The sun., 1897-12-29
THE xAr1ov,s BoUNrr ABUsED.
The Truth About tho Peusien Scandal Teid by
an Array veteran, Physician, aud sn
EHperienced Medical Exauliner.


Experiences Medical Examiner.
From, the Springfield Repub,tcan
The demands Of tho veterans for pensions are
over on tho increase; tho pension roll grows
larger and larger, and now the strife is to havo
every soldier pensloned in ono grand roundup
by a service pension bill, regardless Of any dsa-
bility.
This scheme Is unjust and extortionate Had
the soldiers nothing at stake In the war but
what they could get out OF It, sooner or later. in
dollars and centsi 1t would be about as sensible
to pension the millions who stayed at homo. la
bored, and gave of their treasure for the NAM
tenance and success or the war.
As the Administration has of late been dis
cussing measures for reducing. in some way, tho
current expenses of the Government, know Of
no better place to begin than in the Pension
Department. Doubtless, politicians would not
regard 1t as very wise political move; yet, IL l
mistake not tho consensus OF opinion which
seems to prevail In the public mind, the time is
not far distant when the question OF retrench-
ment will become vital issue between
opposing political parties. 1t certainly is an
affair in which a little courage should be shown:
wisdom. justice, and common sonso should pre-
vail, rather than policy. What, then. is the
best course to be pursued in cutting down pen
sion expendituresi In answering the question
I will offer few suggestions for tho solution Of
the problem.
In the frst place. let there be thorough re:
now on the rolls by examining boards Of sur
of % review. which a. shall Be- o]ompoSed. ] as FAR as
possible. Of surgeons. irrespective Of party. who
| that. other things being equal. they arc better
qualified for the duties required than surgeons
hospitals; having a better knowledge OF the
nature. peculiarities, and effects OF gunshot
Thus far the selection Of pension surgeons
throughout the country has been In obedience
to party distaton and ~ N acc necordSncS with the
gointmonts. instead of any special fitness for the
During the last Administration this important
branch Of the Pension bureau was placed under
the Civil Service law, after almost the entire
deposed. and a new and inexperienced allotment
Of examiners were installed. selected as before
Whet6er f % this was wise action or not the future
/ must decide.
! That there are many good, capable men among
| them no one doubts; but had they ali been put
through q thorough civil service examinations
as they should have been before being places,
geons in the list than there Is now. This meas
nosls and wise decisions. upon which ali pensions
RevertinR to the boards Of review. constituted
as heye heretofore suggested. lot 1t be under.
Bile. to the, extent Of effectually removing the
secondiyNLet them thoroughly investigate
the vast Of those IG M for
! excessive ratings which have been granted in
the past, as well as to ascertain Whistler the de-
gree of impairment Of these two senses was due
to war service. or was the natural result OF ad'
,Thirdiy-Have the surgeons understand that
Of every pension whore the pensioner is able TO
earn his living and perform his daily work ns
many such, literally pensoned, is a fact not
difficult to substantiate.
foq bs AL
disability existing at the time Of review. and
then let tho recommendations Of these boards
stand. closing forever, or continuing, all pen
wish it distinctly understood that would
hones dsaSea soaer ~ bis
sion; but would be instrumental il could, in
bodied ones Of their pensions; and IN SO doing
should consider that was rendering the coun
As for ali soldiers suffering from severe. ire
trievabe losses, such as the loss OF leg. arm
sn &
the soldiers sacrifice by any amount of pension
yet granted. or likely to be;
thirty odd years since the close Of the war many
, abuses have become inwrought into the pension
system; gross eXaggerations and eXcesses
( which cannot be eradicated except by a genera
and thorough review and reconstruction of thu
II the pension system had been any ordinary
business corporation We should have said tha
, its stock had been tremendously watered. and Il
, may be truly said of the pension business
That the expense account still increases; yea
have died. is an incNcusable. not to say an unpar
donable outrage committed upon q long.suffer
ing and overtaxed public. Politics. policy
patronage. and sentiment have been more largel.
responsible for this increase than has pure pa
triotsm.
3 1t is high time to call n halt II elimination
r OF pensions and reduction of pension rating
along the lines indit tated were made, I con
tidently believe that the present enormous ap
preparation required for the payment of pen
r sions could be cut down so per cent, savinl
$7O,OOOO0O yearly to the national treasury
without doing injustice to single soldier &C