The Washington times., 1894-04-09
The Peoples
Forum.
n ii. Matter Of Ps..,s.s.

Il the Matter Of Psasisns.
Ts the Edissr Of TIE TIHn:
wasAiustsn paper has Dublishsa an inter
view with sx-Comnissisnsr Black, in which hs
states, in response to query by the reporter:
..Havs . Democratic Congress and Democratic
administration shewn themselves ~ favorable
to pension legislation a. the Republicans havs?r
as follows
have shown ourselves to be mere in sympathy
with the old soldiers In sixteen years the Demo
cratic Heuss voted the pensioners nearly q ,0O0,-
000, 600, as against 70,0OOoo0 voted by Rspub-
licsn Houses in eighteen yssra"
This goes out to tho country - Q full response
to the question asked without any explanation
whatever, and it will be regarded as . showing
of Dsmocratis generosity TO the defenders Of the
Union.
Now lot the accommodations state what gen.
eral legislation has been enacted by a Demo
cratic Congress wherein the necessity for such
liberal appropriations by the Democratic Houses
were made
The act OF March 2s 1852.
The act OF July II, 1862.
The act of July 4, 1854.
The act Of March !, 1865.
The act Of June :, 1856
The act Of July ~ 1866.
The act Of July ~, 1868.
The act Of March !, 1873.
Thsss were all passed by Republican Con-
crosses and approved y Republican Presidents.
ocratic House, but would net have been passed
had it not been fer Republican votes, passed a
Republican Senate, and was approved by Re-
publican President The act Of June "a, 1880,
was passed By q Republican Csnyrsss and ap-
proved ~ = Republican Prssidrnt
Ii can readily be observed that the boast that
Democrats Houses were M0rs in sympathy with
the cid soldier. than the Republican Houses by
making liberal appropriations goes for naught,
as Congress was bound 10 make appropriations
laws originating in and passed by Republican
Congresses and approved by Republican Presi-
dents
Furthermore, what has the present admins
tration done for the soldiers! When the bureau
was taken poss sssioR of BY the present Commis-
sonsr. there were some ,ot0 20 o00 claims
before tho beard Of review for fnal action before
tho issuahcs Of the pension certificates These
claims we're inhs hsritsd from Gen 'Raum, and the
Commissioner TOOK credit for great showing of
the bUrsau for the first ihres months Of Demo-
cratic rule; see his annual report After the
close of the fiscal year q halt Was called, and in
stead of allowing or even acting on the 10000
claims, under the general law he reported as
complete, the Commissioner constitutes new
board, known as the board Of revision, and di-
rected that of claims passed by the pre-
csdinF administration be drawn from the adj
mttsd files orders suspension of the for part Of
them, and thsn, after al examination by Demo-
cratic boards Of surgeons drops the names of
the pensioners from the rolls or reduces the rate
OF pension without any hearing whatever This
is with view TO make the pension roll roll OF
honor.
great splurge is made from time to time in
the public press about gigantic frauds that have
been unssrthed, a, Congress was asked for an
appropriation Of SavO,0UO in order suppress the
fraudulsnt claims and prosecute those who had
filed applications with fraudulent intent Some
seven special examiners were sent to New Mex
ico nine or ten to Buffalo, n. Y, and four to
Norfolk, Va, and LET'S 10 other places; and what
h,s been tAs result? 1hs 3.sO0,00O Is about ex-
hzusisd, i've or three pension have been suS-
pended Or disba red, tive ignorant colored peo-
pie nnsd nominal sum or given . short jail
sentence, and the majority of the cases against
evidence.
Tbs Eoot work Of I'VE have shown ourselves to
be more in sympathy with the old soldier" still
goes On and The country Is hoodwinked.
MORE ANON.