New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-08
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL
MANAGEMENT OF THE PENSION OFFICE
COMMISSIONED EAUM DENIES THE CHARGES OF
RING RULE.

TO the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: In your issue Of August 10 there appeared an
article from your Washington Office headed " Bold Pen
sion Office Clcrks-Cancelling an Adverse Decision by
the Secretary of the INTERIOR which commented WIFI
disfavOr upon the action Of the Office upon Il claim tor
increase Of pension filed by John 5. Garrison. late OF
90. e.. 9th Regiment, Michigan Cavalry. certificate NO.
2e9,22o. This article reproduced in full the decision
OF Assistant Secretary Hawkins. rendered December
%, 1855, denying the appeal, and alleged that ). +.
Lothrop, ". McWhortcr and F. W.. Poor. members Ot
the Board Of Rc-Iievlew, had reversed the decision OF
Assistant secretary Hawkins and allowed the cia'm
without any additional evidence. and characterized to
action as Of ring rule which still controlled the AFFAIRS
Of the Office. This article Immediately attracted Tic
attention Of the Department, tho case was crawl
from the files, and Assistant Secretary Busscy
and myself gave it q careful examination. VIC
found that the facts in the case had been com.
plctcly perverted and misstatcd, and that
the charges against the above named clerks were
without foundation. ! prepared a correct statement
OF the facts and transmitted 1t to ono OF your corrV
%spondcnts here requesting that a correction be made'
l also made inquiry as to tho authorship OF the article.
Tho fact that the decision Of Assistant secretary
Hawkins had been copied led me to believe that soHo
employe Of the Pension Office either wrote the article
or furnished the data for some one who did write It.
l soon found that the bundle OF papers constituting
the case had recently been In possession OF Nwaru
Remand, a clerk in the Office. who claims to be a
constant writer for yOnr paper. These ana Other
facts satisfied me that he furnished the material ior
the article. I Immediately his u.s.
missal. and the Secretary concurr!nS signed q ic'tcr
Of dismissal.
Secretary Noble took the prccaution Of having tho
case examined In the Doari Of Pension Appeals OK
the Department.. The following letter. referred 10
me by the Secretary, gives the result OF that cx'
animation:
Department Of the Interior.
Washington, August 80. 1890.
To the Secretary: In pursuance Of your instructions l
have examined the papers IN I'll, a~djudicat,d case OF John -
Garrison. late Of Company f' 9th Regiment, Michigan '''
airy. claim No. go. 6o7 and certificate No. 2ss. 225. with q
view t. y,ccr,ainng WHITTIER or not any irreguiIrny was
involved In the adjustment OF the sanc. smd 1 respectfully
report the follow ing facts and conclusions:
The original declaration upon which the soldiers cIa'm
va, has.L ws flied May %. 1850. alleged chronic diaf'
Ihoca. contracted on raid u Richmond, Va. about May I''
1851 and incurrcnce Of q fracture OF right shoulder At Fort
Douglas. U. T.. about Marh /. 1866. by a eomrade run
ming against him.
The soldier was allowed pension at - per month. he.
ginning March II. 1856. FOR fracture VI right clavlci". said
allow ancc being approved February -. 1850 by Dr. L. H.
Hood. Medical Referee. The claim for diarrhora was
waived under order 1O2.
Subsequently,. in 1ss5. tho soldier fled his claim f"f
increase 81 rating. including chr"n@ diarrho'a. I'll" claim
was rjnctcd ~ III" Commissioner Of Pensions. ana there
UPON an appeal WAS mad" to the SECRETARY of the Interior.
Tn, ap,,cal was denied December 81. 1890. upon the ground
Lat tn, claimant had failed Ia HE tn" ordinary Chain oi
c,id nee To- prove that he has been disabled hy r'0~"h "i
chronic diarrhora. IN a reasonable" d'rs|'. rom dl-'harI'
To- the present tinc,' and upon tho ground also that tho
claimant has not shown nv medical or other evidence W"
degree Il hi, disability from chronic din rrh"a In any war
from March. 1896. to the tin. OF Mug The affidavit OF
W. H. Barton in l-Sj."
In o, cdi"nc" TO tots adv,r-" ruling. the claim remained
undi.,urtcd until May. ics3. when. III" soldier having pro-
cured additional evidence. and nlcd the same t. prov" tn"
continuance and III" dccrc" Of his disability from chronic
dilrrho"a sine" d.schlrsd from the service. h" asked for
thu rcop' Ming and = constitution OF hi~ claim In tn" !Ih, "f
said cvii"nc" and Of another medical examination. This
motion for reop ming Of thr ola.m and for Increase oil PENSION
VAS allon'd. and accordingly IA" following ord"r was
witt and sent to the Medical Division 10y Acting Com
i>,.on,t winilr, J.. NJ Lean. the samo being received and
filed May 10. lA-'. VIZ:
~"Irrcau Of Pensions. Certificate css. ccI-rhc Medical
Division Will make examination Of This Gilman, upon his
claim for incr, a." her with ulrd. WI. L. MCLEAN,
Acting commissioner"
In con IIianeo with the foregoing INSTRUCTIONS from
Acting Commissioner Mclean. the claimant was subjected
10 an evtd"ntIY carcfp. medical examination May II. 1SS?
bv tn" W,-hlnr:"n CIV Hoard of Surgeons. consisting Of
pr. T"yhnrn. Itloch and GRAHAM Th" exhaustive 70.
Tor. o, thi. hoard app" ar among tie accompanying Iar~rs.
the conclusion Of III" report Icing that IN" Claimant T. IN
our opinion entitled 10 s IS rating for til" disability caused
by fracturr u right cia,lc and resulting pain aud stiiner,
IN ryht shoulder OILS for dlarrhoa.' IN" total being sii.
In the l:ht II thi4 medical examination dated May II.
iSA,. and Of additional cyid.no" which claimant ias
NED as the las. ~ his iputol, for t." rnl'nin2 ~ l-
ca-.. the calm was tlorougAly rrcNamin'd. A. u" n.
ut of this REORGANIZATION. u" following ? ,dr, wa mad"
from IT,. l!oafi g: H.It Ni'w. Jnnr 3. i-ei. VIZ. IT,
sprruu!ly rr,uru 4 1, tho Chi.' 81 The Lard q" I"vi"w
an Of III opinion tia, tbr '~id.nc Md IL Sufficient I"
Justify a ncal approval Tor chrNt: dalIho"a. and So
recommend. Tn ?" - 4 p" ord Of dIarr'"'A tn same l.
found On medical SANITATION The testimony ~ bis mother
and another wi,n.,- tnir g. show coptnrar"". and An
entirely satisfied that the claimant would not und'r any
circumstances max" a f.-' statement. Di1trh"l should
LAs" been ihcui". In t' last m''hra "VanlIau"h. J r
Lo,h.op, Rr.;.,iro. Concur. w. Mrwhntr. Approved,
/. W. Poor. Chief m board Il Ke-ItVlcw" In Goa.
!nrIa!ty with u" Foregoing -tatTI'ht and Win u" "N'
d.ucc. lay and ~ d. al. "a tn" cane. ~ calm va- approved
.r adnl-sion Jay .. 1889. thus "Appr'''i f"i ha' tur"
4 rrnt ca,ic!r. s.ls. frun May IL. laS'' chronic
a.afrho a, 3ls. 70 Ma II. 1889, and OILS u"r a'tf
rheumatism not accepted a. . r-ui. " fa't1fr "i i'2h'
cia,Ic!". Il rating no, warranted ChAf.'' McMii'"''
u deal RI i"r."
In ,ni ,uancr q the foreroinr m.dleal ruling. there was
q i.--u" II .,n-lun crT;lnc,;" u aI"" additional di''l"Iuy
and Increase, rat" 81 pei iYnuth. brsit.nif.s Mai'h IL
I~ef. aud ia fror. May II. laNo. III ii"n Of certificate
datd March 3. issi, d'ductnx all p1ym'h''' IL ! "b'''
ous from IL" foregoing r'poT: Of Ia" B''Fl Of i''""'I'"
and from th' rating, designated b. tn" medical fri'f'' u"'
the rat q ri pei month was in'd. I" hGh H'Fh ~
le-G. BE-, au-r H. CLAIMANT, original d. lariti"n III. iuu'H
,IIonlc d!,ftim.a. md having ,y,n nlri within The lin'itn-
tom Of Ia" at II March 3. 1879. IN" claimant "a' entitled
to asr'ar- Under that at. Tn" fun ihci'asc oi rating
so including al Of claimants DISABILITIES. va Ii"r'iY
datrd May II. 1859, Ia" dat" Of the aforementioned n'l"ai
EXAMINATION bv tc Washington City Beard f surgeons
In View Of Ia" foregoing tart- IN ia" history &" 'ni'
claim, aad 81 tr methods Of Ii"r'd pic, nom tIb' - VI"
lu tn, adjudication of II, the CONFUSION l. reached mat th"I'
la, brcr no ifrreulailty IN :hc proceedings, and th't IN
claim It-clf la, been c\Id"atly adjusted upon H. m'II~'
The roOIn ulug ~ the claim FOR reconsideration by th' zen
SION once In III" lsht Of additional or new evidence" an"
the ALLOWANCE 81 It 10y III" Commissioner snbsrIu'ht F" NJ
rejection 81 IN" same upon appeal bo ne Secretary "'' III
stiict accordance with tn. practice Of the Department III
similar cascs. Respectfully.
GIOKuE BiBEE, Board Of pension Appears.
70 the Hon. JoLI W. NUflc.
Upon reading this letter. I think yoi Will agree Win
me that the party who prepared thc article of August
~ deliberately mis- ,tatcd the facts. =.
TIN, beng the case, ! rcApe fully submit that IL
IS the proper thing for you 10 correct the error III a.
con, picuon, a manner "a II was given to the pnDli',
and request that this be- done.
fully recognize the Importance OF the nrralehhn'n.
Of all abuses In the admin stration OF public olhcrN AZ
the bar Of public reason ~ the. best means % ,c'li'lns
honest and efficient government. II i not falr, no"
ever, either 10 the public or 10 their servants In Once,