The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-09-09

Instance under the laws, not only 20 the
lpsrties concerned, but 20 Uncle Sam,
who has 10 pay the bills. q well Let
me give you jnet one instanco-and
there were many very similar:
! Ia HE message vetoing the special bill
passed for the relief of Rachel A. Pier
pont. Feb. q, 1887. Mr.. Cleveland said (:
"At the time the bill was introduced
and passed IN application for pension
ion behalf OF the beneficiary named
was pending in the pension ONCE.
This application was filed In Decem-
Der, 1879 Within the lsst few days.
and on the 18th day Of February.
1887. pension was granted upon said
Implication and . certificate Issued q
precisely the same rate which the bill
here with returned authorizes. But the
pension under the general lave dates
from the time OF filing the application ~
1879. while under special act II would
date ouly from the time Of lie passage.
IN the interest OF the beneficiary. and
for her advantage, the special bill is
therefore disapproved."
BY vetoiDg this bill Mr.. Cleveland
saved this widow . pension Of el2
month for eight years, or total oftl l52.
We're II necessary could give you doz-
ems OF other cascs substantially In The
same line. In the editorial In the Amer
ican Tribune In reply TO your article
6nd the following:
"During Grover CleveIand's term, Gen.
John q. Black was commissioner Of PEN
sions, and Col. Matson Of Indiana chair
man OF the committee on invalid pen
sions in the house, aud both men were
earnest friends Of the soldiers, especisl-
Iy II il could be shown that the applicant
was democrat, and congress passed .
large number of bilis, principally Tor
widows, but they we're for such con-
small sums ss 81, 81 and 81
per month. and yet Grover Cleveland
vetoed 254 bills of that class, principally
10 widows who had suddenly been called
upon 70 support : family Of fatherless
cLi.dfen."
| The foregoing extract = absolutely
false and without any foundation what
soever in fact. The 2eQsIon bureau
under Gen. Black Vas conducted solely
lin the inlerest OF The soldiers. and II
cannot be shown In : single instance
during his naturalization where politi-
cal preference had anything to do with
4 Az you may remember, ] was one ol
the clerks OF the invalid pension com.
'|mittee Of the house during the Filtietf
congress, which embraced the last two
yesrs Of Mr.. ClevelAnd's administration
Ny duties were then. as now, Il
examine the papers 10 the pension bu
lreau and other evidence Ia rejected claims
upon which bills for special acts wers
based, and to write reports on the same
In the discharge Of these duties | neces
sarily became familiar with everything
connected with special legislation and
had personaI knowledge Of nearly ever,
case reported, and all the vetoes pre-
scented during that session, and believe
'lmy statements ought TO have as mucl
weight as those OF the editor OF ths
Tribune. who evidently knows nothing
about what he IL talking about. or else b
knowingly and deliberately states whA
The knows 20 be false.
\ Bills for special pensions are not in
ltroduced into congress until al remedies
under the general pension laws and th'
Il VERY liberal regulations Of the sewers
'lcommissioner of pensions have beer
exhausted, and the case has been rejecte(
for want Of proof TO sustain the claim
! or has been found 10 be entirely withou
: merit Every opportunity IL giveI
: these claimants to show that they ar'
ooentitled TO pension, aud in fully min
cases ont OF ten there IL no merit ID
oihem. When they have exhausted thei
b remedy in the pension bureau they eeeI
1.-THE member OF congress in their disiric
4 aud ask him 10 introduce Z epecial bill
fnr I.o - rAn f..r Z
q order to make himself solid with hi
CONSTITUENTS, prepares bill and fires
: into congress" without knowing any
5 thing whatever as to its merits or other
8 wise, as the case may be. The papers i
J. the pension bureau are then sent for. q
. determination Of the veto Of the commis
\ sioner Of pensions (for . rejection
!. simply . veto. and Rsum u vetoin
!. hundreds OF claims every day. is entere
: -lupon, report msde. and through sym
-pathy or the influence OF - friend I
+. court" the action OF the bureau IL q
aside, the worse IL made 10 appear II
}. better, . favorable report IL made an
J. adopted. and the case, very often with
4 out any evidence to substantiate IL. goe
y ION the calendar for the consider alton q
b the house. Without : quorum Il has n
q trouble in getting through both branch<
! 0f congress, and il sent 10 the preeider
e for bis consideration. Mr.. Cievelsn
e was honest enough and couragecu
|. .Ienough under his oath Of Office 10 care
dltully examine every one Of these csse'
land where he found that they wer
Z. wholly without merit and that poor Oh
Uncle Sam was being rob
y bed of money that ought 10 20 10 the d<