The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-04-04
IniorestInr TO Soldlers.

Inc attentlOn OF tniS Bureau Is
constantly being called to circular
letters and printed documents Of
various kinds sent out by attorneys
and agents for the purpose of Sc
curing pension business. Great
numbers of these documents have
been forwarded to the Bureau and
ALSO to the Department for consid-
sideration. These circulars have
not been submitted to the Bureau
for its approval and their charact-
er is such as to render it necessary
to call attention to Rule 19 Of the
"Rules of Practice of the Interior
Department,Y which is as follows:
Rule 1S.-Every attorney, agent,
or other person recognized by this
Department as entitled to practice
before it, or before the Commits
sioner of Pensions, not less than
ten (1Q) days before the same are
issued for general circulation,
copies Of all circular letters intend
ed and framed to solicit business
before the Commissioner of Pen
sions. And if at the end of ten
days from filing the same such
letters are not disapproved, and
notice thereof furnished the per-
son filing the same, they shall be
held prtmG facie to be in manner
and form approved.
All persons practicing before
this Bureau are required to COM
ply with the foregoing rule. Many
of the circulars before me contain
statements and claims which are
entirely unwarranted by the facts
and are calculated to create dis
content and suspicion ia the minds
of pen sioners and applicant for
pensions.
The public should understand
that no attorney or agent has a
right to examine the papers in a
pension claim in this Bureau in
which he is not an attorney. Any
one making such claim does so to
deceive the person who to whom
he sends his circular. Any attor-
ney or agent who claims that he
has special ad vantage over others
prosecuting claims in this Bureau
makes statement that is without
foundation, and it is made simply
for the purpose of securing busi-
ness. The only advantage that
one attorney can have over anoth-
er is greater ability, intelligence,
and diligence in the performance
of his work. ANY representation
made by an attorney or agent that
he can secure the allowance of an
original claim for pension or a
claim for increase within speci-
fled time is entirely unwarranted
Heretofore the public press has
been furnished from week to week
with a list of the names and ad-
dresses of the claimants to whom
pensions have been allowed
These Lists are published in the
newspapers and are accessible to
all persons. From these lists at.
torneys and agents every week
food the country with their circu'
lars to these newlymade pensioners
urging them to Immediately apply
for an increase of pension. Some
of these circulars state that from
the record in the possession of the
attorney he finds that a pension
has been granted to the man tt
whom he sends his circular, anC
that he is satisfied that he is no
getting as much money as he il
entitled to, and therefore he ad
yises him to Immediately apply fol
an increase of pension; this, too
when the agent is not the attorney
of the man to whom he forwards
his circular, has never seen his pa
pers in the Bureau of Pensions
and has no knowledge whatever O
the case except the fact that it
announced in the newspaper tina
the man has been pensioned.
In some cases the circulars urg
Ing man to apply for an increas
of his pension just granted, are il
cases allowed under the act @
June 81, 1890, for $12 per month
the maximum rate authorized b.
law. / have before me four q
such circulars sent to one man i
the month Of January who receiy
ed pension Of $l2 per month IN
der said last mentioned act.
In forwarding me large mum
ber Of these circulars Assistan
Secretary Bussey uses the follow
ing language: HThese communics
tions are illustrations of the unprC
fessional, illegitimate, and disreT
utable methods whereby certai
pension attorneys or agents aim t