The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-04-19
Monkeying With the Pension Rolls.

Among the arrivals at the Grand Hotel
dur ing the week was Mr.. M. b Schenck,
an extensive manufacturer of Meriden,
Ct. To Commercial Gazette reporter
who met him one evening, Mr.. Schenck
related a rather queer experience he
recently had through some correspon-
dence with the Pension Bureau in Wash.
| ington.
Mr.. Schenck served three years in the
Onion army in a New York regiment
during the civil war, his father and
grandfather fought for their country in
the war of 1912, and his great.grand-
| father bore arms in the great struggle
| for the independence of the colonies.
As he put it, he and his ancestors had
fought for their country in every war
waged in its history save that with
| Mexico, which he characterized as an
unholy war for the extension of slavery.
1t was the service of his great.grand.
father, who was Captain in New
Jersey regiment in the Revolution Army,
that lead Mr.. Schenck to write to the
Commissioner of Pensions. He wished
to ascertain whether the hero of rs had
ever had place on the pension roll.
In due time he received reply, stating
that Captain John Schenck had never
been pensioner, his only place in the
records of the army being as Captain of
the Second, and subsequently of the
Third Middlesex Regiment.
Inclosed in this reply was rather re.
markable communication, sent last
month to Commissioner Lochren by
City Solicitor Burns, of Hamilton, asking
restoration to the pension rolls of a
Butler county soldier, not on account of
services rendered or injuries received in
the army, but because he was Demo.
crat and because his longer exclusion
from the roll would injure the Democ-
racy in the special Congressional cleo
ton soon to be held in the Third Ohio
District. This was indorsed by ex Gov
ernor Campbell IN his own hand. writ
ing.
With little persuasion Mr.. Schenck
was induced to give the Commercial Ga
sette copy of the letter, and here it is:
M. o. Burns, City Solicitor,
Attorney-at.Law
% South Second street.
4 HAMILTON, o., February %, 1894.
William Lochren, Commissioner of PEN
sions, Washington, D. c.:
Dear Sir-I wish to call your attention
| Il
S. Lambertson, of Hamilton, O., and
which has been discontinued. This
man is certainly entitled to considera.
able to do such manual labor as to make
his living, being mostly dependent upon
his little pension to help him along.
He is trying to do work, and is only
kept in the employ OF Mr.. P. Burns &
Co. through charity, and not because he
is able to do days work. He was at
one time good workman, but that day
has passed. He has left his pension
matter alone because he thought moth.
ing would come out of the order to sus.
pend it, as it was renewed last fall, and
he then went before the medical exam
iners, and they told him they would
recommend an increase for him, and on
that information he felt satisfied, but
the word now comes that he is going to
be shut off. Mr.. Lambertson has been
a LIFE ELONG DEMOCRAT, as we'll as
; the rest of his family, and THIS MAT.
TER is GOING TO CAUSE US
TROUBLE and LOSE US DEMOCRAT
IC VOTES in the shop district where he
works, as he has made the sympathy of
all the men, soldiers and otherwise, that
work around him, and THEY ARE
| NnSTT W nEM0TD ATS
GOING TO HAVE A COMPRESSION
AL ELECTION HERE SOON, and We
CAN NOT AFFORD to have this matte,
unsettled, for if it is WE ARE GOING
TO SUFFER ON ACCOUNT OF 1T.
: l trust you will give this your imme-
diate attention, and let me hear from
you Immediately. l am very respect
fully, yours. M. o. BURNS.
My Dear Judge-I earnestly hope you
can take speedy and favorable action on
'n'S ''A''n' JAMES: JAMES E. CAMPBELL.
Hon. VIM. Lochren, Washington, D. G
Across the face and at the top of the
letter, of which the foregoing is copy
is the circular stamp of the Pension
Office, dated February 26, 1894, the day
Of its receipt. The capitals are the Com
mercial Gazette'S.
Mr.. Schenck at first was very much
non-plused by the inclosure. He tool
it for granted that mistake had beer
made through carelessness on the par
of the mailing clerk in COMMISSIONS,
Lochren's Office, yet its coming to him
seemed to indicate desire for an opin.
ion from him upon the questions involv
ed. This he was not at all backward
about furnishing, as the following very
readable and forcible letter he has in
dicted to the Commissioner of Pensions
will attest:
Hon. William Lochren, Commissioner Of
Pensions, Washington, D. Q.
Dear Sir-I return herewith the peti.
ton of M. o. Burns in relation to the
Reinstatement of the name OF Nelson J
Lambertson, Union veteran, to the