The Portland daily press., 1893-07-14
HoKE SMITH ANDcPENsloNs.
He Does Not Trouble About the LAVA
Case in Point.

NEW YORK, July 19.-The Press to-
day prints the following:
1t appears from correspondence now in
possession of the Press that the Hon.
Hoke Smith, Secretary of the Interior,
has violated section ATS Revised Stat
utes OF the United States, which pro-
vides:
IF any pensioner has died or shall
hereafter die, or if any person entltled
to pension having an application there
for pending, has died, or shall hereafter
die, his widow or, if there is no widow,
the child OR children of such person un-
der the age of 16 years shall be entitled
to receive the accrued pension TO the
date OF the death of such person.
If no widow or child survive no pay
ment whatsoever of the accrued pension
shall be made or allowed, except SO
much as may be necessary to reimburse
the person who bore the expenses OF the
last sickness and burial of the deceased,
in cases where he did not have sufficient
assets to meet such expenses.
Secretary Smith apparently assumes
that all applicants for pensions are
frauds, and he acts upon the principle,
Reject all claims first and look up the
law afterward.'' 1t is apparent that this
method must involve great hardship to
honest pensioners by cutting off exected
payments OF So or $12 month without
notice and without reason. The victims
are not only deprived of an income
which they had reasonably counted upon
as sure, but are often left without even
the means to obtain justice afterward.
In q case brought to the attention OF
the Press yesterday Secretary Smith
seems to have gone to the length of vio-
lating. the law to deprive pensioner OF
his acknowledged dues.
Stephen Hillard enlisted August 4,
1852, in company F, 134th Pennsylvania
infantry. When his service expired he
vania cavalry, did hard fighting, served
continuously and was honorably dis
charged at the close of the war. He
then became farmer in Onekama town
ship, Michigan, where he was for %
years a respected, Industrious citizen.
He never applied for a pension until
1890, when stroke of paralysis totally
incapacitated his lower limbs. After
nearly two years delay certificate No.
800, S15 for $l2 month was issued to
him in July, 1892.
In the meantime Mr.. Hillard had met
with crushing misfortune His wife died
July II, 1889, and he and his seven chill
dreh were in destitute circumstances.
His own death ensued January 5, 1898,
and the vouchers for the first payment of
his pension, together with arrears since
the date of his application, were received
three days after the hand which was to
sign them was cold in death.
Check and vouchers were returned ito
the pension agent to be made payable to
the guardian of the minor orphan chill
dren. But this reply was received after
long delay and repeated Inquiry;
UNITED STATES PENSION AGENCY.
May -, 1898.
Mr. G. H. Ellis:
Sr-In answer to your letter. case of Stephen
Hillard's certificate No. 800, S15, act of June
q, 1890, you are informed that under recent
decision OF the Hon. Secretary of the Interior,
the children are not entitled to the accrued pen
sion. as the pensioner died before the certificate
was issued.
Very respectfully,
5-se 8gss E. H. HARVEY,
United States Pension Agent.
Under the law Mr. Hillard's applica-
ton for pension having been approved
his seven destitute, orphan children, if
L. IL