The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-05

tons that come no from their respective
dlstricts--in fact, in these days the f,om-
Der of congress is considered the general
attorney for all OF his 10000 constituents
more or less. TO transact their business,
public and private. at the National capital.
Nevertheless. / have known numerous In
stances In which O pension applicant liy-
ing in district represented by d"no-
crat would send his papers to Il republican
member from another State under The MIA
taken belief that a democrat, especially
from the South. would naturally be so
opposed TO pensions that he would refuse
to present a constituents papecs to the
pension office. much less urge action upon
them. or course the republican Mcmber
who receives such communication from
without his district promptly refers 1t to
the applicants member, knowing that his
palitics has nothing to do with his sense
OF duty. and that whatever reason he may
have for opposing certain pension laws,
he can have no desire to keep constituent
cut OF money coming to him under the
law.
Our pension laws are liberal--extremeiy
| so-and II n man has served rs muc1 as
three months In any war OF en- route there
! to. suffers any disability accruing from this
service. and did not give aid 10 ,he Con-
federacy. he can get pension. provided
| he can prove all these things and Lring his
| case to the consideration Of the p?ns,on
receives n pension until she marries, and
| his children until they are IL yerrs cid.
| The term Original widow" whish IS seen
| SO often in reports OF pensions granted, Is
| not meant to limit the qualifications OF
| widows who are entitled TO receive gcy-
eminent aid. have known widows TO get
pensions who were almost totally covoid
| of originality.
| OF course there are any number OF ap-
| plicants who are clearly not penslonaole
| For instance. the pension Office receives
| numbers OF letters from grown people who
| want pensions because their fathers-in-
| law. uncles. or other equahy distant isla-
| tives have served In the army. and ] saw
| a lady who claimed pension because she
| was the stepmother OF a soldier. Again,
| there are many whose applications tire all
| right, but who can not perfect the proof
| necessary TO entitle them TO pension
| under the law. Others employ the aid of
professional affidavit makers Jnd furnish
| more proof than they are entitled 10. 1t
| REQUIRES the closest scrutiny Of examiners
| in the office and I'm the field 10 detect
| frauds and still many are practl1ed upon
the office. After granting a pension TO
| widow upon proof OF the death u her
| husband. another widow applied for a
| pension on account OF the same Eian. An
| investigation followed. and the man was
| found in another State. where &C had a
! third family. In whose support be was
aided by the regular remittances Of the
| government.
AS an instance OF the difficulties an
honest claimant some times Encounters. I
cite the case OF John Smith--lnis III rot
his name. hut as the copyright en- tie
| name has expired ! Will call him John
/ Smith His proof was all right. lacking
only one link. and that was proof q bis
identity. The war records department very
PROMPTLY furnished a complete history OF
, hts service, giving the date CT his ernst
ment. what battles he fought in. where he
was wounded. etc. and their story .oin-
cided exactly with the one Smith told him.
self. but there was not direct proof that
our John Smith was their John Smith. Tie