Evening star., 1893-09-01
THE SUSPENSION ORDER.

"hat H So10 at the Interior Depar art.
ment ns to the Secretary's Attitude.
The order issued yesterday afternoon by
Commissioner Lochren, modifying the rules
as to the suspensions Of the payment Of
pensions. has been the subject Of a number
OF conferences between the commissioner
of pensions AMI the Secretary of the In
terror since the return of the latter from his
summer vacation. The case was explained
10 star reporter by an official of the In
terror Department today as follows: The
rule requiring suspension Of pensions In
cases where the record shows a reasonable
doubt OF pension right Is of republican orr
gin and dates back some years.
The celebrated decision of Secretary
Smith In the Bennett case, in which he held
that soldiers right to a pension, under
the act Of June q, 1880, was dependent upon
ability to earn support by manual labor,
was promulgated prior to his departure
for the west on his annual vacation AL
though this decision necessarily involved
the re-examination of all claims then al
lowed under the act of June q the extent
OF suspensions was not brought to the Sec
retaryS attention till his return to Wash
inSton. He learned that the number which
came within the rule was SURPRISINGLY large
1t had not been thought either, that pen
sioners would have much difficulty I'M es-
tablishing their rights.
Secretary Smith, while not doubling the
Justice of the rule adopted by the reso,Il,li-
cans as to suspensions, feared that it would
wcrk hardship TO some old soldiers who
might be unable to get before examining
boards. either by reason of distance or lack
of funds. He repeatedly expressed this
view to those closest to him. He told Com
missioner Iochren that in the administra ra-
tton Of the law soldiers must not be unneces-
sarily embarrassed. No obstacle should be
tolerated that would prevent their securing
the testimony required
Commissioner Lochren, who had bril-
liant record as Union soldier was en-
dorsed for his present position by q unani-
nous vote of the legislature Of his stat,
and large number of other prominent
citizens as man eminently fitted to con-
duct the affairs of the pension bureau
In view of this the Secretary has intr,Ist
ed the management Of tine bureau almost
entirely to Mr.. Lochren, and has never in
terfered He has only given advice and
counsel when 1t was sosight. This advice
1t is stated, has always been on the side Of
lenfency toward the soldier. Those near the
secretary state that much Of -he partfsa n
criticism heaped upon MIN has been un-
Just. In every communication to the pen
sion bureau upon this subject he has ALWAYS
insisted that every soldier entitled by law
to pension should have 1t. He did. however,
want to have the law enforced in its spirit
and If the rolls did contain fraudulent cases
granted in violation Of law he thought that
justice demanded that these PENSIONS should
be disconti tinued.
A prominent officer Of the Interior Depart
ment told a reporter for The Star this
afternoon that the modification order was
not the result of political pressure. The
pressure was the other way The sus-
pension proceedings. he said were upheld
by all the democratic press and politicians.
He said that the last order was a viola
tion Of law. but was a violation in the line
of equity.