The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-30
Tho Iunmptop soldiers, Home.

To THE EDITOR OF THE suS-Sir The communities
ton signed "Faug a Ballagh." concerning this So
called "homc for disabled volunteer soldiers. :" that
appeared in THE SUN on the 18th inst, was well stated
and strictly true in all facts therein stated. Columns,
pages, and volumes could be written and then not
half DO told OF the impositions and abuses perpe-
trated on the deserving sick and disabled lawful
members of these national charitable institutions,
erected and maintained at public expense and in
tended for such sick and manned old soldiers only.
Your correspondent placed the " coffee coolers in
them as one. fourth OF the whole number OF inmates
maint aimed. II to them he had added the able-bodicd
and numerous other classes OF impostors harbored
aud maintained in them. hur'y. muscular men. per
fectly able to earn their own support by manual
ablei member w rs ou'uumbered two to one in each
OF the seven branches OF the homo by those profes:
sional =" buns" boxcar tourists and fraud inmates of
the national home for disabled volunteer soldiers.
OF course, TO reduce the number Of inmates by sum-
marily ~expclling these imrostors on public charity,
there would not exist, any reason for SO many large
their stats. orderlies. attendants. ~cuspidor wipers.
guards. clerks. cooks. walters. private secretaries, Sc.
derlies. favorIte toadies. &c, altogether too muititudi.
nous In number to euumerate In . short letter. Then.
b. enabled to pav some Of their political debts. and
how would their ward heeiers and their followers
shelter OF the home by c~onnning Its membership to
deserving sick aud disabled veterans only lry9u
doubt Or the correctness Of this diagnosis. obtain a
para parade H' the u mem Psnr named De o on sS q payroiis that viii in:
cluda. II all muster. tho above specified several
| muster and inspection. and the general roll Of inmates
and their personal Inspection VIII show that not
| more than one in three Is . lawful member Of these
charitable Institutions.
But such inspection TO be effective should be con.
the direction and control OF the War Department.
only. In no other way oan an investiSn'ion OF these
homes be conducted the result Of which would be
considered free from politics and demngogy. Why
intro y se"n and GeI pa .ssea a hi in a congr"ss turning the
homes over TO the sole control OF tn" War Depart.
would be erec,naiir "lcsed against 'hoss bn,snrds
and human vcrnin that are now rolling Fat on and
in the %nati5nal hores Tor disabrSd rolnnta"r soldiers.
Under the present system Of manaGement Il has been
actually "xpended for the benent OF the lawful mem.
one dollar so spent. after the appropriation leaves he
United States Treasury and before It reaches him.
! prepared. miscrahly cooked food supplied the invalid
who goes to the hospital dining room table at this
place the above computation is undoubtedly true.
! CoSvALEscESr WARD No. IL, HOSPITAL SOLDIERS
HONE. HAMPTON. Va. Aug. 10. 1897.
TO THE EDITOR oF THE SrS-sfr: Inclosed ind a
clipping from a local 7x9 alleged newspaper OF this
place In which what purports to no thorough In.
vest!Sation OF the charges set forth in THE NEW YORK
Sun OF Aug. e (5th) concerning the manner in which
the inmates ~ the Soldiers Home at this place are
treated" The bill OF fare for dinner at the home In
| either general mess hall or hospital dining room
! never contained " roast meat OF any kind or nature
whatever since the home W rs first opened, and II the
correspondent ate " roast beef. vegetables. bread
and butter. coffee. rice pudding. &c, with as good
soup rs the writer ever tasted, and secured a first
class meal" he was eating from the doctors mess. not
what the members had 70 eat at the same dinner hour
at which he alleges no received the nne dinner.
The cooking at the homo hospital for the men who
have to go TO the dining room table l. indescribahly
ahnminable. The co king for the doctors mess room
f. first class. and hosnttal employees fare well. but
for the patients who eat in the hospital dininS room
IL Is u disgrace to civilization. and they all OF them
live OF the sick old soldier.
As for tho inmate. Hugh Dobbins. who Ia brought
ont In he article IN an alleged Interview had in one
OF the guardhouse cells, he is in there waiting dishon
oralle discharge for soundly trouncing Ave great
muscular guards. The mere statement OF such facts
tors the branch Of the National Homo for disabled
volunteer soldiers at this place Is nlled up with OF
course he won't be discharged now; retention of the
confessed scoundrcl in the home 10 to be his reward
for making the statement.
There Is but one remedy for these abuses OF the
Government bounty in maintaining these homes
and that Is to turn them over to the War Department
and do away with he present Board OF Manauemen'
entirely. Let regular army surgeons only control IN
them; then none hut actually disabled men would b,
admitted, and all such sturdy impostors az Dobbini
describes himself. would he expelled and the home
become O home for disabled men who cannot carr
their support by labor, in fact and In deed as q chart
table Government intended. From 40 to 10 per cent.
Of the inmates Of these homes could he expelled and
not a really disabled man would lie among them. Pc
lItical null" from Governor to Inmate goes further
than a &c nulne disability and good soldier record.
HAMPTON, Va, Aug. 90. VETERAN.