The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-04-21
FAVORITISM M.
4 Comrade Thinks 1t Should Be Shown In
Some Instances.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / have just
been reading Secretary Mobiles letter of March
5 10 the Honorable Commissioner of Pensions
as published in your paper OF March 10. In his
letter the Secretary calls the COMMISSIONER
attention to the practice of allowing members
of Congress to call up pension claims, thus TAX
ing them up out of their proper line and rush
ing them through, giving them the advantage
over other claims. AS matter of justice, to a
certain extent, the Secretary is doubtless right
in his conclusions, but are his conclusions war
ranted as a whole under the condition of facts
/ think not And the following are my reasons
for honestly thinking that the Secretary is not
altogether justifable in his conclusions when
viewed in the light Of justice.
1t is a well known fact that there are q
large number of disabled soldiers all over the
country who are to-day in helpless condition,
made so by wounds received at the front in the
late war of the rebellion, who are not drawing
pension enough to pay their doctors bills and
drugs that they are compelled to employ by
reason of these old wounds The writer hap
pens to be one of this class, and right here let
me give an outline of the writer's physical
condition which shall expect The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE to publish, with the wish that the
Honorable Secretary may read the same and
after doing so / have that confidence in the
Secretary that he will allow the Commissioner
y
writer and ex-soldiers of his class and condi-
ton, with the hope that he may grant us q
small advantage over those comrades who are
not in a he lpless condition by reason of these
old army wounds.
The writer enlisted in July, 1861; was
wounded at the battle of Belmont, Mo-, Nov
7, the same year, tho musket ball entering his
left thigh about three inches above the knee
All these years the writer has constantly suf-
fered and this old wound has constantly
grown worse, and finally, on the 9Th day of
April, 1891, lost the use of my limb entirely,
aud in order to save my life endured surgical
operation which relieved me of pain to cer-
tain extent. / have never walked step since,
and have no hopes Of ever walking on my
wounded limb again. In fact, this old wound
has wrecked my whole system, and l am in
such a helpless condition that my wife is conn.,
pelled to give me constant care.
1t is true / was pensioDed seven years after
the war at the rate Of Sc per month and about
two wears ago | was allowed SD per month.
On the 4th of last November l made applica-
ton for increase, as | believed myself entitled,
and Justly, too, as $14 was not paying my doc
tors bills.
Since the commencement of the present Con-
gress, Senator Charles F. Henderson, of Ne
braska, has twice called my case up, and
through the efforts of the Senator, l under
stand, my case has gone to the Board of Re-
view. If it be true that Senator Henderson
did wrong thing in calling my case up, and
if the Commissioner of Pensions made mis-
take in looking after an old ex-soldier in my
physical condition, and l have been the cause
of this wrong doing, let mo say | am sorry for
it, and that did not intend to commit wrong
ac+. Therefore, trust the Secretary, when he
considers that it was my intent to do right in
the premises, rather than wrong, may be gov
erned by the intentions, and not by my acts.
have had my limb examined by six doctors
They all tell me my limb will never get well,
and that the proper thing to do is to have it
amputated. At this writing / am inclined to
think I will not make the Honorable Secretary,
or any one in Washington, any more trouble
through my carelessness, until have my limb
amputated. And then, when 1 ask the Gov
eminent for all artificial leg, l hope the Hon.
orable Secretary will keep his eye on me, and
sec that / don't get in ahead of some ex-soldier
that has got two good legs. as | now fully
understand it would not be right to do an act
of this kind.-LEvI CAEKINs, Co. B, 9TH Iowa,
HASTINGS Neb