The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-04-23

unfortunate claimants to get pensions with
out this assistance, heaven only knows.
With all its blathering, the Times does not
succeed in concealing the fact that, like all
other Pension-haters, its hostility TO pension
attorneys is due TO the fact that they get
pensions for claimants, and it is cunningly
scheming TO check pension-getting by de-
priying claimants of the assistance of expert
counsel
The seventh plank in the Ti,acs's program
is:
Competent tribunals, composed Of civilians.
should be authorized in every community TO re-
ceye and perfect every pension application with
out cost 10 the applicant aud also 10 review every
pension already granted, application Of any
citizen presenting probable cause for such inquiry.
Concerning this clause the Times says:
Il IL simply the clearest justice TO the Govern
ment and honest pensioners that competent and
honest citizens should pass upon the case Of every
pensioner under oath aud tie necessity for some
such method Of wedding out the present list Of
fraudulent pensioners Is imperative,
A more cruel and humiliating ordeal for
pensioners and pension claimants than this
local tribunal it would be difficult 10
imagine. The underlying idea is to have
something like the old-fashioned Township
Oyerseers Of the Poor, who flrmed out
paupers 10 whoever would board them for
$50 OF s. a month. Then see the malig-
nancy Of providing that none but civilians
shall be appointed 10 the tribunal This
is TO keep of those who would be most
likely to have any sympathy with the
veiorans-that is, their own comrades
and insure that the junta shall be made up
Of rancorous old Copperheads, whining, self
ish stay-at-homes and brash young political
heelcrs. How much show would a veteran
have before such board, made up in the
downtown wards Of New York, Phladel-
phia, or Baltimore, or thousands of country
districts We could specify? About as much
as a feather would have in Vesuvius
Then how seductive it sounds that every
pension application is 10 be received and
perfected without cost TO the applicant -!
Bat somebody viii have to be paid for this
work II il is 10 be done for nothing, no.
body will do it, That is clear IfsomcbJdy
has 10 pay for it, then the pay will most
likely come from the local treasury, and At
once there viii be a clamor from the already
oyerbuTdened local taxpayers. Already
they clamor loudly against the exorbitaut
fees collected by local officials How long
would the local taxpayers stand paying for
work done for private benefit? And Ger
tainly these local officials would not work
rs cheapiy for the veterans as the regular
pension attorneys now do
Then these tribunals would be made
up by the political bosses, and at once be-
come a part Of their machine. Then pen
sions would become bits Of political fayorit-
ism. Veterans who voted as The bosses
wanted would get pensions; those who did
not would be denied them, and the loss Of
his pension would be held as club over The
head Of every veteran 10 keep him docile
slave Of the bosses. Can anything more
outrageous be imagined?
Next, these tribunals would become a
convenient machine which everybody would
be invited 10 use TO wreak any little spite
be might have against veteran. They
would be constantly at the service Of every
sneak and neighborhood malignant If a
veterans chickens should barpen TO get into
another mans garden, The owner Of the
garden could take his revenge by going be-
fore the too-wiIling tribunal and having
his pension cut or
Next, the WITNESSES which a pension APP
plicant must have are scattered from Maine
to Cali!oin a How would local tribunal .
get at them?
We were surprised that the Times, paper
Published in a loyal community, should
publish such an ubiquitous, and s,ill more
surprised at its folly in attempting to de-
iend it,