The National tribune., 1897-02-11
In Favor of Maj. Townsend.

apparent to all old soldiers that a change is
badly needed in the administration of our
pension laws. We have great system put in
execution by pieces, and when we, as soldiers,
claimants and pensioners, overlook the job
in its entirety, or as whole, the defects,
irregularities and injustice are so glaring
that the system and laws in force are blamed
for the defects in their execution by the
present officers of the Pension Bureau.
A great part of the time of the employees
during the past four years has been taken
up with an apparent desire how not to do
US veterans justice, while being paid for i'm
partial labor, rulings and decisions, from the
Long case down.
The coming Mckinley Administration has
it in its power to take great step forward
in this line, and to make its work sure and
certain it is necessary to appoint Pension
Commissioner who has the ability to grapple
with this great work, and also one who
has not only been veteran soldier, but
whose heart and soul are now and always
have been for the interests of the wounded,
sick and dependent soldiers, their widows
and orphans, and at same time carefully
guard the amount appropriated for use.
Among the candidates mentioned is a
veteran soldier of the Army of the West,
who served faithfully and well in his regi-
ment, the 30th Ohio, as Captain, in the Army
of Western Virginia; Army of the Potomac
in Ninth Corps, and Major in the Army of
the Tennessee, Second Division, Fifteenth
Corps; afterward as Secretary of State of
Ohio, and again as Commander of the De-
partment of Ohio, GAR. He has passed
through all these grades with honor and
credit to himself and the army, State and
GAR, and now to-day his services and
qualifications most justly entitle him to
favor and recognition, and his claim for the
Office Of Commissioner of Pensions should be
granted for the reason that his tact and ex-
perience in handling old veterans WAS always
apparent and a marvel to all concerned, and
his methodical precision and expertness in
performing all former duties would, am
confident, at once put to work the sluggish
energy and justice which has so long been a
crying evil felt by all who have had any
business with the Bureau, either as claim
ants, attorneys, or the general public.
In most Posts, or communities of soldiers
when they meet and compare notes in pen
sion ratings, glaring inequalities they find
which could be made uniform and just with
very little or no more expenditure of money,
and with the exercise of the present laws,
with good, sound, horse sense and discretion,
by Commissioner of Pensions who has
these qualities of head and heart and the
ability to carry them into execution in and
through SO vast machine as the Pension
Bureau.
This action would do away with nine
tenths of the disaffection and dissatisfaction
now prevailing with the administration of
the pension laws.
Such man is the Hon. Charles Townsend,
of Athens, O., fine lawyer, splendid ora
tor, prominent politician, and under his
administration of the Pension Bureau be-
lieve justice, equality, and uniformity would
take the place of injustice, inequality, and
glaring irregularities which now prevail to
such an alarming extent.-GEo. II. HILDT
Canal Dover, o.