The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1898-04-06

the people now suffering torture and
slow death i'm Cuba under direction OF
the government of Spain. i am sorry l
went on that trip. for the picture OF hui
man misery wh<'h was branded upon
my brain is constantly with me and Will
never fade away. The words OF Sena-
tor Galiinger Senator Proctor and
Senator Thurston do not in any man
ner exaggerate the awful conditions
there. but on the contrary language
cannot fully portray the desolation and
agony which we witnessed in Cuba"
Make His Life "a Burden.
1T is almost impossible for me to
keep pace with my correspondence
said. a well-known congressman today.
II should not like To have the ols SOL
diers i'm my district know that they arr
bore TO me, for ! am not out of poll
ties yet: but the fact is, they make my
life a burden"
The old soldiers, widows. orphans,
dependent mothers, fathers, and other
relatives write me day after day say
ing: Please go to the pension Office
and inquire concerning the condition OF
my case. I cannot get answers to my
letters. either from the commissioners
you 10 look after my interests" None
of them seem to realize what II means
To call on me for such work. / am OBJ
liged to go to the pension office, and
that takes half an hour out of my day.
I only have two hours. between III
O'clock in the morning and noon, be-
cause promptly at II o'clock the house
is called to order. and ] am expected TO
be I'm my seat ready for the work OF
the legislative day.
Time at the Pension Office.
THE house continues in session until
3 o'clock y. IN. and the pension office
closes at A. So the only time at my dis
posal is between 10 O'Clock and noon. 1t
takes half an hour to get TO the pension
office, and there ! must spend consid-
cradle time waiting for each case. go
TO the room of the chief clerk, write
anon a slip the name of the soldier, his
regiment and state, the nature of the
case and wait for "A messenger To bring
IL TO me When il comes ! must read
through half "a bushel Of papers TO as
certain the exact state of the case.
This takes from fifteen minutes TO hal1
an hour, and sometimes a whole hour
is devoted to the thorough examination
Of "a single case | usually have from
ten to twenty cases on hand and am
always behind my docket. The people
who write 10 me do not understand this
state OF affairs: and they do not stop
to think that I have others than them
selves To look after. Each one OF them
thinks the world revolves around him
self alone. and If my answers are not
prompt. they are all ready To knife me
politically My life is anything but a
picnic.
II IS al, very well for members OF con-
gress 20 complain of their work. but
they all overlook one important point.
The house Of representatives is Mig
gardly and stingy in some particulars,
while il is shamefully lavish and prodi-
gal in others. AS a single example let
us consider the bills making appropria-
tons for rivers and harbors.
Money That L. Wasted.
These bills call for the expenditure OF
from $l5. 600 900 to $40, 900, 600 every year.
The money so appropriated is, in a
ereat degree wasted. Thousands OF
dollars go for the Improvement of little
creeks. which might as well run dry.
Money is appropriated for these insig-
money may give employment to
some political workers and friends
of individual congressman. In 9TH
er words. the public money is used
in order GO secure denominations and
re-elections Tie river and harbor bll!
is merely a sample of the useless APP
preparation of money in many cases.
Other bills are passed which are as
/ .I.Ia hn aOr1Ah l.
gress object with seeming patriotic zeal
TO liberal appropriations for the pen
sion office. The clerical force i'm the
pension office is only half numerous
enough To promptly handle the business
u,hiob has accumulated there. The
working force of that Office ought to
no doubled. Think of il, There are
about two thousand clerks employed
in the pension office now, and there
ought to be four thousand at least, In
order 10 keep pace with the work or to
keep il i'm shape for prompt action in
special cases called for by congressman.
Letters by the Thousand.
They constantly appeal To me. cen
tinued my congressional friend, De
cause they cannot get answers 10 thelf
letters which are addressed 10 their at
torneyS. NOW. now can lnell dtloi Hey >
answer their letters when the pension
office cannot answer their attorneys
Thousands OF letters are received daily
in the pension office which are merely
filed away. no matter whether they
come from the claimants or their at
torneys We must go there in person
if we want to find out about these
pending cases
Very true, but the cause Is In con-
gress 1t is not the province OF the
correspondent to have any views con-
corning pension laws. what is wise and
unwise i'm the matter OF granting PEN
sions TO claimants. but ii is certainly
the right OF the correspondent 10 state
the facts and for the people To act ac-
cordingly when the case is placed be-
fore them The fact is. there are hum
dreds OF thousands OF cases pending in
the pension office. No matter whether
they are all meritorious or lacking in
merit. II is certain that they ought to
be considered and disposed of one way
or another and without needless delay.
Pensions Forever.
AS things are going the pension busl-
ness will never be closed up and the
country will never he done with pay
ing pensions. Claims now pending ana