The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-11-15

had preserved shall fret brand with in
fsmy by the charge, then sentence, and
after the stigma has been effective,
then concede TO them, Whose barriers
and support of character have been
thus undermined, the pitiful privilege
of moving Tor new trial upon the
ground OF newly discovered evidence:
and this not upon strangers, aliens or
foes, but upon our own flesh and blood,
our comrades, the saviors of the nation
those who, in the language of Lin
colp, the immortal, have "borne the
battle"
We deny that the secretary of the
interior aud commits 'ioner of pensions
have any such power. We ms st that
the adiu lica ing divisions of The pen
sion dice, acting under the direction
and supervision of the commissioner Ct
pei sions and secretary of the interior,
are tribunals established by authority
of law for The settlement of pension
CLAIM s, and that their decisions are en-.
titled to full faith aud credit, and cam
not be legally impeacbed when change
of administration occurs, except Tor
fraud, upon charges preferred and evil
dence adduced in support thereof We
insist that where Oh inCes are made in
the construction of the law, rules OF
evidence and schedule ratings, untavor-
able to claimants, they must and should
be limited in their operation to the
future wolk of the office, and not the
past. An eT post .fdcto regulation is as
repugnant TO our sense of justice as an
&c post fuctO law, and we protest against
the az option and enforcement OF any
such regulations in the matter of pen
sion C ain S.
THEREFORE, The Grand Army of the
Republic, in National Encampment as
sembled, speaking for that great army
| of beloved comrades, many OF them too
poor. too bruised, too broXen, to with
stand the strong arm of the govern
ment when administered with an
unflendly hand, proud of the GOO
name and fair fame of the American
volunteer soldier, interested far beyond
auy other person or organization that
the pension roll shall in truth and in
act be-Whlt i is in IN sory-a "roll of
honor" and ever mindful OF its cardi-
nal principle, "To preserve honor and
purity in public affdis, b" scouts and
denit these indisclimiuate CHARGES of
univ ersal fraud and resenls the imputa-
ton that because some UNIV orihy sulvl-
vors m " be found, that dis Gre dit shall
be cast upon the entire roll, and this
great body of brave and patriotic citi-
zens shall stand disgraced before the
country. We demand, that there all
be no backward step in pension legls.a-
ton or admins ration; 1t no pen
sioner shall be deprived OF his property
without due proc, SO of law; that the
presumption snail be in favor of
hon, sly and fair dealing; that the poor
and lowly snail not be luy to unntc s.
sary, expensive or opprt IS We process
TO preserve their meagre plttance; that
the sacred trus. in favor of those who
"have borne the battle "shall be sa-
credly observed and sacredly admins
tered; and we do now solemnly and
deliberately
ReSolue, That the Grand Army of the
Republic looks with solicitude, not to
say alarm. upon the proposition, that
after suffic ent tribunals have been es-
tablished by law before which qu' stions
have been presented and adjudic ate d
upon evidence submitted aud eX-
amined, and upon which a grateful
nation has accoi ded pensions in this
their hour of need to those who in its
hour of need sood between it and
death, the officers of that nation, adj
ministering public trust, have arbi-
trarily deprived, without notice or an
opportunity to be heard, our needy and
distressed comrades of the Ii!hts hus
soletnnly adjudged and confined to them
We dt clare, that every presump-
ton should re made in favor of such
! &c jlds so maze; hat no pre- Sumption
OF fraud shall be INDUCED in against
them, al d that no change be made in
The pensions 50 accorded until after
charges have been made and evidence
in support thereof has been produced
of which charge etch pensioner has had
full mott and full and complete OPP
poriunily to be heard in support of the
pei sion so accorded to him; and it is
further
ReS0lUed, That as the commissioner
OF peLs Gus, by his recent withdraw
ais of the obnoxious rulings which
bad been 81 generally condemned, La:
virtually acknowledged the incorrect
ness of such rulings, we deem IL hi'
further duty 10 at once restore to the
rol S he thousands of pensioners now
standing illegally suspended.
l. N. WALKER, !
j. w. BURST, on
A. r. GREENE, Pensions
III. X. 1AINTOR,