Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-06-20
----------------------
Soldiers and Pensions.

seem that q fair understanding would
end much complaint among our Sol
dier friends. There has been much
talk about pensions been taken away
and others reduced, and this has been
used by designing men for party eff
feet to an extent that is little short
of disgrace.
| Let us be fair and honest about
this matter as we should about any
other matter in life.
The money that pays pensions,
comes from our people, as any other
taxes do. This'being true, the people
should not be called upon to pay one
dollar of pensions that is unjust, any
more than they should be called upon
to pay more than is just for any 9th
er purpose, either in government, or
in the daily transaction of life. But
on the other hand they should be
called upon to pay every dollar that
is just, and when this has been done
and one gets more and another less
than he expected, who has just
righs of complaint? And who that is
content when he gets his own can
complain?
So much for that then. Now how
Is justice found in the pension depart
ment? Just exactly as it is in any
court of our land. 1t is court, act
ing under law, and is controlled
by the same rules as any other court
is. That is to say, Congress passes
pension laws, as state Legislatures
pass other laws. The pension depart
ment, grants or refuses to grant,
changes or alters, or alters, increases
or decreases, the amount of each per-
sons penson, on the evidence pre-
duced, just as courts grant judgments
on the evidence before them, and 9th
er courts, change their judgment by
increasing or decreasing or by throw
ing them out entire. AS new evidence
is produced, or evidence Is found
to be wrong, or other evidence pro
duced that makes the case stronger
or weaker.
There is this essential difference be-
tween pension suits and other suits in
civil courts, that is, that pension is
based upon the pensioners right tc
recover, and the amount of it depends
upon the degree of injury. So it il
possible for pensioner. to be draw
ing a pension of one amount to-day
based upon state of facts that one
year from to-day did not exist at all
If so the cause for his drawing a pen
sion would have cleared, and under
the law his pension would have tc
cease. But on the other hand, if i
were found at the end of the yea
that his complaint had grown mucf
worse, than on examination, an(
these facts proven, his pension of {
year before would be inadequate, ani
the law would increase it, just as oul
| State laws will increase or decreas,
alimony to fit the changing circum
stances of cases.
| Now one thing more. This being
| true, and it is true, then when any
lsoldier accuses any person of doing
him any injustice he forgets himself
This can no more be done in the pen
sion department, under any admins
| tration, than it can be done in ouI
courts of Common Pleas or Circuit
| without exposure. Why? Becaus,
the pension department is court
| It's every act is of record, and opei
/ to the world, just as our courts are
1t is even safer than our courts are
for it's acts are all based on writer
evidence, that must be there on file
also open to the world, while court