling which Was 50 promptly REVOKED Hence
he Withdrawal destruction OF t1t sip was pa
ticilarly r-p.chcnsiLo as ii eavcI the "h" burden
Of The a., ION upon q Lew and ncy"-ienccI COMMAS
ioner. AID upOn ;he pcnso"cr ALI hono'sok ana up
RICH, Ccnt!-r,a1. who had consulted long aud ir
..ueht,y with the ytgy conTteo .! Con.rc>s VI. lea
n 1895 nade TIE re,rOrt above 1ro'rl. Gri WIZ III
,;cw Of what !,e flIuy believed - By Tier i'c";.
Fled his clam ior -c!at,lG H":rrIcr, III cla.I;'i'
Is. - tir; tlEle clerk IN tl!r P""'.rn Eu'raA VEG"
in spit. az his :r.t LLiEit.c'. Ia MAJ; a. cA'c|'
record. oit Edc be.a exposed 10 pets per- 4:''iN
and reduced Two grades III BAY BY Sc, he i!.Y so.
Ercck" a. The i,isu alton Of t,iL corrupt rL2 "a
y?hih Va. Mater WIS co:spictPia Inc!nI":. "''ge
:uinr r. H. Campptn AID IL. H. ii:uc,. all Il; lc-c:t
scrving IN the SccIe:ary's cii.e. n.cnocT' o. IN
.l,r..l Do1!,. Of ENaiCrs whic,i made ms rpr; ~
rA;,;re vii, doubtless remember Whether o- lot N''
xa,nr', I'D waa N ,hc case when they eAanacd II.
N,x,uwh!I. r.aa.ioDs from tbs Chief OF tan IuA'I
vi ieyt.w l.niscii ac veTy much IN order.
Ting Tr"y n ALI n'% .s aa ' va A. I'M y st nS ' IA
he rnoval 0: such slips aid in t!!s ccDncctioh thn
issss S;' %a Rain 'Y - as R%t to % ci nne
fay Inter. lie oi,ca's AID ,ar pn..ic at arg a.
r,t 70 III, os 1 rc, ~i0 Sat I naaS b. a.. pr
;c"nt chief ri division. and Commissioners Ranm n'i'
certainly have found 1t III tho Hf' Oh hi' 0'"0 e1''
In calling your attnti.n Particularly 70 the
action taken Ivy lie Once eeneiani und iLe particular
Ito" Of M; te osr ISL s have t.
crr,ncous actvp, Indicated. or that aay great nunhc
es ,. in Il" ths InrOau has taught inc that there hay"
ecn and are now. men at the head Of divl'lnus wo'G
nay and Might Thoughts I.' r eet" the claim am
working on hos can rsEnge - a: 70 deny ms sni
s Mt IT, x ss TIC DO 10 a"n !" Or 'nsf s
~" worIi OF t:s .rc. 7" the end no ma i.l'lr .
nL,on r, !. be- a. .pcay di>posd q - possible
never seriously c.nsdsIca And ;,u Is not entertained by
1" e II ,sls .tss with ,s S.san r cs 1 ,
S s1 ana aSi1 40 asrny diSoScy your order 70 rs
riamS where the evidence IS o,cruheiWiasiS IN ia,,
4tvc.a evidence n H. Se on %h;" !a ur - a. ~
10 the pcrso, roll. Where they have l1ade error
'Hcy sve sought 70. ard have in many thoslSf %
Instances NY have Aaty refused to CORRECT e1or,
ard harc tsru up the slns q .; G,.ision c1 a. ~,
~
adrii.t,d hlrs. ,
to-;, M "the slips OF that ID miscellaneous div anl
and went TAR as to instruct hir "erf. to as lnr
wise Another division OF the ofts Is presided oSof
by a wounded soldier whn has done the same TIM
only not quite often in sn"h bod inail'rr
in Thousands Of where action has been tals; l.;
nc division which hou!d govern the action Of :'o'h:r
they have In nniuhcrc' instahctS 70
,ur,cd inc casr. to The files without com
;lc;hly thc acton indicated. IT, ,e arc tod!r IN IN"
nlE.itfed Clc, Of thiS o1cn COCO claim Il w'Ttay
s,aets whose .am.s ha;e b,ca tr.ppcd fon No.. re &c
touslly large nuuber q tie claims % starving cd
,4ac,. who arc The widows Or the dependent motIc J
81 soldiers WHO Lst their Ives In tc Re chcr o thcr
| country. These persons are pcrsi'tent!y denied
hearing on their claims ~ crafty the persona
caprice Of the Individual division chiefs who ordered
| I've dropping Of the names ..,,,n.,, ,ors,,,s
these men win carry their prrsonal splt. and h "
sn and how hagrsnT tn'y Viii n .rv y nyt e yor
st.cnon TO two cases Firt tho case Of Gsn, ilur"
| welman. Cerahcate No. 3le.s12. Thcse cas.s COZ
tn,n q vouyninous correspondence between this d.
vision and the i,oa-d ~ Review. the soatheri, III
vision ana te chief clerk; and ssid correspondence
u AllN AnHf