The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1894-06-08
PENSIONS ,NJusT,cEs.
The Cleveland Aslmlnistration's Treatment
Of Old Soldiers.

Mound City. ILL.,, ieight miles from
Cairo), Judge Charles d. long. of the
Michigan supreme court in the course
of an eloquent Grafton made the fol-
lowing pointed reference to the treat
ment received by the old soldiers at
the hands of the present administra-
ton:
Pensions have been granted to most Of
those who are disabled. rs we'll as to the
widows and orphans Of those they left behind
The representatives Of the people in the ma
tional congress and the executives Of this gov
ernme1, have since the close of the war framed
laws most just and equitable for the payment Of
pensions TO the nations protectors. We have
had no fault to find with this legislation. or
with the construction given to II. until Of late.
The two great political parties have at all
times declared in their platforms that they
were in favor Of liberal pensions.
The members Of the Grand Army OF the Re-
public and the old soldiers Of the country have
believed that these promises were made in good
faith and not intended Is = delusion and .
snare. At the commencement Of the war our
comrades were not all of one political faith.
and since its close they have been separated to
some extent on political lines. We do not
quarrel with each other in our grand army
life over political affairs or question each other
as to the matter Of religious beliefs. We
were q band Of brothers then. and continue
to be.
1t is but natural that this body Of men who
for years were associated in the intimate re-
lationship Of soldiers in common cause and
shared alike those hardships and dangers and
the glory which is their common heritage,
should remember their comrades and love and
honor them. and regard it an imperative
duty to see that justice is melted out and that
their crippled comrades and those who came
broken. should be placed under the special
care and protection Of the government and Of
society. and that the widows and orphans Of
deceased soldiers should be cared for and their
necessities supplied. This is the especial work
of the Grand Army Of the Republic and the
Women's Relief Corps. that grand auxiliary to
our order.
There is another principle too. in the order
that to perpetuate the spirit Of allegiance to
the government to cherish respect for and
fidelity to its laws: to frown upon corruption
and dishonesty in the administration Of ma
tional affairs and to discourage whatever i'm
pairs the permanency Of our free institutions
or excites the spirit Of insurrection. treason.
and rebellion.
With these objects in view we have from
year to year urged upon congress the care Of
disabled comrades. and nobly. generously have
our petitions been met: but now IL has come TO
pass that our petitions are unavailing. Here in
the presence of our dead We may inquire into
the causes-why it Is that those who for the
time being are placed in authority over US do
not listen to our petitions and why rulings are
being made which bring desoation, want and
restitution into so many peaceful homes Here
tofOre pension rulings have been most just and
equitable in most cases to old soldiers. Now
such construction is being placed upon pension
legislation that thousands are being stricken
from the rolls, and many more thousands are
being reduced to mere pittance.
BY what authority is this done? Are the
people of this nation demanding it? Do either
of the two great political parties OF the country
demand it: Has any political party demanded
it in its platform: We answer. no. And yet
the pension bureau. with its army OF over two
thousand clerks. has been kept busy for moro
than year. not in the examination OF the five
hundred thousand claims now pending. and
upon which the dust Of years is accommodating.
but in the examination Of claims already al
lowed and under which payments are being
made to the end that some fact or some proof
may be unearthed to give some slight show OF
reason for striking pensioners from the rolls
or reducing them: and il no reason, in fact, can
be found. then by an Interpretation of the acts
OF congress- which had never before been
heard Of
During the first six months of the present
administration the net gain in the pension roll
was one hundred and thirty. while under the
last year of the preceding administration
there was q net gain Of more than two hundred
thousand Why are not the old claims exam
ined: There is an army Of clerks supplied for
that purpose 1t is because Of deliberate.
wicked and set purpose to reduce the pension
roll by some means. fair or foul, and this. too,
at q time when the country is suffering from
such business depression that with more than
two million wage-earners out Of employment.
1t is almost impossible for those decrepit men
to earn livelihood.
The course Of the present pension admins
tration toward pensioners has apparently been
from the outset actuated by the most bitter
hatred. and with desire to arouse the antag-
onism of the people toward them. False charges
of fraud upon the pension roll have been PEI
sistently circulated. Their services have been
belittled and their disabilities made light Of
They have been held up to scorn and ridicule
Their claims for pensions and for increases have
been neglected and their letters Of inquiry for
the reasons thereof remain unanswered. Their
pensions have been cut on without reason or ex-
cuse, or have been reduced to such extent
that but pittance remains. They have been
deprived Of nearly S3O,OOOOO which congress
had already provided. and which. under the
rulings of former commissioners Of pensions.
they would now be in enjoyment Of had not tho
present commissioner arbitrarily overturned
the former decision
Tho present commissioner we'll knows that
no such frauds exist "a given out to the cOun-
try. and he knows that the pensioners them
selves are more DESTROYS Of making the pension
roll q roll Of honor than are those temporarily
in power over these matters.
He knows that by his arbitrary rulings ho
has stricken from the roll many thousands OF
deserving pensioners, who can never make their
proofs again by reason Of the death Of their
witnesses. and who will in consequence never
be restored TO the rolls under his rulings. he
knows that by them many who were drawing
pensions for disabilities have been reduced b.
low what the acts Of congress provide. and thse
by his Interpretation Of those acts he has over
turned the decisions Of former commits sioners
which have for years been acQuiesced in
He knows that the boards Of medical OK
aminers provided for BY law throughout the
country (thus giving pensioners the oppor-
tunity for examination without delay and with
but little trsveD arc better prepared from
such personal examinations to determine the
degree Of disability. and yet he arbitrarily sets
the decisions and opinions Of such boards -
defiance and requires the proofs Of such ex-
sminations TO be submitted 70 . board OF his
own appointment 1t Washington, and by which
means the rating Is almost invariably cut