The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-18
SPECIAL PENSION LEGISLATION.


One of Indiana's representatives in the
House who was here not long since, in
conversation regarding the situation. ex
pressed anxiety in regard TO the growing
evil of special pension legislation. One has
but to look over a few issues of the Con-
gressional Record to get an idea of the in
creasing demand for this class of legisla-
ton. The ganting of special pensions
should be restricted to the cases to which
the general laws canot apply, and only in
such instances as the merit of the case is
on its face. The laws are sufficiently lib
eral, and at the present time the construc-
ton placed upon them is so liberal that it
seems impossible that claimant having d
good case can fail to get a pension.
There are thousands of men who are not
satisfied with the pensions they receive
when compared with those received by
others. This leads some of them to urge
representatives to present bills which give
them an increase. Such bills go before q
committee and testimony is presented to
maintain the claim, while the representa-
tive is expected to go before the committee
as a special attorney to press the measure.
Not infrequently ambitious members are
able to have their bills considered in adj
vance of others, regardless of their merits
Thus it comes about that the more deserv-
ing fail. while those whose claims are
doubtful succeed.
Another member of the last House. speak
ing of the matter said that he left the
House every Friday night after pension
session of the committee of the whole so
disguised with the business that he had de-
clared from time to time that he would
never attend another of these sessions. 1t
was not any lack of appreciation of the
service of the ex-soldiers which led the ex-
member to take this view of the subject,
since he himself is a veteran of honorable
record; it was the mischief and injustice of
a vicious policy which sooner or later would
flood Congress with such bills and make
the representative special pension attor-
ney.
So many bills of this character are pre-
scented each session that a committee can.
not faithfully investigate any part of them.
This leads to the recommendation of bills
the permitting of representatives interested
to take hand in making reports in favor
of their passage. AS only a small portion
of the bills presented can be considered, the
whole matter is a game of chance in which
the persistent representative who neglects
the duties which the Constitution prescribes
and gives himself up to the vocation of
claim agent succeeds. The representative
who fails because he does not give his time
to promoting such bills is condemned by
the eager claimant because he does not do
as we'll for him as he thinks other repre-
sentatives do for their constituents.
The Journal confesses some surprise be-
cause so few newspapers have noted and
condemned this growing evil. No one can
defend the practice and most must con-
denim it. If Congress, instead of sending
such bills to committees, would have them
referred to the Pension Bureau, to the end
that inspectors may investigate them, it
would nearly put an end to what is sure to
become a great evil, well as to an in
justice to the mass of pensioners.