The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-07-20
THE PASSING OF ANOTHER WEEK.

American manhood; seven days more
crowded with cruel calumnies on the men
who cemented the National fabric with
blood drawn from their very hearts; seven
days more of fierce contumely upon those
who have dared ask the country they saved
for justice; seven days more of sounding
announcements of fresh discoveries of I'M
numbered shams and impostoTs crowding
the pension-roll, and bleeding the Treasury !;
seven days more of loud heraldipg from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Lakes
to the Gulf of " vigorous pruning and purg-
ing of the pension list; seven days more of
labored work to form public opinion to the
effect that man who has pension or wants
one is prima fdcie scoundrel, who cannot
be treated TOO harshly; seven days more of
growing bitterness in the hearts of the vet
Grams at this gross injustice at the hands of
their fellow-citizens, and mounting rage
that no adequate reply is made to this sys-
tematic depreciation of themselves and their
services.
Still Commissioner Lochren fails to act on
our plan 10 give the country indisputable
facts regarding the pension-roll by publish
ing the results of an examination of 200 or
1900 sample cases, taken consecutively from
the files in his Office. Certainly he mustsee, as
every other veteran, and every other citizen,
for that matter, does see, that such a test of
the character of the pension-roll is dictated
alike by wisdom, justice, and fraternal re-
gard for the interests of the men who saved
the Nation. All thinking men are very
weary of this constant presentation of half
facts and partial truths. A half-fact is
always worse than a whole lie. That an
improperly granted pension may be found
here and there in so enormous number
as 100000 is altogether probable. 1t would
be miraculous if it were not so. In force
numbering several thousand people, of
widely-varying mental capacities, and differ
ing conceptions of rules it is impossible that
there should not be mistakes made daily.
But the discovery OF an occasional bad case
is no more proof of a radically faulty
system than the finding of bent nail Or
two proves that the whole carpentry of
house is bad.
The people generally, and the veterans
and friends of veterans particularly, demand
to know what is the character of the pension,
roll as WhoIe. They have the right to de-
mand this. 1t is question of the highest
privilege" as they say in Congress, which
takes precedence of everything else. We
hold strongly to the belief that it is the
duty of the Commissioner of Pensions to
furnish the public with this information.
In matters of much less importance, in the
previous history of the country, the officials
interested have FASTENED to give the people
the fullest information they possessed.
Then, too, it would cost so little of either
time or effort TO make such a satisfactory
exposition. By turning the whole of the
large clerical force of the Pension Bureau
upon the work it could be completed within
few hours, without disturbance to the
ordinary routine of business. It would not
stop or retard any other investigation that
the Commissioner may be making or intend
ing to make.
This is a matter Of such great importance
that we suggest to the comrades throughout
the country that they get mp petitions to the
Commissioner of Pensions to make such an
investigation and publish it's results; or
they might petition their Senators and Rep
resentatives to use their influence with the
Interior Department to secure such publ
cation. Let the comrades act upon this at
once-take it up in their Post meetings and
at soldier gatherings, talk it over thoroughly,
and then make their demands that the actual
facts concerning sample portion of the
stood this persistent and organized defama-
ton entirely too long. Let us do something
that viii bring the actual facts before the
public. The Administration cannot refuse
TO give us these if we unite in demanding
them.
Let us make that demand with solidarity
that will show that we are unit in the
matter, and want all the facts given pub
licity, instead of garbled statements that
work us injury.
Comrades, think over this carefully, and
act promptly. Congress will soon be in
session, and we cannot have this informa-
! tion too soon.