Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-01-20
In Defense OF the Pension System.

MR. EDIToR:-In every newspaper that
l have bad the privilege OF reading OF late,
lind great cutlery about the pension
| list and pension attorneys and cannot
conceive of the reasons for it now more
than at any time in the past, and many
editorials are very misleading.
see in one OF the great dallies of New
England statement that the attorneys re
ceived twenty five dollars for working a
claim. Now the facts are that the large
bulk OF claims being worked now are for
ten dollars per cain, and all OF these fees
come out of the pensioners, not out of the
government, as have seen il stated.
IL the commissioner has made the state
ments that the press has reported him as
making, think he has been very lnJuoi.
cious, TO say the least. ] never though
it a part of an executive officers duty to
dictate to Congress what laws should be
passed or to crIticise the acts of the past.
II | remember rightly the country had a
little experience with Tennessee states
manship soon after the war closed, and |
hope we may not have repetition OF it.
/ understood last spring that 1t was the
policy of the pension office to clean up the
old claims, which plan | heartily endorsed,
pat 1t looks now as though the comInls-
soner did not quite comprehend the
magnitude of the legacy Grover Cleveland
left him as all claims of large first pay
ments were held up by the former com
missioner. Ii was currently reported in
Washington months before Locnren left
the office that if he would reduce the ex-
penditures a certain amount he should re
ceivs a ludgeship. The ludgtshlp came
his way. " bether reports were true or
not. in every message TO Congress Cleve-
land went out of his way TO call the Union
soldiers frauds, but since he left the White
House 1 did suppose we should hear no
more or il; for the records mad been thor
oughly searched to find any technicalty
ny which there could be dropped from the
rolls as many pensioners as possible, re
gardless of merit, giving them no chance
TO be heard in defense of their claims.
Now with the rulings in the pension OF
fee it is almost an impossibility Tor any
one not thoroughly acquainted with the
workingg of the pension office to get
claim through no matter how merltorlous.
The government appoints its own Judicial
boards, regardless of the wishes of the
claimant. Il has the records OF the war
department and the claimant has to suffer
for all the mistakes in them. The pension
office has the clerks of its own choosing
ana works strictly unuer its own rulings.
1t had its spies and iDformers in Cleve-
lands administration-fourt class post
masters and special examiners. Magis-
trates and fourth-class postmssters ana
many postmasters of higher grades know
VINO are drawing p6nSlohS anu II bhCS
were frauds would not be slow to notify
the government ofthe fact.
Now as to the cost OF pensions. lfthere
ever was time, or ever will be, when the
expense should be large, IL Is now. III the
government is going to help the men that
fought its battles, it must do it pretty
soon with a great majority OF them, /
have seen the point raised that many do
not need these pensions and would not
apply for them were it not for those wick.
ed attorneys. Now / suppose Pierpont
Morgan does not need the money on his
bonds. but 1t is an honorable thing to pay
him. When the war closed the interest
account was about the same as the expense
of the pensions nov. The population OF
the country was then about half what it is
now ana the wealth one third. Most OF
the southern states were almost complete
ly in ruins but there was no trouble IL
finding means to pay all OF the expenses
and continually reduce the deOt.
Since that time there has grown up a
generation whicn has not the faintest con-
eeption of the magnitude of that struggle
and the misery endured. Neither do they
appreciate the sacrifices men made 10 &C.
fend their country's cause, while receiving
in deprecated currency the pay OF the
eomraon soldier, which was but fraction
OF " hat it cost to support family Men
eft their families To the mercies OF char
ffv or the poorhouse. and not wi b good
orara can the Young men OF this geDer-