St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-11-16

trial upon the ground OF newly discoy-
ered evidence; and this not upon stran-
gers, aliens or foes, but upon our own
iiesh and blood, our comrades, the saw
iors OF the nation-those who, in the
Language OF Lincoln the immortal, have
borne the battle"
We deny that the secretary ofthc in.
terror and commissioner of pensions
nave any such power. We insist that
the adJudicating divisions of the pension
ofhce, acting under the direction and SUI
pervlsion of the commissioner of pen
sions and secretary Of the interior. are
tribunals established by authority of
law Tor the settlement Of pension claims,
and that their decisions are entitled to
full faith and credit, and cannot be L.
gally impeached when a change of adj
ministration occurs, except for fraud,
upon charges preferred and evidence adj
duced in support thereof We insist
that where changes are made in the con-
struction of the law rules of evidence
and schedule of ratings, unfavorable to
claimants, they must and should be
limited In their operation to the future
work OF the Office, and not the past.
An ex post acto regulation is as repug-
nant to our sense OF justice as an ex
post tactic law, and we protest against
the adoption and. enforcement OF any
such regulations in the matter of pen
sion claims.
THEREFORE,, The Grand Army of the
Republic, in national eneampment as
sembled, speaking for that great army
OF beloved comrades, many of them too
poor, too bruised too broken, to with
stand the strong arm Of the government
when administered with an unfriendiv
hand, proud of the good name and fair
fame OF the American volunteer soldier,
interested far beyond any person or or
ganlzation that the pension roll shall in
truth and fact be-what it is in theory
roll of honor and ever mindful OF
its cardinal principle. "To preserve hon
or and purity in public affairs" scouts
and denies these indiscriminate charges
of universal fraud and resents the impu-
tation that because some unworthy sur
vivors may be found discredit shall
be cast upon the entire roll, and
this great body OF brave and patriotic
citizens shall stand disgraced before the
country. We demand that there shall
be no backward step in pension legisla-
ton or administrations that no pen.
sioner shall be deprived of his property
without due process of law; that the
presumption shall be in favor of honesty
and fair dealing; that the poor and
lowly shall not be put to unnecessary
expensive or oppressive process to pre-
serve their meagre pittances; that the
sacred trust in favor of those who
have "borne the battle" shall be sacredly
observed and sacredly administered
and we do now solemnly and deliberate
ly
Resolve, That the Grand Army of tn,
Republic looks with solicitude, not tt
say alarm, upon the proposition thai
after sufficient tribunals have been estab
lished by law before which question.
have been presented and adjudicated, up
on evidence submitted and examined
and upon which grateful nation ha
accorded pensions in this their hour o
need to those who in its time o
need stood between it and death, the OF
ficers of that nation, administering ;
public trust, have arbitrarily deprived
without notice or an opportunity to b
heard, our needy and distressed com
rades OF the rights thus solemnly ad
Judged and confined to them.
We DECLARE, That every presump
ton should he made in favor of sue
records SO made; that no presumption
of fraud shall be INDUCED in agains
them, and that no change be made in tn
pensions so accorded until after charge
have been made and evidence i'll supper
thereof has been produced, of whicl
charge each pensioner has had full notice
and full and complete opportunity t.
be heard in support OF the pension SO &C
corded to him; and it is further
Resolved, That as the commissions
OF pensions, by his recent withdrawal
of the obnoxious rulings which had beer
so generally condemned, has virtual,
acknowledged the incorrectness of sucl
rulings, we deem it his further duty t.
at once restore to the rolls the thou
sands of pensioners now standing illegal
ly suspended.
|. N. WALKER,
A, N; WARNER Committee
. y GprrNu DapcfnuS