The National tribune., 1898-08-25
THE VITAL QUESTION.

hater, upon which they have dismally
twanged for years. In reality these
facts have but remote bearing on the
matter.
! The first vital question is, What is
really due the man who sacrificed him.
self to save the National existence, or, il
dead, to his dependent ones?"
The next is, 4" Has he or they received
what is due him or them; and if not,
where is the fault?"
These two questions are the kernel of
the whole matter, and until they are
satisfactorily answered all the rest is
idle prating.
The commonest honesty, justice,
mercy, and business expediency inn
peratively demand that every effort be
made to ascertain without loss of time
what is due the veteran or his depend
ent ones, and then pay it to him. How
much money it will take and how many
names there will be Oh the roll when it
is done are merely matters of statistical
interest.
This has been the correct method of
the United States in dealing with every
other class Of creditors. The officers of
the Treasury bent every energy to dis
covering how much was due the bond
holders, there was no rest until every
cent owing the men who sold the Gov
eminent mules, clothing, picked pork,
powder and shot was exactly ascertained
Then the number Of these claims and
the amount required to pay them became
of interest Why should not the vet
Grams be treated in the same way? Why
is not mans claim for wrecked body
and blasted health as sacred claim
against the Government as one for
drove of mules or a ton of bareback?
Why should not the same business
thoroughness be displayed in examining
and settling his claim that there was in
settling up with the men who furnished
supplies?
There was no excuse that it was not
done long ago. There is still less excuse
that it is not pressed to completion now
The generous American people
strongly wished this done long ago, and
Congress Enthusiastically intended that it
should be. Rejecting accurately the
wish of the people, Congress passed pen
sion laws expressing and defining the
money debts the people owed the vet
Grams who saved the country. 1t gave
the Commissioner of Pensions practically
unlimited money and facilities for ascer-
tanning and settling those obligations.
1t built great Office for him-one Of
the largest in Washington. 1t gave
him an army of clerks 1t responded
promptly to every request he made for
increased facilities. Probably more
laws have been passed at his suggestion
than that of any other single officer of
the Government. 1t expected, and had
the right to expect, that with all this at
his command he would do his work
with the promptness and thoroughness
displayed by the Treasury officials in
cleaning up the other claims resulting
from the war.
How lamentable has been the disap-
pointment is shown by the simple fact
that SO years after the close of the war
there are hundreds of thousands of un-
settled claims in the Pension Bureau,
with those who have filed them begging,
entreating, imploring that they be given
attention, and wha. is due them paid
before they pass from earth.
We repeat that there is no excuse
that this was not done years ago.
Money enough has been furnished,
clerical assistance has been supplied,
and time enough has elapsed to thor.
oughly investigate and settle the claims
of every single man in the Union army.
Until this is done-until the amount
and rightfulness Of every mans claim
has been ascertained there is neither
sense nor justice in talking of the size
of the pension-roll.
Every man off the pension-roll who
should be on-every man who receives