Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-08-04

WASHINGTON, D. c., August s.-Con-
missioner OF Pensions Lochron has ad-
dressed letter to the editor OF the
National Tribune upon the subject Of
pensions, and in II he says:
81 have not complied with your re-
peated request that 1 should cause q
test to DO made 10 show the number OF
fraudulent pensions, by having 1000
cases drawn from the admitted dies and
examined. / have not done this for
several reasons.
First, fraudulent cases, n Any exist,
cannot be discovered Ia that way. A
fraudulent pension must ordinarily have
been obtained upon false or forged tes-
tImOny. On the face Of the papers
such case would probably appear 90
be well established and incontestible.
Second-No one whose opinion Is en-
titled TO consideration has, l think, had
the hardlhood 10 claim that the great
mass OF AdJudicAted pension cases Is
permeRted with fraud, open and plain
on the papers, so that the examination
OF 1000 cases would disclose an In
stance. and /, certainly. have far too
high An opinion OF my old comrades 10
believe that large number Of
them are seoundrels who have sought
aud obtained pensions dishoa-
estly. Even among tho twelve
! Apostles there was ono who was
unworthy, and among the bravo aod
| true soldiers OF tho Union army 10 can
not be denied that there were . few
bounty Jumpers and men who were no
| credit TO US and little deserving, aud
who have been perhaps among the most
eager for place upon the pension rell
lat a high rating. The Investigations as
&c the work OF dishonest pension attor-
nies at Norfolk. New Mexico and Iowa
show local frauds OF large extent; bnt
II would be far from mo 10 coaclude
from such cases that pension attorneys
are generally unscrupulous or dishon-
est. tEink, on tho contrary, they arc
ordinarily hcsessrpr1p 1pstak AH''s,un
ful as other businessmen
Three-The eIanina,ls
%, 1890, cases Is made not
any fraud on tho part OF the elkl
but because Il was discovered than.
bureau had, by the adoption OF 90 esTobf
eous rule for adjudication, allowed
many pensions not authorized BY law.
Under prior laws. pensions were only
granted on account OF the disabilities OF
service origin. All pensions granted
under former laws are presumed %
have been properly granted. and
they are not being examined,
except on information showing fraud In
some particular case, as has always
been the practice. But tho act OF June
27, 1890. granted pensions 70 persons
who had served ninety days or more, II
suffering from = mental or physical dis
ability Of a permanent character, NOS
the result OF their own vicious habits,
lncspacitating them from tho per-
formanee Of manual labor in such de-
gree as 20 render them unable 70
earn a support-such pensions not 70
exceed Sl2, nor less than So per months
proportloned 70 tho disability 10 earn
support by manual labor Uoder this
act the disability need not be Of service
origin, but 20 be pensioDable az al, the
disability must lncapacltate tho person
from manual labor 80 as render him
| unable 70 earn support hpe-
cifc disabilities, as such we're
NOT pensioIable az all under
that act nor entitled 20 consideration
except as they might effect the capAci.
Nv 10 perform manual labor. But by or
der 1874. issued Oct. "a. 1890. the COM
missioner, with the approval Of the sec.
retary and assistant secretary, directed
that specific disabilities should be rated
under this act the same ss they would
have been rated under prior Jaws, had
the disabilities been OF service origin,
up 20 sl2 per month. The effect Of this
order was shown IN the Bennett case,
which called attention 70 II.
A board OF revision WAS therefore
constituted OF the ablest and most ox-
perlenced men Of the bureau. 10 re-ex-
anime these cases aod Gull such as bad
no legal basis 70 rest upon and With
Instrnetlops 20 interfere With no cass
where. BY the most liberal construction,
a right TO the pension could BE- made %
appear, aud ia other cases where tho
nsnsIon could lot be sustained under
any law, TO give the sixty day nOtic
according 70 previous practice with
which the pensioner may furnish add
i tOrbl fNlQtLtt SUI" hfnt"fh "hFf"
tied. No one disputes the correctDess
Of the decision 10 the Bennett case.
Ny old comrades may feel sure OF re-
celyipg everything 70 which tho law,
most literally construed. entities them.
Partisan leaders may try % arouse feei-
ing for partisan ends. but the execution
OF a law upon the constructed given
70 IL By the heads of the same de-
partment OF opposite politics, ~hich
construction 10 admitted oy sverypooy
70 be correct, has 90 political character,
and dfd not hesitate 70 commit the
work 20 a board Of reyisioE whose
.billty fitted them for ~ thorga
most OF them, with chisi,
are Republicans. They able ana
Ter men. and select fre Way - CAY
| from the cases Examined es.ss -
they deem unIaSfBilJ ~ In@s
was the class Of casey etAen
aud examined the .rft
day by this board. y p,.oe.
In these cases are 81 ,-'
condemnation by
pected that 10 We
the pensioners
testimony sbo~
slons under u
suspension