The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-05-26

| THE WORK OF TEE PENSION BUREAU
Each weekly report of the Pension
Bureau is a fresh aggravation-a re
newed disappointment. 1t shows thai
the Commissioner, instead of going tt
work in business like manner to bring
the work of the Bureau up to date, and
dispose of the claims whose long pen.
dency is National scandal, continue:
to higgle along as closely as possible tc
an allowance of 1000 original claim:
each week. Substantially this mean;
that he does not propose to allow the
pension-roll to grow. He is going to
keep near the actual loss by death, and
only allow new name on the roll when
a place is made for it by the decease of
some pensioner This is the abominable
policy introduced by Commissioner
Lochren, and continued, with most of
the other repugnant features introduced
by that gentleman, by the present Com
missioner.
1t is no wonder that the veterans all
over the country are rising in their
wrath, and demanding his removal.
They have reason for their anger. The
words of promise made to their ears in
the campaign of 1896 have been broken
to their hearts. With over 100000
cases pending in the Bureau, many Of
them for quarter of q century, with
hundreds of men going down to death
every week denied the Justice which is
sacredly due them, this man palters
along with petty allowance of 1000
cases a week, and is now preparing to
discharge 100 clerks upon the pretext
that he has no work for them to do.
No work for them TO do! When
every mail that reaches Washington is
burdened with anxious, imploring letters
from aged men and women, begging that
their cases may be taken up and disposed
of, and they be given that which the
Government promised them to sustain
and comfort their days of helplessness
and need.
No work to do! What has become
of those $4,000 cases OF victims Of
Lochren's injustice, which were appealed
to the present Secretary of the Interior,
and by him formally handed over to tie
Commissioner of Pensions, with instruc-
tons to re-examine, and render justice?
Has he attended to that duty? Are
they not accommodating dust in the files
of the Pension Bureau, along with the
myriads Of others, which should have
been adjusted years and years ago?
No work for them to dol What has
become of these 100000 cases arising I'M
der the old law, which we were informed
years ago had been completed, but had
been side-tracked, in order to make way
for the disability cases? When has a
clerk taken up one of those meritorious
claims, brushed the cobwebs and dust
from it, surveyed the fading yellow ink
Of its last Endorsement and wondered
whether the claimant was still alive, or
his grave would be decorated
this year?
No work for them to do? Why is if,
then, claimants can get no answers to
their repeated, importunate inquiries as
to the state Of their cases? Congress
men can learn nothing, attorneys can
get no satisfaction?
Again it seems necessary to remind
Mr.. Evans that he was put into his
office TO finish up its business, to examine
thoroughly and carefully every claim
pending, and to allow without further
loss Of time, equivocation or circumlocu-
ton, every one that is justly due. 1t
was not expected that he would reduce
his force until he had accomplished this.
Rather, it was confidently expected that
he would increase his force, develop its
efficiency to the utmost, display
business-like capacity for disposing Of
claims that would be a gratifying con-
trast to the cramped inactiveness of
his predecessor, rapidly clear the
files Of the Pensions Bureau of the
scandalous accumulation of sere and