The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-04-08

the government of Spain. / am sorry 1
| went on that trip, for the picture of hui
| man misery which was branded upon
my brain is constantly with me and will
never fade away. The words of Sena-
| tor Gallinger, 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 well-known congressman today.
II should not like to have the old SOL
diers in my district know that they are
a bore to me, for l am not out of poll
tics yet; but the fact is. they make my
life a burden
1.-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 commissioner
or my attorneys. / must depend on
you to look after my interests! None
to call on me for such work. 1 am OBJ
liged to go to the pension office. and
that takes half an hour out of my day.
/ only have two hours, between 10
o'clock in the morning and noon, be-
cause promptly at IL o'clock the house
is called to order, and am expected to
be in my seat ready for the work Of
the legislative day.
Time at the Pension Office.
1.-THE house continues in session until
5 o'clock p. m. and the pension office
closes at 4. 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
upon a slip the name Of the soldier, his
regiment and state, the nature of the
case, and wait for a messenger to bring
it to me. When it comes l must read
through half bushel Of papers to as
certain the exact state of the case.
This takes from fifteen minutes to half
an hour, and sometimes whole hour
is devoted to the thorough examination
of single case. I usually have from
ten to twenty cases on hand, and am
always behind my docket. The people
who write to me do not understand this
state of affairs; and they do not stop
to think thot 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
picnic"
1t Is ali very we'll for members Of con-
gress to complain Of their work. but
they all overlook one important point.
The house of representatives is mig
gardly and stingy in some particulars,
while it is shamefully lavish and prodi-
gal in others. AS single example, let
us consider the bills making appropria-
tions for rivers and harbors.
Money That Is Wasted.
These bills call for the expenditure Of
from $15,O00,000 to $20,0O0,OOO every year.
The money so appropriated is In
great degree, wasted. Thousands of
dollars go for the improvement of little
ere eks, which might as well run dry.
Money is appropriated for these insig-
niEcant streams solely in order that the
money may give employment TO
some political workers and friends
of individual congressman. In 9TH
err words, the public money is used
in order to secure denominations ana
reflections. The river and harbor bill
is merely q sample of the useless ap-
preparation of money in many cases.
other bills are passed which are as
reprehensible. But the members of con-
gress object with seeming patriotic zeal
to liberal appropriations for the PEN
sion office. The clerical force in the
pension office is only half numerous
enough to promptly handle the business |
which has accumulated there. The
working force of that office ought to
be doubled Think of it! There are
about two thousand clerks employed
in the pension office now, and there
ought to be four thousand at least, IN
C-9cr to keep pace with the work or 10 |
keep it in shape for prompt action in |
special cases called for by consrc -:;;..::: -.
Letters by the thousand.
"They constantly appeal to me, con-
tinued my congressional friend, pc
cause they cannot get answers to their /
letters which are addressed to their at
torneys. Now, how can their attorneys |
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 or the
to have any views con-
pension laws, what is wise ana
unwise in the matter Of granting pen
sions to claimants, but 1t Is certainly
the right of the correspondent to 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. 1t 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 bust
ness will never be closed up and the
country will never be done with pay