Evening journal., 1894-04-27
PENSIONS AS CAPITAL.

1t is painful 10 note that when Bach
does not produce the canine snsrls the
editorial chair Of the Morning News
seems to be empty. The following para
graph in an article entitled ,"UDjust
Pension Revision" illustrates this The
News says:
We have Just had our attention called |
to an inclaent OF the ex.Confederate |
management Of the Pension Bureau at |
Washington, which shows the unfair
ness and injustice Of the methods en-
ployed TO purge" the pension rolls.
Elk Confederates have been too amiable
not sternly honest enough with pension
claims. For fear OF incurring invidious,
not to say cswardly and ignorant, con-
formations, they have too frequently
taoitly agreed to, and sometimes eve
voted for, pensions for Union soldiers
which they would have denied to Mexi
can or other veterans. Knowing this TO
be the case. and knowing, too, the cordial
relations inspired by the mutual respect
which the real soldiers Of the two
armies entertain for each other, the man
who wrote the above Indictment Is
either flppant or false He may be
both, there is nothing to prove the
contrary.
But, however that may be, the facts
with which he attempts to sustain the
indictment are strangely at variance
With the proposition he states, and with
discretion p. S. Bach, or the Empty
Chair, writing for the News, says:
When the war broke out man, who
now lives In this city, at once enlisted In
the Union army, leaving at home a wife
and large family Of small children. He
served until the summer of 1865, having
enlisted three times. During his term
the army he saw cons derable active
service, was wounded twice and was
twice taken prisoner. In course Of time
IN account Of wounds received, he was
given q pension Of twelve dollars a
month. The Pension Depart
nent has ordered a dlscontinuanoe OF his
pension, every cent Of which he needed
order to exc out an existence.
Il is not stated why this discon
'inuance was ordered. There are certainly
good reasons-fraud or illegality--or it
a mistake No fair and honest official
would order q discontlnuance otherwise.
II mistake has been made we offer TO
snlist the Efforts Of Senator Gray and
representative Causey so quickly and
earnestly that the error will be corrected
- once the mans pension restored, and
the deferred payments forwarded, with
an explanation. II necessary, we shall
enlist the good Offices Of fifty OF hun.
ired Senators and Representatives, to-
| yethsr with Commissioner Lochran. to
have this error righted-this sad case
u poverty struck patriotism returned to
;he condition Of eking out his existence
IN S144 year, notwithstanding numer.
GUS sons aud daughters who might help
him.
VIII the News accept those PROPOSE
lions
We are somewhat suspicious OF this
1ne case from which the writer general
zes, especially when in the same article
ne admits:
While this man has been stricken from
the pension roll there are others, who
nover fired musket, felt a wound OF
suffered imprisonment in Confederate
prisons, who still continue TO draw pen.
sions. There are In this city other men
In excellent health others able to do a
good days work; others receiving fair
salaries, and still others possessed Of
enough Of this worlds goods to support
the man to whom we have referred who
are receiving pensions similar 10 the one
: Of which he has been deprived, and, ir
several cases, three times as much as b,
received. The indiscriminate payment oil
, , pensions is one Of the greatest abuses o
the system, but still greater abuse il
, The payment to men Of pensions out o.
: al proportion to the iustness Of theii
I claims
There is no doubt that there are man,
t illegal aud fraudulent pensioners here
r The News and its party have made them
e When honest efforts are made to stol
them, to correct the abuses and frauds
not to deprive any worthy old soldier OF
q his pension, the News attempts to pre-
s vent those efforts by referring to them a
n he work Of ex-Confederates.
y II the News laments frauds and abuse
t why docs It try to bring contempt t
% those who are seeking to promote homes
. pensions and to prevent fraudsG
. II this particular pensioner is homes
y and worthy let's all go to work to hav
him restored. Why meanly strive {
4 make political capital out ofitl has th
News no better capital2