The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-23

state and Empire City. part OF which have
the nonor to represent in this House. I have
NOT had sufnclent experience in dealing with
| the Pension Bureau to say whether the attacks
made on its administration can be justified nor
do deem this a material consideration upon
the subject before u.s. The plain question seems
| to be whether we shall make il easier or more
| dIfheult Tor those who are entitled to pension
| TO get them. There be no Just cause OF
[ complaint at the limitation prescribed in this
| Dill IN the case Of q widow Of a soldier who has
net income Of $500, because the additional
/ pittanee this Government allows would not in
/ splre her with an exalted idea Of this Govern
/ ments generosity, and would add but little to
the store with which she had been favored by
| fortune
But to compel q widow of n soldier to show
! that she has no other means OF support than
| her daily labor before she is entitled to a nan
SION IS extending the limitation to a parsimoni-
| Gus degree nor can the consideration "a q,
whether q pension is or is not a vested riRhk
/ nave much to do with the question: the Supreme
court oil the United states has said thar is gas
IN the nature of n reward or bounty Buk tn.
| spirit which underles our pension law chs
sentiment which is at the foundation Of the
law which gives preference to veterans in our
Civil Service, the gratitude which dictates liks
| provisions in many States of the Union extends
TO individuals, and the patriotic and generous
/ nelghbor. the overworked and overburdened
| S"S Niu6 AtSt WnO has SacFluceQ many social
advantages, or the life savings of a venerable
| father may check the conscience of the widow
VINO would apply under the act of 1890 aud
prevent her from swearing that she had no
other means Of support than her daily labor
DIR. McCall, Of Tennessee. Mr.. Chairman.
was deilghted yesterday afternoon with the
speech OF my friend from New York TMr.
Cummings. 1t reminded US that there is YES
nope that this great country, without regard to
party may reach the day when we can ioin
hands and say truthfully together that we are
Gil IN favor of honest liberal lust pension
laws, and the proper administration thereof I
shonId perhaps have said nothing being con-
tent with voting upon this measure, but the
gentleman from Illinois Mr. Graft gives notice
that he will introduce an amendments which he
thlnKs IS remedy for the ills we have IA
Republican, as friend of the pensoner beg
10 differ from my friend upon that question,
and as to the propriety of his proposed amend
ment. u my opinion the result will be disas-
trOus, If the administration of the iudieiaI
Department of this Government is in nnsion
with the administration of the Pension De-
psrtment. for it places in the hands of the
United States Marshals and District Attorneys
OF this country the power to cut of many PEN
SONS and pensioners from the bounty of the
Government.
Mr. Graf. Cannot the District Attorney al
the present time, under the general jurisdic-
ton OF the Federal Courts have iudietments
ionnd against pensioners for having obtained
the same By fraud, in the same manner that
he could under this amendment and has not
TINS been doneP And is it not true that dur.
Ing the past year all they could find on which
there could be any hope of obtaining verdict
of guilty was about 300 cases. with the assist
ance oil the Commissioner back of them send.
ing information and letters to these District
AttOrneysH And is it not true that out of that
3OO, IN total of some $4,000 criminal cases
that were brought before the Federal Courts,
there were only about ITO that were guilty,
and OF the ITO not more than half were PEN
sloners who had fraudulently obtained pen.
sions?
Mr.. Mccall. What my friend says has some
force; but when he remembers that there
nave been 100000 cases dropped from the PEN
slon-roils or refused in this last fiscal year, he
may begin to appreciate the fact that if you
give this power to the Federal courts of the
country sll this machinery will be transferred
TO their hands, and instead of having the num-
Der OF cases that there were last year in the
courts, the number will 90 up by the fifties and
hundreds, and these men will be dropped not
because they not entitled to pensions bus
because they are unable to 90 TO court and
enter their defense. Orders will be taken
against them pro confesso, and they will
thereby admit upon the face of the record that
what has been charged in the indictment or
declaration Of the District Attorneys in the
several cases is true, whereas it may be false in
80 cases out of 100
see no way by legislation to remedy these
great evils, these great wrongs that are being
perpetrated upon the old soldiers. The only
eteetual remedy is to put man at the head Of
the Pension Bureau to enforce the laws who
believes IN liberal and Just pension SYSTEM
care but little who makes the laws; if you
VIII permit me to execute them will see that
they are executed as / desire. That is the
trouble with ,oE =
the difficulty that the pensioners are in The
laws are all right. What we need is a man
who will enforce them in the spirit in which
they were enacted, man who is not opposed to
pensions, a man who will not indOrse state
ments which describe the old soldiers as "cof-
Tee coolers and as the "rag-tag of the army"
Mr. Hanly. It has been urged that this
amendment ought to be so worded as to refer
.hese cases to the State eourts-a thing which.
N my opinion as lawyer we have not the
power to do. We could not take from the
Federal courts the Jurisdiction which they
already have of these matters. 1t is already
he law that the Attorneys for the United States
nay, and they do, begin prosecutions under the
existing avs whenever an infractiOn Of them
8 brought to their attention.
1t has been urged that the amendment would
open wide the door to much vexatious litiga-
ii0n But, gentlemen, the report of the chosen
,ficers OF the Government for the last wear
a
Turing the year ended June 1, 1895, there were
2, 495 criminal prosecutions in the courts Of
he United States, only 800, all told, under the
pension laws. In those $50 cases there were
'nly 235 convictions; and be it said to the
ternal honor and glory of the men who are
sceiving the benefits of our pension laws only
% of the 235 persons convicted were pension
RS. Applanse.l In the face of these statis-
les do not tell me that this amendment will
pen wide the door to much vexatious litigs-
ion.
Now, during the administration of Commits
Toner Raum there was a ruling of the Depart
nent which has been much discussed and which
gentlemen well understand But on the ac-
ession of the Democratic party to power i'm the
of the General Government
soard of Review was established, which went
yer, believe, $4,000 cases which had been
lready adjudicated by the preceding admins
ration. Last year that Board reviewed 1884,
go cases; it dropped from the rolls A. $40 per-
Dns as not being disabled in pensionabIe de-
rec; 2,279 were dropped and restored TO PEN
ions granted under the general law and in
{, 259 cases the rates of pension were reduced;
no total being, believe, something over 26-
DO.
Now, in my Judgment, if we would correct
le wrongs which have been committed under
lie banner of the Democracy during this Ad-
we would restore to the rolls
very man who has been fsaudulently and dis
onestly dropped therefrom. 1AppIause1
ow send to the desk to be read as part of nv
smarks-an amendment which, in my judg-
lent will supDlv the cure for the disease that