The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-09-15
VETERANS RIGHTS.


to do the fraternal duty imposed by the
ORDERS obligations
Comrade Kay made vigorous speech
reciting his efforts during the past iC
years in favor of iegis Station to- secure
veterans rights, and conc luding with a
denunciation of Speaker Reed for pre-
venting the passage of the bill by the
House OF Representatives last Winter.
\ sharp and very prolonged discussion
followed on the wording OF the resolution.
The resolution was finally laid on the
table.
Comrade JAS. Tanner. from the Sub
Committee of the Committee on Resolu-
tons having in charge all the resolutions
relating to pensions, reported the follow
ing
''Your Committee, to whom was referred
the resolutions relating To pension queS-
tons, report that 1t has considered all
resolutions respecting the subject matter,
and recommend the adoption OF the follow
ing.
Resolved. That it is the judgment of
this Encampment that III the adminiStra-
ton of the pension laws a generous and
patriotic construction should govern and
the laws be administered in the spirit OF
justice and fairness in which they were
enacted.
Resolved, That any effort to prevent the
honest applicant for a pension from sue
construction of the laws which will work
injustice to the applicant is to be con
demned by all honorable men.
Resolved, That in view of the repeated
complaints of the unfair construction OF
the pension laws and of the making and
enforcement of rules which are in viola
ton of the law and inimicai 10 the trust
of applicants impeiS this Encampment to
call upon Comrade William Mckinley,
President of the United States, to exercise
his authority and see that the law Is exc
cuted in Il spirit OF Justice and iIberaiIty.
Resolved, That all rules which tend TO
hinder and embarraSS the allowance Of
honest pension claims should be repealed,
and we ask the President that he use his
authority to cause those whose duty it is
TO execute the laws to so perform their
duty as to do Justice to the soldiers and
administer the law so as not to ObStTuCt
the prosecution of pensions by technical
requirements not within the province Of
the law, and which are only calculated to
hinder and obStruct in the effort to obtain
lawful pensions. Your Committee will
cali attention to the fact that two years
ago the country was stirred to its depths
by complaints OF the Injustice OF the then
administration of the Pension Bureau.
These complaints were so specific and
distinct that they furnished the basis Of
political efforts. They were the subjects
Of emphatic utterances by the National
Encampment. Beyond doubt the pOiiti-
cal campaign of 396 was largely infu-
enced by the hope OF ameiiorating the
harsh conditions then existing in the
Pension Bureau We submit that this
expected ameiioration has not taken
place; that in no substantial instance has
one of those harsh rules been abrogated,
but every one OF them remains in full
force and effect as under the previous ad-
ministration. The best illustration of this
is the OdiouS Rule 225. which was subSti-
tod 20 10 fGi N the infinite
injury of tens OF thousands OF much-de-
serving men and women. lt seems un-
necessary to enlarge upon the fact that
the veterans had the right 20 expect very
different treatment from the present Com
missioner OF Pensions than they received
from his predecessor.
Another fact that it seems unnecessary
to enlarge upon is that time is highly i'm
portant 10 the veterans. The passing
years have diFefui acceleration for them.
Every day brings them nearer the grave in
increasing ratio. Their needs cry out
more vociferouSiy with every changing OF
the moon, yet the number of weekly al
iOWanceS steadily diminiSheS. while the
Pension Commissioned officially states that
he has 625, 900 claims pending in his
Bureau, OF which he says $4,000 so far
have received nothing at all. Elsewhere
he states that about 200 900 survivors re-
ceived no pensions, and yet very recently
the Commissioner recommended and car
ried through a reduction of 100 in his force
of clerks, on the ground that he had more
force than he needed.
This in the face of the fact that hardly
a day passed that in this broad land pen
sion certificates arrived only in time to be
laid on the coffin OF the applicant. In the
meantime the | 900 employees of the PEN
sion Bureau continue the dreary round OF
circumlocution of pulling out the yellow
papers adding a note to the fading IN
dorsementS and replacing them in the
pigeon holes. 1t has been estimated by
mathematician fond of calculations that
the mere physical labor employed in these
futile landings has been sufficient TO
have picked up the Army of the Potomac
in its prOudest strength and carried III
bodily from Washington to Richmond.
Resolved That the rule of the Pension
Office by which Il widow Is debarred from
pension if she has an income of $500 Is
unjust, and we ask the President that the
order be abrogated and the minimum de-
barring from pensions be fixed at not less
than $500 per annum. In this connection
we desire to inform the President that
very early in his Administration it was an
nounced by high official in the Pension
Office that the widows limit would be
raised to $500, but it never materla tlzed.
Resolved, That we ask for the re-estab-
lishment of Order &c., which was enforced
under the Harrison regime. This order, IN
simple terms, took cogniZance in rating
man s pension of all the disabilities ne
suffered under. 1t was abroGated by the
last Administration. and it was held that
to be entitled to the lowest rate OF So per
month, IL cOmrade must have some one
disa bility which is rated at that amount.
If he has three disabilities rated at 81
each, he gets no pension at all. ms IN
iquitouS rule is maintained up to this
hour, and we submit is not such treat
ment as we had Il right to expect from
COmrade William Mckinley.
Resolved That in constituting the phrase
inability to perform manual labor, 1t pc
construed to mean inability to perform
unprofessional, unskilied labor, labor re-
Quiring muscular effort alone. Your Com
mittee further respectfully states that 1t IS
wise to receive even the official state
ment OF the Commissioner OF Pensions
with several large grains of allowance
He states in one place that there are 10. =
900 comrades who never received pen
sion. In another place he fixes the figure
at 200 900. We are aware that from time
to time he issues glowing statements as
to the great work he is doing for the COM
radeS in comparison to what was formerly
done, but most of his comparisons are
with the administrations of President
Grant and President Hayes. Prior to the
act of 1890, granting pensions after so days
service for disability honorabiy incurred
even after the war, he compares with the
period when the sum total OF claims was
only 300. GOO When owing to the small
force in the Adiutant-GenerafS Office, 1T
took two years TO get q report on the claim
ants record, where now it takes only five
days. He compares work with the work
done when the clerks in the Pension Office
numbered only 800, while he has 1 900
He diSCreetiy refrainS from giving prom