New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-19
fnY TELEGRAPH to THE TEIBUNE.l
AND HARASS THEN.

fBY TELEGRAPH TG THE rEiBCNE'I
Washington. March ia prominent ia"seI
Washington. who in the practice or MS pIoie9so"
has had occasion to familiarize hlmseii WI" ~"
methods Of the Pension Bureau under Tue p' So
Administration. recently wrote an interesting iet'e'
- - leading and influential Senator who is a mem
Der of the Pension Committee. in which ne nuns
nantly protested against the Discrimination "S"'"'
honest and deserving claimants Tor peHSio''S' anu
also against honorably discharged Union 'c'''
who have been. or now are, empio!eu III '
terror Department. Several of the points f"a''e III
,ho lotter are new and the truth of all OF the
statements therein contained can be easily Pro'V"'
Among other things the writer SAID:
II notice that Commissioner Lochreh id'e'S ~
dressed a letter to the Pension committee Vi 'S
Senate urging that the bill which proposed 10 sNe
claimants access TO the papers filed in their Cases
in the Pension Office should not become IA"
ono of the reasons he assigns, according 10 the
nubIished reports was that such access woud sum
ulate and multiply claims for pensions ''
the Senator's do not understand no" unjust -
the claimants are the present regulations Va ~
Pension Office in this respect. ana now necessary
this proposed legislation was 10 insure ta'r "."s
70 IN. soldier | do not know who originated tHlS
hr nor have | any personal interest IN the mat
ter whatever except so far rs the interest,"" VI ny
comrades are concerned. but l. Is righteous ''V"
urc and ought to prevail
ct notice too that OF the money appropriated io'
ol''''''V''
into the Treasury being in excess OF IN" amount
needed To show the methods OF the Pension 'i''cr
and how this wondrous saving ~ cnec''H "a
mention one case which came - my PERSONA "'''"'
edge and which Is only one OF many FOR oo>''".
reasons | cannot give the name or residence o'
the claimant His case al! regular. the proofs
con,ple,e and the medical board examining MN
near his residence found him disabled 70 an OK
tent which entitled him TO So a month pension.
VIII II be believed that when his case wa" f''S''
upon in the medical department OF me l'"S'o"
Office II was rejected because the claimant WAS
mo, disabled in a pens!onable degree? know
whereof | speak when say that If an inVeStsa-
,,o, ,verc had in the Pension Bureau II would DO
disclosed beyond question that In almost every case
coming TO the medical division the reports % t'e
local examining board Of physicians are amos W.
varlably aside and. X any rating AZ ri Is "'''
to the unfortunate claimant, In ~" majority "i
cases II &c loss than one-haf that fixed by the
examining board.
"prcsumabv th,. best Judges ~ mans dsa-
huuy would he the physicians who examined him.
and II the bureau has no confidence in these exam
ming boards Of its own creation. why not S''e
the great expense and abolish tho' altogether
This would give chance TO add another million or
two To the uncxpenIed pension appropriation YOU
will readily in the light OF these facts WY YEA
Commissioner ls anxious t. conceal from the claim
ant this crooked work. | call j crooNfi M'iN
desgneIly Cor IL is Illegally taking away from inc
soldier what the Law gives him. Then TOO ~
many cases the soldier Is IN" victim II malice ana
secret enemies who do not hesitate 20 max" N''
most bas.Iess charges In writing so long "F they
can do ,hor work in the dark without i'Ar 81 H'r-
coyery In any court In She land. u claimant "a
attacked he has chance 10 lace DIS H''H''F
and rcfute his caiumncs, and the same - V''
believe In all the other departments Of our Govern
mont except this one where the rights % the s'.-
der or his helpless widow or orphans are a'' AZ
stake
at IS plain 10 any one that II these Confidential
files In which are kept all such communications u.s.
these as we'll as the reports Of tho special 'NAmin
ers and the examining surE"ons-f ines" mes "'r"
accessible to claimants or their attorneys ih"y. oi
course would be 's,irnulater 10 claim their rights
from the Pension Bureau. and probably insist upon
their claims 10 degree that might annoy The
Commissioner Of Pensions and reduce very c'nsi"-
erably the amount Of surplus he 50 Joyfuiiy covers
back into the Treasury.
another grave abuse Is being practiscd by me
Pension %ureau. known TO every attorney transact
ing business with that establishment II Is SAFE
10 say that out OF cases under the Act OF JAM"
1890 80 per cent Of the applications are no" re-
jected Apparently. where medical examinations
have disclosed the existence OF such disability as
would be likely 10 create the impression In the sol
dlers locality that he is uniustly treated. notice
Is sent suggesting that he file a new application
with medical evidence Of his present disability gen
orally a different one from that alleged In ms hr't
his pension II granted. Will comm"nce from the
date OF filing this last appliciuon ~ this ingenious
cnntrlvance I'm most three 10 four years or ar
rears OF pensions saved to the Government. ana
I'm the multitude such cascS long strd" II made
toward turning into the Treasury large un, Xtnd-
ed appropriation for pensions.
NO one Is deceived by the claims that me &c
lection and prevention Of frauds are keeping down
the pension Expenditures. Those who have any np-
portunlty OF knowing the real facts know that
the amounts are kept down because Inc present
Administration Of the Pension Bureau mas pric-
really nullifcd the Act Of June 1890 and ali through
that bureau from TOP to bottom tho word Is passed
along the line. slash the pensions II requires no
written orders for this II does not takr twenty
four hours for anxious clerks To know which way
the wind Is blowing and which side Hes promo
ton or dismissal SO
$50 great IS the hostile influence to the soldier
now controlling the Pension bureau. | nrmly be-
leve that but for the fear Of an OutDurst Of pub
lc oDinlon the majority Of old soldiers employed
there would receive their dlsmissals in short order.
As II IL men who have lost leg or an arm IN
thelr country's service in the Interior Depart
mont and Pension Bureau 10 be selected for spc-
their salaries cut down 800 500 without mercy.
ora soldiers and those in sympathy with them In
the Pension once are sick at heart at what goes
ON daily under their notice. yet dare not speak.
rher. we're formerly some Democratic soldiers en-
rlnvoJ In that bureau but they are Democrats no
longer one Of these repentant Democratic com.
radcs old me the other day he so Srleved over
tbe yvav things were going he had about concluded
~ call upon the President and at the risk OF hts
ccu,ion Of Union soldiers and tho methods now pre-
yaiiInq in the Pension Office. in the faint hope that
Tho President might be induced 10 look into the
att