Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1894-04-05
REPUBLICAN MATTERS
Ro6BlNG THE VETERANS
| Methods by which tn, Dem,,r.,.
dnee the Pension Appropriations.

|
Methods by which the Democrat. u..
dnoe the Pension Appropriations.
once more the annual pension bill
has passed the house of representa-.
tives- IL carries the neat it'll, sum
OF $l5l,000, 00A The estimates n,
the pension office, rs embodied In
the Book OF Estimates" sent Ia
congress, amounted to SlG6, S3l. $40
That Is u big sum of money. II
calls Tor moro than ono third of the
entire revenue of the United States.
But tho administration has CON
cluded that 1t can "save" about SIG.
o0n,ooo and so the appropriation is
reduced to that extent. This .,say-
ing" Is to be effected in three WAYS.
SAYS the Detroit Tribune, First. by
"slcwing down" the machinery OF
the pension Office, This slowing
down process was well illustrated by
General W. W. Grout of Vermont
In his speech in the house the
other day. He showed that dur
ing Commissioner Lochron's first
year he had adjudicated less
than half rs many pension cases
as General Raum did during his las 4
year, While during tho years 1891. =
there wore issued ~ 900 certificates,
or more than 1000 day, under
Lochren, not only wore tho nd mdlca.
tions less than half, but two-thirds
OF tho eases adjudicated woro 70 q.
joctod.
This Is tho second method OF ro-
ducing tho pension appropriation -
that Is, by II very largo increase In
the number OF reflections, THIS IN
brought about by now and stricter
rulings IN regard to ponsionable
disabilities,
Tho ird method of "savingn il
by suspensions and reductions of
pensions. A very largo proportion
OF tho examiners OF tho pension
Office have been taken from the work
upon new claims, never admdicated,
and set to work upon going through
the old files TO apply the now rulings
To the old cases, TO effect suspensions
and reductions, while moro than half
million unad Indicated cases wait
Tens Of thousands OF cases have
been thus suspended and tho pom.
sioners notified that unless they
showed cause within thirty days why
1t should not DO done they would DO
dropped from tho pension roll.
This is new kind OF Anglo.
Saxon justlco--or OF American JUS
tlco, for that mattor--which tries
and convicts II man first and gives
him u chance to show that he IL not
guilty afterward.
The government, by act OF con.
gress, has established its own pen.
sion tribunal Its examiners, It's
medical examiners and referees, It's
board OF review and It's commits
sionor OF pensions. are all OF its own
selection and appointment IL has
made It's own laws and established
its own rules for adjudicating pen
sion claims. Before this tribunal
OF It's own crcating tho pension
claimant Is brought His claim must
pass tho examiner, the medical ex-
aminer, tho board OF review, tho
medical referee and the commits
sioncr OF pensions before his certih-
cate is signed The congress Of tho
United States in the act OF Decem.
Der 1898. has declared that this gives
him u "vested right" in his pension.
The law writer's say that "vestcd
right" is IA right not subject to n
condition precedent or unperiormcd,
"whero there Is an immediate right
OF present enjoyment, "a title, legal
or equitable, to the present enforce
ment OF a demand"
One would suppose that the gov
its own tribunal, according to Its
own laws and rules. and having is
sued its patent or certificate for the
pension. and then solemnly declared
10 "vested right" the matter had
become re adjudicata, settled
was finally shifted from the holder
of the patent or certificate to the
party questioning IT, livery presump-
tion Is ia It's favor Commissioner
Lochrcn is said to have been IL
'judge." General Black also alleges
that he was brave soldier. We be-
lieve that for few months he did
serve rs II lieutenant in the
gallant First Minnesota All the
more it Is sight TO make
angels weep and TO make patriots
blush to see Tho commissioner sus.
pending disabled and helpless old
veterans, some OF them seventy or
even eighty years old. with the
threat that unless within thirty days |
they prove that the government did |
not falsely and fraudulently issue to |
them certificate that they were en-
Titled to a pension they shall be
dropped from the rolls, without trial. |
Judge, jury or benefit Of clergy.
IL is by such means that the pen
sion appropriation is reduced &c.
700. 00J below the estimate.
Truly, this is great and bene-
icent government! But IL is almost
thirty years since Appomattox, and
ioke Smith presides over the pen
lion Office.