The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-04-20
WHEY NOT FINISH TT UP Nowe

WHY NOT FINISH 1T UP NOW?
Is thereany reason why every claim now
on file in the Pension Bureau shall not be
made Special and adjudicased at once?
We do not believe that any man, no mat
ter how much he may be opposed TO PEN
siens can offer reason worthy of the slight
est consideration why there should not he
an immediate settlement Of every claim held
in the Bureau. The law says in unmistaka-
conditions shall be placed upon the pension
roll.
out? If it means anything, it means that
this shall be done within reasonable time.
and in spirit. Delay in doing this is as
much violation of the law rs downright re-
fusal to obey it. Both have the same result
in defeating the object of the law. If the
claimant is robbed of what he is entitled to
by the procrastination of the officers charged
with its execution to accord him his dues,
he is in as bad plight as if they absolutely
refused to do the duty epjoined upon them.
When it ia remembered that fully 10000
old soldiers are dying each year, and that
this number must increase every year, the
necessity for prompt action becomes ap-
parent. If large proportion of the men
are not TO 60 to their graves defrauded of
their rights, their cases must be settled with
the utmost promptness. 1t rs revolving to
every Americans sense of Justice to think of
robbing these notwithstanding men of their
blood bought rights by Withholding pay
ment until death has claimed them. But il
makes little difference to the unfortunate
victims whether this robbery is accomplished
through malignant intention to rob, or
merely through bureaucratic slowness. The
result is the same; they are wiekedly
robbed. The motive or reason of the rob-
berry is of relatively little Importance.
We return to our first proposition that
there is absolutely no reason why the pen-
sion laws should not be fully executed, and
every man entitled to a pension placed on
the rolls within the next few months The
law says that these men shall be pensoned;
there is abundance of money coming into
the Treasury to pay the pensions; there is
a large Bureau, with an army of employees
to carry cut the law, and nothing remains
but fer the proper officials to do their plain,
unmistakable duty.
It is a burning shame that to-day, 80
years after the war began, and % after its
close, there should be accumulated in the
Pension Bureau hundreds of thousands Of
unsettled claims, tens of thousands of which
have been hanging there for years, aud
many dating back to nearly the beginning
of the great struggle. There are more
bitter cruelties, more fragrant iniustices,
more wicked outrages In this causeless,
senseless delay than can be described or
even imagined.
We call upon President Cleveland, upon
the Secretary of the Interior, aud upon his
subordinates in charge of the Pension Bu-
reau, to end this scandal. Whatever May
be their private opinion Of the law, we ask
we beg them-while it remains upon the
statute-books, to give it the same energetic,
efficient execution that they give other
laws. Let them deal with the pensioners
with the same business like promptness
with which they deal with the bond
holders. IF the Treasury had 100000 un-
settled accounts of bondholders before it, we
can rest assured that it would finish the
work of settling with them before the close
of this calendar year. Why are not the
veterans entitled to equal promptness in the
settlement Of their claims? No money
lender has had to wait quarter of a CEN
fury to get the Treasury to act upon his
claim. Why should the soldier be COM
PEELED to?
Make erery claim before the Pension Bureau
"SpeciaI,7 and settle it at once.