The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-03-01
AN OPEN LETTER
To the Commissioner of
Pensions.
Hon. I'm. LochreR.

CoMRADE: Such Is the intense gravity OF
your proposition to return TO the Treasury
unexpended some $15,OO0,O00 of the current
appropriations for pensions that we again
call attention to the subject.
This plan is fraught with so much misery
and injustice to so many deserving people
that we are amazed that any public official
should seriously contemplate it.
In brief, it is the deliberate and premedi-
tated breaking of a sacred promise made
more than 80 years ago by the Government to
the men whom it implored to abandon
everything and risk their lives TO save it
from destruction. 1t then promised them,
with the utmost solemnity, adequate
pensions in case they were injured. Hun
dreds of thousands of men who were des-
perately injured in that service, and who
have furnished proof of the fact, have been
waiting some the whole 80 years-for the
Government to fulfill its promises. The news
that you have decided to return S15,O00,O0O
which Congress gave you TO discharge the
Nations obligations will he the death blow
to their hopes. 1t will mean to them that
the Nation is abandoning the role of the
postponing debtor, which it has so long
played most shamefullv, for the more openly
dishonorable one of the repudiator.
In your report for the fiscal year of 1893
you gave the following figures of the average
value of first payments:
Average value of all, $240.19.
Average under act of June 81, $20005.
Average value under general laws S508.11.
According to this that S15000,000 which
you propose to "save" would have made the
first payments in about g., 500 cases, taken as
they come, OF $4,000 under the act of June 81,
1890, or nearly 10000 under the general
laws. For this latter class you claimed to
have special affection. You loudly com
planned few months ago that you had dis
covered lot of 100000 of them which had
been completed under your predecessor, and
side tracked by him in order TO give wrong
preference to the cases under the act of June
q. You then proclaimed that you intended
TO give these much more meritoriOus cases
their proper preference"
Why then is not that $4,000, coo paid out
to 10000 Claimants under the old laws, who,
according TO your own statement, perfected
their claims long ago, and are clearly entitled
to it by law as well as by justice? What
right have you to take it from them, after it
has been given you for the express pur-
pose of paying them, and turn it back into
the Treasury? Is this any more defensible
than it would be for the Sergeant-at-AFmso of
the House Or Senate TO refuse to pay part
of the members of those bodies and turn
back into the Treasury several millions
saved in this way? Or for the Secretary
of the Treasury TO save" in the same way
on the 81 aries of the President aud other
Office holders?
The plea of economy will be made to
justify you. How absurd Is it economy
10 dodge ones debts? Is it economy TO con-
federate with death to beat your creditor out
of his dues? If economy" dictates cheat
ing the National creditors, why should the
veterans bear the whole burdenp Why not
also cheat the Indians, the bondholders, the
contractors for the river and harbor improve
ments, the Army and Navy, and the corps of
salaried officials out of few millions each
fall these were defrauded pro ia'a with the
pensioners the Government would "save at
least 500 900 900, and the economy would
thus be sevenfold as great.
If National necessity require that some
one should be cut out of his lawful dues the
classes we have mentioned should have been
the first to suffer-not the veterans. They
did not earn what is due them by wrecking
limb ard health in perils and hardships,
they have not been kept endless years wait
ing for their rights, and they do not need
what the Government owes them to save
themselves from the poor-house and the
paupers grave.
AS we have repeatedly told you, you have
the finest opportunity presented to any
public official to immensely benefit the
whole people while performing your simple
official duty. The greatest need of the
country at the present time is for more
money in actual circulation. 1t is suffering
intensely from congestion of money in
the great centers, and the lack of it in the
country at large. You have the opportunity
TO do more than any other man in the
Nation can to remedy this dangerous and
harmful condition. By returning that $15.-
| 900 600 to the Treasury YOU are intensifying