The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1893-11-03
combined had proven a burden ,nor

na'ion. many VINO had followed th,
the flag and faced the fiery furnace o
battle, had IN want fallen by the way
side, and In the poor-house were look
ing iongingly for the relief aud com
fort of the grave.
Their sympathizing comrades ant
patriotic people, with one accord
voiced the sentiment that such Wa,
not human administering of the sa
cred trust recognized and announdef
by Kincoh. As to what the remed,
should be, mems minds differed. Many
possibly majority of the survivors o
the War, believed that the time had
fully come when the name of every
honorably discharged survivor should
be placed upon the pension roll
Others, denying the right that they
should receive aught from theil
country through the pension roll
stoutly resisted the demand.
1t was under such circumstances
and dealing with these conflicting
opinions, that Congress enacted the
disability pension law of June, 1890
This act Was accepted by the surviv-
ing soldiers and by the people in gen.
erai as settlement of the question.
Under the administration of that law
the poor house gave up its veteran
he who had borne the battle WAS cared
tor; and thus the secret trust accepted
and left as a legacy to the nation was
faithfully administered.
Within few months we hear with
profound sorrow and regret that all
this must be changed; that the con-
struction of the law has been changed
and the regulations and rules in re.
gard to proof and ratings, under which
more than three hundred thousand
claims have been allowed and paid.
have been revoked, and another con-
construction of the law has been es-
tablished, and new regulations for
proof and ratings, less favorable to
to claimants, have been adopted; that
board of revision has been organize d
In the Pension Office, charged with
the duty of revising all these adiudi-
Gated claims in accordance with this
new construction, and such changed
regulations as to proof and ratings
that under these changes, thousands
OF pensions have been suspended
without notice and thousands OF pen
slaners have been dropped from the
rolls. 1t is claimed that an adiudica-
ton of a pension settles nothing; that
the Secretary of the Interior and
Commissioner On Pensions are invest.
ed by law with absolute power over
the pension roll. and that it is within
their legal authority to reopen and re-
wise pensions allowed by their prede-
cessors under regulations adopted by
them, whenever they see fit to change
the rules of evidence and the scale Of
ratings under which the allowance
was made: and this in country of
law, where from The very infancy of
the government the United States,
by its organic law, is in terms denied
the right to deprive any person of
property without due process of law,
notice and an opportunity to be heard
andwhere in every other relation and
condition of life fraud is never pre-
sumed, but must be clearly proved,
and every person shall have right to
face his accuser. To emphasize the
viciousness of the situation and accu-
sation, we learn that it is said, as
though by authority, that "it is ex
pected that many OF the pensioners
so summarily suspended or dropped
will be able to prove that they are
still entitled to the pension of which
tfley have been deprit ed"; thus say
ing in no uncertain voice that the
burden is not upon the party alleging
the fraud, but that the government
which they had preserved shall first
brand with infamy by the charge,
then sentence, and after the stigma
has been effected, then concede to
them, whose barriers and support of
character have been thus undermined.
the pitiful privilege of moving for "A
new trial upon the ground of newly
discovered evidence: and this not
upon strangers, aliens or foes, but
upon our own flesh and blood, our
com rades, the saviors of the nation
those who, in the language of Lincoln.
the Immortal, have "borne the bat
tie"
We deny that the Secretary OF the
Interior and Comm issioner of Pen
sions have such power. We insist
that the adjudicating divisions of the
Pension Office, acting under the dlrec-
ton and supervision OF the Commits
sioner of Pensions aud Secretary of
the Interior, are tribunals established
by authority OF law for the settlement
of pension claims, and that their deci-
sions are entitled to full faith and
credit, and cannot be legally impeach-
ed when change of administration
occurs, except for fraud, upon charges
preferred and evidence adduced IN
support thereof. We insist that where
changes are made in TIE construction
of the law. rules of evidence and seed
ule of ratings, unfayorable to claim
ants. thev must and should be limited
in their operation to the future work
of the Office, and not the past. An
! ex post facto regulation is as repug-
nant TO our sense of justice as an ex
post facto law. and we protest against
the adoption and enforcement OF am
such regulations In The matter OF pen
sion claims.
Then follows series of resolutions
protesting against this treatment bF
the pension department..
In speaking of our older incorporat
ed towns the Olympiaan-Tribune says
that Olympia was incorporated N