The times., 1897-08-26
AN INSULT To PENSIONERS
A Secret Pension Ruling Requir-
Ing Special Examinations.
COMRADES OATHS NOT TAKEN
Commissioners Evans Makes Rae
icai Depa rfure From Esta hiissied
oimS-HoDesty of Veteran Wit
nesses Challenged and Thousands
of Claims Endangered.

A ruling until now secret has been in
force several days in the pension bureau.
TO the effect that ali new disa ablity''
cases, where pensioner is now recelv-
ing a pension foi one disability and wants
another. must be referred to a special
field examiner 10 corroborate the evidence
of The applicant and to look up the credi-
hility Of his comrades or neighbors who
have acted as witnesses.
EetauSe of the fact that this ruling has
not as yet gone beyond the pension build
ing, the old soldiers themselves have not
yet had q chance to criticiSe it, but in the
office it has been the subject Of much
heated comment. II is alleged that this
ruling is CT such d nature as has never
before been attempted by Democrats
or Republican Administration; that IL viii
prevent the granting OF thousands OF pen
sions and delay tens of thousands. 1t is
also alleged that 1t casts direct and un-
Inistakable alur on the credibility OF the
old soldiers as witnesses.
An examiner OF twenty years experience
in pension law and rulings said TO Tines
Reporter yesterday: This ruling is or
such nature that it has not been pub
lished in the usual uanner, but Impaired
10 each examiner individually in verbal in
struCtions. For an Administration which
has doomed its record as friend Of the
c.iter this ruling Ger taiity is an anomaly.
In my opinion, it is shameful. Judge LO III
rem with AL his strictness and economy,
w ClG not have considered it for mUnisnt.
When the old soldiers know OF it there
viii be a commotion. There Will also lie
votes Influenced in Ohio.
The granting of pensions to new claim
ants hithPr 20 not receiving any pension
has nearly ceased in the last two or three
years. All the old soldiers, nearly. haze
putin their claims and had them acted on.
A large percentage OF all the new pension
! cases now are new disability" eases, III
which claim on one disa bility has Deen
allowed, and fur ther claim for other dis
ability is made. These claims have been
cDning IN ever since the war, but chiefly
Stree $50. These claims, when allowed.
carr pension from date of discharge, IL
they were filed before June 80, $50,
and from the date of filing If filed since
then. There are hundreds OF thousands
OF them.
( soiGier IN bis first claim for pension
perhaps ALLEGED only gunshot wound il
the arm, and received only pension for
that. After his first claim was granted. ho
applied for = pension for rheumatism con
traCted iE the service. The claim for the
rheumatism pension is OF the class Df
nearly all those filed and granted OF late
years
The new ruling s in relation to these ca ses.
Heretofore, until within a few days. If
| allowed at al, they have been allowed
upon the best evidence obtainable, through
correspondence, though some OF them were
| sent out for special examination Under
| the new rule every case viii he given 70
! the special examiner for detective work,
! the usual evidence from cumrades in the
service or neighbors. formerly sufficient,
Icing thns discrciited
In claims OF this nature affidavits are
required from two comr AIDES III the
! service physicians, or other persons able
| to swear that the disa biIity was acquired
| in the s,.rvice. The army physicians are
nearly all dead They were ten to rif
| teen years older than the soldiers as
usual thing, and there are few of them
remaining. Heretofore the affidavits of
| two comrades have been sufficient. Usu-
| ally tie postmaster Of the town there the
| witness lived was asked by letter from
| the office as to the credibiity of the
witness. TheL the CLAIM. was allowed.
This is not sufficient now. The afti-
| davit nf the army physician who trca ed
| the soldier in the service is now .ery
| s; rongIy desired II this cannot lie tb-
tanned, after the two comrades of the
soldier have filed their affidavits, the
office viii put the case into the hands of
special examiner. No claim will lie
| allowed without a special exa amnation.
FoI one thing, this VIII cause from
tlsIec months to a years delay in al the
cases. More than that, it will prevent
the allowance of thousands. and not by
| any means necessa ri1y beca use they are
| not nieiitoriouS
The common new disability case is
| where the claimant lives In a small coun-
! try town, and has lived there all his life
| His ncighboTs went into the service with
| him, and We're with him during the war.
| His witnesses TO new disa ability are
usually among them,
Commissioner Evans order virtually ac-
| cuses these witnesses Or lying, it is said
| 1t refuses to take their testimony.
The special examiner. as general rule
believes in recommending the disaIowance
| of claims. His reasoning is good. HI,
! idea is that, IL the office wishes special
examination, it considers the claim ques
! tionable. He tries to prove claims not
good, instead Of trying to prove theIu
valid. He usually finds against them.
In a late interview Commissioner Evans
accounted for the increased number o.
claims now being filed by the greater
confidence the soldiers had in the Repub
| licanS than in the Democrats. While Civ.
| ing out the interview ne was framing this
order, which is considered by many TO be
the most obnoxious to soldiers and the
| friends % soldiers ever drawn in the bureau
The Times reporter called at the Pension
Office yesterday to learn anything addi
tonal regarding the ruling. CORNERSTONE e.
Evans is away In Buffalo, but Deputy Com
missioner davenport made this statement
such verbal ruling has been made
The effect, however, Will be, we feel as
sured, THAI some soldiers who cannot now
secure their new disability pensions viii bt
enabled TO prove their Claims
Watehman Shot Accidentally.