The National tribune., 1896-07-23
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

OUR CORR ESPOND DENTS
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weeks.l
W. H. II. T., StiHwGter Mnn.-Please inform
me why 1T is that pensions are granted to two
persons here that had no service during the
war of the rebellion, but served in the army
afterward, aud denied in another case where
the soldier served five years and then re-en-
listed and was wounded by an accidental dis
charge of his carbne, and dischared for dis
ability, all his service having been after the
late war /; and why is il that some persons can
get pension and Others cannot? Ansuer. Upon
such general statement of facts no answer of
value can be given. but it may be safely as
serted that those two soldiers who are pensioned
proved beyond doubt that they are disabled
in pensionable degree hy causes originating
in line of duty in the service. As to the case
of the other one cited by you the presumption
is that If pension has been denied for the
wound for which discharged the records Of the
War Department show that tho said wound was
not received in line of duty. OF course, we
but this is the most plausible explanation.
You doubtless are aware that it does not fol-
low that every disability Incurred in the serv-
ice is pensionable; line of duty is an all-im-
portant factor, and If it is absent title to pen
sion does not exist. As 10 why some persons
get pension and others do not, it is idle to
speculate; no two claims are alike. and what
may establish one may be held by the Pension
Bureau to wholly fail in another. The prova-
tive force of testimony varies greatly, and in
arriving at its true weight there is to be con-
sidered not only the general reputation Of the
witnesses but their bias, means of observation,
whether they are competent to form the con-
illusions reached by them, ETC.. and whether as
a whole the evidence is Inherently probable
improbable. Under the law the Commissioner
OF Pensions. subject to review by the Secretary
OF the Interior is vested with unlimited author
ity in determining what shall constitute due
proof of any given fact In issue In pension
case; he may accept the affidavit of one per-
son as sufficiently establishing an issue, or he
may hold that no number of aftdavits will
suffice, in the absence Of corroborating evidence
of higher character, to determine 1t. The
reason why one gets pension and another
does not is because the one has furnished evil
dence satisfactory to the Pension Bureau and
the other has not.
j. H. Dr.. Mdcksburg Io'ea.-Please answer
the following questions: !. Give me the
circulating medium in the United States. z.
The amount of the bonded Indebtedness of the
United States. 8. Is all silver redeemable in
gold and if not, what makes it on a parity
with gold? AaSuer. /. On July l, 1896, it
consisted of
Issued. In Treasury. In crcu-
Gold conn.,. SJ6 g3l S23 Sill s03 $40 Si56.lSS 1873
Standard sill
yer dollars. 430 79O,0i1 37S,648Oi3 81, 5S9S
Gu hait larry
silver ..... 75.78o,7sl I5.7so.ss ss.ss9so5
Gold ceftf-
cates....... p,.ls.ls9 597. 40 1880 $50
cafes ....... s4a6la,5O4 n.s59,o05 1871 ,2595O9
Treasur
notes (act
July H. ls90t 1906 $50 34465,9I9 1921. SCI
U. 5. $40 ole 12l.a29.65s %. 45l 35s
Currency
tiicstes tact
june 5. 1871 3l,S9O.OOO 10000 81, S400 goo
II I ionnl
bank notes 2o6 Ooo547 1o66s.e2o 2I5. 33I. 927
Totals. SO 1874 245 lsl sssI 59 9sI ST. 200
3 On July ], 1896. Total interest bearing
debt, $5i7. 1868 $50. Debt on which interest
had ceased since maturity, 81 .636, $50. &c. 3
Silver is not redeemable in gold. but with the
silver notes one can get gresnbacks, which are
redeemable in gold.
G. b., Canaan. o.. What is free silver or
the free coinage of slver2 3 What is Is to
in coinage of silver? 3. What does the gold
standard mean? A. What does sound money
mean? 5. Did the Republican party in 1892
demand in their platform the use of gold and
silver standard money? 6. When was
silver demonetzed, and by what party? z. Is
not the Republican party in favor of gold.
silver and paper money on an equal basis2 3.
Has the gold dollar always been our standard
Of money and if not, what has? Ansuer. !.
1t means that man may take silver bullion TO
the United States mints and get it coined into
standard silver dollars. =. That the weight of
a silver dollar shall be 16 times that of gold
dollar B. 1t means that gold shall be the final
measure of value. 4. IL means money reco2-
nized rs such tho world over s. Yes. with
such restrictions as should result in the main
tenance Of parity one with another. 6. In
1873. No particular party can be said to be alone
responsible for 1t. Z. Yes. 8. The standard
has varied from time to time by different laws.
j. e., Marion, Md.-1 II soldier whose
claim for pension has been rejected should
apply to his Congressman Senator for relief
by special bill, whom should he notify of his
change of Postotfice address? 2. About how
long would 10 take before he would receive an
answer after so applying? g. Would he be
notified by his Congressman or Senator? An
s,rer. /. Tho Comm ssioner of Pensions, for the
reason that if it should happen that private
bill should go through il is still necessary for
the Commissioner to issue the pension certif-
cate. = If special bill passed both branches
of Congress and received the signature of the
President then the Commissio of Pensions
would, in due course of business, mail q pen
sion certificate to the beneficiary named
therein. We presume that it is customary for
a Member of Congress who succeeds iA getting
through q bill for q constituent to promptly
advise i'm Of that fact. 8. He would probably
he notified OF any fact that enured to the