The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-10-21

property without due process Of law, notice
and an opportunity to be heard and where
in every other relation and condition in life
fraud is never presumed, but must be clearly
proved, and every person shalr have the right
to face his accuser. To emphasize the vicious
ness Of the situation and accusation, we learn
that it is said, as though by authority that
ut is expected 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 they have been deprived"
thus saying 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 effective then concede to
them, whose barriers and support of character
have been thus undermined, the pitiful privi.
lege of moving for 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 comrades
the saviours Of the nation-those who in the
language of Lincoln, the immortal, have
"borne the battle.r
We deny that the Secretary of tie Interior
and Commissioner of Pensions have any such
power. We insist that the adjudicating
divisions of the Pension Office, acting under
the direction and supervision Of the Com
missioner OF Pensions and Secretary of the
Interior are tribunals established by au-
thority Of law for the settlement Of pension
claims, and that their decisions are entitled
to full faith and credit, and cannot be legally
impeached when a change of administration
occurs, except for fraud, upon charges pre-
ferred aud evidence adduced in support
thereof. We insist that where changes are
made in the construction OF the law, rules of
able to claimants, they must and should be
limited in their operation to the future work
Of the office, and not the past. An eB post
facto regulation is as repugnant to our sense
Of Justice as an eU post facto law, and we
protest against the adoption and enforcement
of any such regulations in the matter of
pension claims.
THEREFORE,, The Grand Army of the Re-
public, in the National Encampmentassem
speaking for that great army of beloved COM
rades many of them too poor, too bruised, too
broken, to withstand the strong arm of the
government when administered with an
unfriendly hand proud of the good name and
and fair fame of the American Volunteer
Soldier interested far beyond any other
person or organization that the pension
roll shall in truth and in fact be-
what it is in theory-a roll of honor"
and ever mindful of its cardinal princi-
pie, "To preserve honor and purity in
public affairs" scouts and denies these indis-
criminate charges of universal fraud and re-
scents the imputation that because some un-
worthy survivors may be found, that dis
credit shall be cast upon the entire roll, and
this great body Of brave and patriotic citizens
shall stand disgraoed before the country We
demand, that there shall be no backward
step in pension legislation or administration;
that no pensioner shall be deprived of his
property without due process of law; that the !
presumption shall be in favor of honesty and |
fair dealing; that the poor and lowly shall not |
be put to unnecessary, expensive or oppressive |
process to preserve their meagre pittances
that the sacred trust in favor of those who |
"borne the battle" shall be sacredly observed |
and sacredly administered; and we do now |
solemnly and deliberately
ResoLUe, That the Grand Army of the Re- |
public looks with solicitude, not 10 say alarm,
upon the proposition, that after sufficient
tribunals have been established by law before
which questions have been presented and |
upon evidence submitted and
and upon which grateful nation
has accorded pensions in this their hour Of
need to those who in its hour of need stood
between it and death, the officers of that
nation, administering a public trust, have
deprived, without notice or an
to be heard, our needy and dis
5ressed comrades of the rights thus solemnly
adjudged and confined to them.
WE DECLARE That every presumption
should be made in favor of such records so
made; that no presumption Of fraud shall be
INDUCED in against them, and that no change
|
lfter charges have been made and evidence
n support thereof has been produced, of
which charge each pensioner has had full
notice and full and complete opportunity to
,e heard in support of the pension so accorded
o him; and it is further
ResolUed, That as the Commissioner of
PENSIONS by his recent Withdrawals of the
obnoxious rulings which had been so gem
rally condemned, has virtually aclnowl-
dyed the incouectness of such rulings, we
eem it his further duty to at once restore to
he rolls the thousands of pensioners now
landing illegally suspended.
l. N. WALKER,
A. NJ. WARNER,
J. W. BURST,
A. r, GREENE,
II. E, TAINToR,
Committee on Pensions.