The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-03-24

Act of June 27-widow 40, sS1
Total 81 l9
Thousands of these claims have been
pending for from 5 up to 80 years Sub
stantially all of them have been pend
ing for two years or more. The Pension
Bureau, with It's immense force, approx
mating 1000 employees, has been going
through dreary routine Of circumlocu-
ton with these cases, from week to week,
from month to month, from year to year.
1t has seemed persistent, laborious
effort to Not Do 1t. The time-yel
lowed, much-thumbed jackets contain
ing the cases have been solemnly
taken from the dusty pigeon-holes,
viewed with grave, perfunctory eyes as
old acquaintance, solemnlv annotated,
and as solemnly returned to the pigeon
holes to wait when the routine Of the office
should require their being again solemnly
taken out, surveyed, and reannotated.
We have made careful calculations,
showing that the mere physical labor
expended by the clerks in the Pension
Bureau in simply taking out the jackets,
turning them over, adding a fresh anne
tation, and returning them to their
slumbrous pigeon-holes would have
been sufficient, if concentrated upon one
effort, to lift the Army of the Potomac,
in its day of greatest strength, and carry
it a good part of the way from Wash
ington to Richmond.
To say that this logged persistence
in the How-Not-to-Do-It policy of Loeb
rem and Cleveland is disappointment
to the veterans is stating the case with
excessive mildness. 1t was something
against which the whole country rose
in revolt in 1892 By their votes the
people then demanded a radical change
Of policy in the Pension Bureau. Every
community in the loyal parts of the
country felt outraged by the cruel
treatment of the veterans, their widows
and orphans. Every such community
had numbers of these who were the
victims of rank injustice. The voters
felt hurt in their patriotism, in their
sense of gratitude toward those who had
saved the Nations existence. They we're
outraged that the country of which
they were so proud should treat with
harsh ingratitude in their old age the
men and women to whom it owes
everything. The demand for such a
radical change was constantly made in
the press of the country, and in the
speeches al every political meeting.
The people voted for it. Yet it has
not been made. 1t is certainly incum-
bent upon the Commissioner of Pen
sions to explain why be has not obeyed
this plain mandate of the people.
Those 2S3,319 pending cases demand
prompt adjudication. He has the force
to do it, he has all the facilities for it.
and there is no reason why he should
not do it. Certainly 1000 employees
should be able to dispose of more than
an average of ], 900 cases week, upon
which there has already been years Of
preparation and consideration. The
very statement Of the facts is the severest
arraignment of the Bureaus efficiency.
At the present rate of progress it will
take nearly six years to allow the cases
now pending. BY that time probably
half of the claimants will be dead, and
their allowances will be "saved +" to the
Government 1t would be infamous to
say that this is what the Bureau is plot.
ting for. Yet what other conclusion is
reasonable?