The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-08-10


claim established, and what is his reputation
and theirs for truth and yeracity? This is
matter that the Bureau has investigated
carefully, and it will be easy to give the re-
suits. GER
II. The present Commissioners opinion
as to the business of the allowance. If adj
verse, his reasons why it was wrong. This
will bring the general approval which Com
missioner Lochren has expressed in the
above letter downstp specific expressions on
each case, and enable us to understand just
how far he approves or disapproves of the
pension system.
We strongly believe that such statement
as this is necessary to be made, in order to
satisfy the public as to the character of the
payments which take up nearly one-half of
the public expenditures. If it make such
showing as we feel confident that it will,
the people will be entirely satisfied to have
that amount of their money, and even much
more, expended in that direction.
transcends the boundary of legal techni-
calities, to which Judge Lochren seems to
want to confne it, and enters into the broad
domain of justice and equity.
We think that he will see this clearly,
and make the investigation desired.
We know already from his letter what the
Commissioner believes, for he says: 1 be-
Geve that the pensions granted to soldiers
who did actual service in the field on ac
count Of disabilities of service origin are
usually honest and peH DESCRIBED"
We respectfully ask the Commissioner to
verify this belief, and set the public mind
at rest on this point and silence the press
and politicians of every party.
1t is gratifying to know from the Commits
sioner's letter that the examination of cases
under the act of June o. $780, is "not be-
cause Of any fraud on the part Of the claimant,
but because the Bureau had adopted an erro-
neous rule for adjadicstion."
That relieves the claimants under act of
June 81, 1890, from the widely believed
charge of fraud.
But we take issue with the Commissioners
in his assertion that there was an erroneous
rule of adjudication adopted, and while
it is not our present purpose to
enter at any length into a discussion of
that subject, we premise what we have
now to say by stating that it by no means
meets the case to assert thai the Bureau is
following an Interpretation of the law made
by Gen. Bussey. That Interpretation was a
very late discovery Of Gen. Bussey. He hal
given different Interpretation to that same
law, and had under that Interpretation seen
it administered to the extent of issuing over
100000 pension certificates, running through
a period of over three years. Then he re-
ceived this new light just before leaving
his office), and this new Interpretation is
cited as authority to show that his first in
depreciation was wrong. Gen. Bussey hav-
ing decided both ways, his opinion is not
high authority, but if it is authority, which
way?
Bussey as an authority, and is open to dis
cussion on the general principles involved,
not only with reference to the true interpre-
tation of the act, but also with reference to
what is to be done in respect Of cases already
allowed.
The former wiz, the proper Interpretation
of the act) will be the subject of future con-
sideration; we only here invite attention to
the fact that the Commissioner lays stress
upon the fact that the pensioner is required
to show disability TO earn support by man
ual labor" as requisite to the allowance OF
a pension under that act, and that this
provision has been ignored or misinter-
preted, and he cites as an illustration the
Bennett case.
This act, like every other, is to have a
reasonable Interpretation. The intent of
Congress is to he ascertained in the light OF
existing conditions. The conditions were
that there were thousands of deserving SOL
diers who, by reason of the death of officers,
comrades, etc, were unable to make the
proofs required, and to meet just such cases
the act Of 1890 was created.
The act authorized pensions rating from
So to $l2 per month, thus by it's very terms
recognizing that total disability to earn a
support by manual labor was not required
but, on the contrary, that the pensions
could range from Sc to S12, according to the
degree of disability to perform manual labor
Benefits infirmity was in his hearing, and
the principle that seems to be contended for
is that defective hearing would not disable
from performing manual labor; and yet
under the instructions of the Medical Ref
cree of June IL, 1893, issued, of course,
with the approval of Commissioner Lochren,
al IL It'll III !.