The National tribune., 1893-07-13
STILL UNDONE.

There has been considerable reorganiza-
ton of the Pension Bureau the past week.
Many clerks have been reduced in pay and
many others promoted. Some have been
discharged to make room for new ones. A
great pressure has been put upon the Com
missioner by pc Dicians in the matter Of re-
organizing the Boards of Pension Examiners
all over the country. Places ON these seem
to be coveted as much by Democratic doc
tors as Postmasterships are by other men,
and every Senator, Representative, and man.
aging politician has slate full of names of
men whom he wants appointed. Much of
the Commissioners time is taken up listen
ing to these personal applications.
Then, too, Mr.. Dominic ]. Murphy, the
Deputy Commissioner of Pensions, who has
grown up in the Office, and on whose expert
ence and knowledge the Commissioner relies
very much, has been compelled by domestic
sorrow and official overwork to go away for
a brief rest
Doubtless the pressure of all these things
has compelled Commissioner Lochren to
neglect our proposition to vindicate the
honor Of his comrades, and give the pub
lie some facts which it can rely on, by a
careful examination of the 1000 or 1000
cases taken consecutively from the files in
his office.
This proposition has attracted widespread
attention from the press of the country,
and the comrades. The latter want it as
an effective answer to the storm of obloquy
from the soldier-hating press. They keenly
desire an official statement, and at once,
which will get the pension system in its
true light before the country. They are
goaded by the continual assertion of the sol
dler-hating press that large proportion of
them-variously stated at from one-half
to four-ffths, according to the malignancy
of the writers-are arrant frauds, who
rendered no service, and are deliberately
cheating the Government A large pro-
portion of the press which is friendly
to them speak as if there is probably
some truth in the charges. This is irritat-
ing TO the last degree and calls for action
immediate action. They demand, and we
think they have the right to demand, that
some official utterance be made which will
give ground either for confirming or deny
ing these accusations. Certainly, if the
Treasury were generally denounced for pay
ing out large proportion of the public
money to known frauds, among bondbolders
and contractors, it would lose no time in
taking such action as would let the people
know exactly to whom the money went and
what right they had to it.
The fairer portion of the press see in our
an admirable way of arriving at
the exact truth, and that very speedily.
They want it done in the interests of truth.
No objection can possibly exist. 1t would
take but very short time, only few hours, If
the whole force of the Pension Bureau were
put at it. il would give facts that neither
friends nor enemies could gainsay.
1t should be done nom, before Congress
meets-before the debates on the pension
system begin-now, when the attacks on the
pensioners are bitterest, and when the com
rades feel sorest.
We trust that next week we shall have the
pleasure of announcing that Commissioner
Lochren has performed this urgent duty.