The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-01-12
PENSION EXAMINERS.



The national house recently had un-
der consideration n bill making an APP
preparation for pension examiners
Congressman Morse, of Massachusetts,
addressed the house on the subject, as
follows. lie said:
~ desire, Mr.. Chairman, in the
three minutes yielded TO me, merely 10
say that indorse all that has been SO
we'll said by the distinguished gentle
man from New York. Mr. Daniels.
about his experience in connection
with the pension department in his
district Mine has been exactly the
same. All OF the pensioners in my
district who make application TO the
pension Office either for an increase of
pension or for an original pension, un-
der one pretext or another, almost 10
n man or 10 a woman, are sent back for
additional evidence.
Last evening l saw the great army
OF employees of that Office coming out
OF that establishment at four o'clock,
and wondered 10 myself what they
had been doing, for my own expe-
rience induces me To think that tho
employees in the pension Office, instead
of attending TO their legitimate du-
ties OF adjudicating cases of appli-
cants for pension under the law, are
at present turned into n smelling COM
mittee, looking all over the country
for fraud, or pretended fraud, in the
granting and payment OF pensionsi
and such examinations as they make
l 30 10 fVg l.ts q ha
principle how not To do it, judged by
progress and results.
II want here and now 10 call atten.
ton OF congress and tho country "a
another fact, l. G., that the postmas-
tiers throughout the country--and
want 10 know by what authority OF
law the commissioner OF pensions is
authorized TO do such thing say,
the postmasters OF the country have
also been turned into smelling com.
mittee 20 hunt for frauds in connection
with pensions. In town in my dis
trict the postmaster called my atten-
tion To communication received from
the pension Office asking him Co look
after pensioners, 60 see IL the pension
ers were worthy,of pensions, etc. An
other point All applicants for in
crease of pension in my district re.
ceiyc prompt attention, and have an
order promptly TO be examined by a
medical board, and this arrangement
generally results in what2 An in.
crease, rs the poor pensioner expectsi
Oh, no; but in reducing or taking away
the little pension altogether.
THE employees of the pension Office
should be confined to their legitimate
duties; and repeat that instead OF at
tending 10 their legitimate business
they are largely turned from them in
i the manner / have indicated, TO the
great injury OF the pensioners.
II desire to call attention To one
I more unjust decision OF the commits
sioner OF pensions, which does great
wrong TO brave men who in the war
stood by the suffering, the wounded
and the dying and rendered patriotic
service 10 the country. / refer to the
fact that the acting assistant surgeons
who were pensioned under the act OF
I 1890, by decision of that department
OF the government have been dropped
from the pension rolls.
"Mr. Chairman, | am neither q
prophet nor the son OF n prophet, but
more than year ago / stood in thi:
place, where ! now stand, and said
that when the people were again heard
from In a congressional or national
election, they would rebulsc the ad
ministration foI its unjust and unpa
/ triotic conduct toward the union sol
1iers That prophecy has been more
than fulfilled, and prominent among
the causes of the recent overwhelm
i ing defeat OF the democratic party in
the northern states. in the states that
4 poured out their blood and treasure
I like water 20 save as, n nation among
4 the nations OF the earth, was the un
/ friendly hostile action OF this admins
tration and Commissioner Lochren to
ward these wards OF the nation.
II bid my suffering comrades be OF
good cheer, the present injustice IL
not TO continue, the republicans will
surely elect loyal and patriotic man
as our next president. The secretary
OF the interior and the commissioner
OF pensions will be changed, and with
them the hostile and unfriendly atti
tude OF that great department OF the
| government"