The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-09-10
EVANS AND
THE VETS |
Grand Army Men Denounce the
Pension Commissioner.
APPEAL TO ooMRADB MKINLBY,

Veterans of the War with spain Is
Laid on the Table.
Cincinnati, Sept. 1O.--The work Of the |
thirty-seCond annual enCampment of
the Grand Army of the Republic was
concluded late yesterday afternoon.
The anticipated discussion on the reso-
lutiOns from the pension committee
did not occur.
The rule in almost every instance
was to adopt reports as presented, and
In this way the pension report went
through without objection, although 1t
was modified later to take away an
impression that might have arisen
that President Mckinley was under
censure. The report was in the form
of a series of resolutions, and the
reading was given the closest atten-
ton.
The first business yesterday was the
work of concluding the election of Of
ficers, James A. Sexton having been
chosen commander-ln-chief on Wednes-
day. The following were elected:
Senior vice commander-in-chief, w. c.
Johnson Of Cincinnati; Junior vice COM
mander-in-chie David Ross of Della
ware; surgeon general. Dr. Pierce of
Nebraska; chaplain-in-chlef, Colonel
Lucas of indianapolis.
Then came resolutions highly extoll
ing President Mckinley and Secretary
Alger for their management of the war
with Spain, and then came the report
of the committee on pensions.
The resolutions declare that in the
administration of pension laws gen
erous and patriotic construction should
govern, condemn unfair construction of
the laws which will work injustice to
the applicant, and call upon Comrade
William Mckinley to see that the law
is executed in spirit of Justice and
liberalty confident that when he is
once relieved from the mighty mat
ters Of national and worldwide import
ance which now command his atten-
ton he will see that justice is done"
The resolutions further declare that
all rules which hinder and embarrass
the allowance of honest pension claims
should be repealed, and ask the presi-
pent to cause those whose duty 1t is
| to execute the law to $50 perform
their duty as not to obstruct the prose-
cution Of pensions by technical re-
qulrements not within the province
| of the law, and which are only cal
culated to hinder and obstruct in tho
effort to obtain lawful pensions"
The resolutions declare that beyond
doubt the political campaign of 1896
was largely Influenced by the hope
of ameliorating the harsh conditions
then existing in the pension bureau.
| We submit that this expected amelIora-
tion has not taken place; that in no
substantial instance has one of those
harsh rules been abrogated, but every
Of ait in ftt1 nd
effect, as under the previous admins
tration."
After declaring that "the veterans
had the right to expect very different
treatment from the present commmls-
sioner of pensions than they received
from his predecessor" the resolutions
proceed:
"The passing years have direful ac-
celeration for the veterans. Every day
brings them nearer the grave increas-
/ ing ratio. Their needs cry out more Vo-
, ciferously with every changing of the
, moon. yet the number OF weekly allow
ances steadily diminshes, while the
pension commissioner officially states
, that ne had 625, 600 claims pending In
, his bureau, of which he says $4,000 SC
far have received nothing at all. Else
, where he states that about 100000 sur.
vivors received no pensions. and yet
very recently the commissioner recon-
mended and carried through a reduc
o tion Of 100 in his force of clerks on tn
g ground that he had more force than h.
needed. This In the face of the fac
:. that hardly a day passes in the broat
= land but pension certificates arrive onl
G in time to be laid on the coffin of tn
h applicant.
"The rule Of the pension office b.
which a widow is debarred from pen
sion If she has an income of 800 1
unjust, and we ask the president tina
: the order be abrogated and the min
i imum debarring from pensions be fixet
= at not less than $500 per annum.
y II I'VE ask for the re-establishement o
.' order 1854, which was enforced unde
l. the Harrison regime. This order Il
J simple terms took cognizance, in ratin
q mans pension, of all the disabilitie
he suffered under. 1t was abrogate
., by the last administration, and II wa
held that to be entitled to the loves
70 rate of SO per month a comrade mus
have some one disability which is rate
- at that amount. If he has three disa
= bilities rated at 81 each he gets n
. pension at all. This iniquitous rule
II submit is not such treatment as W
Y. had right to expect from Conrad
William Mckinley.
I'm constructing the phrase Inabilit
n, to perform manual labor II is cor
OF strued to mean inability to perforl
y. unprofessional, unskiled labor, labC
ID requiring muscular effort alone. Yol
committee further respectfully state
"A that It ia wise to receive even IL
official statement of the commission,
of pensions with several large graiI
of allowance. He states in one plaC
ID that there are $4,000 comrades VIII
IL never received a pension. In anotht
t. place he fixes the figures at 200, 900. "
are aware that from time to time
issues glowing statements as to II
10 great work he is doing for the con
ys rades in comparison to what was 70
'u merly done, but most of his compaT
ID sons are with the administrations
p- President Grant and President Haye
DC prior to the act of 1890 granting pei
sions after 80 days service for d
ability honorably incurred, even aft
mr. the war, he compares with the periC
,d when the sum total Of claims was on
r. 100000; when, owing to the small for
of in the adJutant generals office, II to,
ed two years to get report on the clair
at ants record where now II takes or
,e five days. He compares work with {
n. work done when the clerks in the pc