Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-05-16
VETS ARE SC0RNED
Dangerous to Apply for Pension
Increase.
Soldiers Who Ask for an Increase Liza.
BILE to BE Cut or Altogether.


Office ia resulting in the establishment
of a reign of terror among those inter
ested in securing proper recognition Of
veterans. This policy will result in
the Saving" of hundreds of thousands
of dollars by the Government by pre-.
venting the men who fought for the
Union from securing that recognition
for which the laws on the statue books
provide. The latest form of this policy
is outlined in the advice that Con-
gresham gave one of his constituents
several days ago. "You ask me about
the probability of securing an increase
in your pension" he said, ION account
of disabilities which you are suffering
and are not rated. I am convinced
from what you say that you are not
rated as high as the law would allow
if your case were considered fairly.
That you should receive an increase
pension, am convinced. But must
advise you to make no application for
this increase so long as the pension
laws are being executed as they are at
present. This advice l know will sur
prise you, but think you will agree
with me when state the reason that
lead me to make so strange state
ment.
"In the first place, the laws are being
executed with a view of knocking out
as many pensioners as possible. There
is no inclination that am able to dis
cover to assist manned and suffering
veteran to establish his claim. In a
number of cases of which l am ac-
quainted, applications for increases
have resulted in the pensioner being
deprived of what little stipend he was
gettiLg, Through some technicality
the Office has been able to cut off his
allowance through claim that the
disability for which he was rated no
longer existed, or that he was entitled
to the pension from some other cause.
Now, l am satisfied that you are draw.
ing pension to which you are Justly
entitled. Otherwise l should not wish
TO have you draw IL atall. You should
remember that if you ask an increase
your case will be reopened, and it is
possible that the result will be as have
indicated. I think you had better let
we'll enough alone. At least do moth
ing until a different spirit animates
the administration of our pension
laws"
That is the advice that quite num-
Der of Congressman are giving their
constituents. 1t is dangerous thing
for veteran to ask for an increase of
his pension. The fact that this is the
case is shown by the f ct that applica-
tions for increases have fallen off to
almost nothing as compared with the
record of two or three years ago, when
pensioners had full confidence that
they would get considerate attention at
the hands of the Government. A news
paper correspondent called at the Pen
sion Office yesterday to learn what the
entire number CT applications for in
crease during the present administra-
ton had been, together with state
ment of the action that had been taken
on such cases.
Deputy Commissioner Murphy gave
the information that the records did
not show these facts, and that infor-
nation could not Do secured without
great deal of labor. In view of this, it
is impossible to give a statement in de-
tail of the extent to which this new
policy has operated. 1t ia true that the
law Of June 81, 1890, provides that
whenever a disability for which PEN
sion is granted shall cease the pension
shall be stopped. That law Is approved
by the best friends of the veterans, but
it is made to operate very differently
under an administration unfriendly to
the soldiers, and one that rat tes its yir,
ture with it's ability to ''save" money
by knocking out claims on technicali-
ties. In 1891 law passed cutting
down the fees of pension attorneys in
case of applications filed for rerating
pensions from $40 to SO each, and the
Pension Bureau points to this fact as
full reason why veterans have ceased
to make applications for higher ra-
ting as generally as was the custom
formerly. They say it means simply
that the attorneys do not find it as
profitable to file such cases as formerly,
and upon giving up their efforts to
serve them the number has dropped off
accordingly. There may be some reason
in this argument, but there can be no
question, In view of late developments,
that almost, if not quite, as potent a
reason exists in the terrorism which
the Office has succeeded in spreading
among the pensioners.
If some member of Congress should
introduce resolution calling upon the
Pension Office to give the number of
applications for reratings for additional
disabilities, together with the actions
that has been taken on them, it would
result in some very interesting statis-
tics being made known to the coun-
try, and if the facts in each case
could be secured, it would doubtless do