The National tribune., 1898-02-10
D0INGS Of CONGRESS
Abstract of the Important Pro
ceedings in Both Houses.


n. Y. RI, of the Invalid Pensions Com
mittee, and Mr. J. A. Norton, o., d.. After
some remarks by Mr.. Vandiver in opposi-
ton to certain bill, Mr.. Norton said,
among other things:
your difficulty, Mr.. Chairman and mem
bers of the House, in regard to pensions
| will continue so long as your Pension De
partment is conducted under the present
| law and the present rules. just so long as
| you continue your SenSeleSS laws, and
| your SenSelesS rules you will drive men to
| this House begging for relief You are com
| polling men who were as good soldiers as
| ever entered the field to stand rejected at
the Pension Office. They are absolutely
| unable to secure pensions except through
| the intervention of Congress, for the reason
J that you demand proof which never can be
| given.
| More than this, members on the other
| side of the House and on this side are
constantly calling attention to the fact
| that pensions are denied in certain cases
| because of certain decisions of Il medical
| board which decisions it is impossible to
| have reviewed. Men who use more jackasS
sense than reason return to the Depart
ment of the Interior the curt answer'W We
refuse to review our decision This is
| their answer, no matter waht new evI-
| dence may be laid before them.
you can send a man to the peniten-
| tiary upon circumStantial evidence; you
| can hang a man on that character OF evl-
dcnce in every State OF this Union that
| permits capital punishment; but soldier
who served for three years in the war,
must fail in his application for a pension
| unless he can prove his case, not by CIR
cumStantial evidence, but by the direct
| evidence of two or more comrades and one
commissioned officer This requirement OF
| the evidence of a commissioned officer is
another disgrace to civilization; because
as believe, private is as likely to swear
to the truth as any man who ever wore
epauletteS, no matter who he may be.
! Unless this direct evidence of two or more
comrades and one commissioned officer
can be procured, the soldier must have
his application for pension rejected.
Il give warning now and here that If on
the Fridays which are devoted by the rules
to the consideration OF matters OF this
kind the time OF the House is to be con
sumed in flibustering, we may as well
have filibuStering at night as in the day
time. We come here willing to work Tor
the soldier. | am here ready to vote for
any reasonable and decent bill, and / VIII
vote for bills which make even a fair show
of being reasonable and decent, because
know that they are not permitted to eXer-
else reason in the Pension Department.
Mr.. Ray here interposed. protesting
against what he termed were reflections
upon the administration OF the Pension
Bureau; he would, he said, at the proper
time submit figures showing the admins
Kinley became Chief Magistrate of this
great country as compared with the adj
mnistration of that Office under the recent
Democratic regime.
Il do not wish to excite discussion en-
gender feeling, said MIR. Ray. Il have said
to day on the floor OF the House, and | re
peat, that mistakes are made at the Pen
sion Bureau many times to the detriment OF
worthy old soldiers. But at the same time
we must remember, gentlemen Of the
House that all through the country there
has been raised a hue and cry complain
ing of frauds in the administration Of at
fairs in the Pension Bureau, complaining
that hundreds and thousands Of cases
without merit have received favorable con
sideration in that office; that soldiers and
widows by the score who ought not to re-
ceive pensions are drawing them.
Hence, Mr.. Chairman, il IS incumbent
upon gentlemen having charge Of the Pen
sion Bureau to proceed with great care and
caution in the administration OF the pen
sion laws. An honest man may apply to
day for a pension with honest testimony to
back UP his application. At the same
time dishonest man may applywith evil
dence backing up his case. How is the
Commissioner Of Pensions to determine
which is the honest man and which the
rogue?
"As {, rule, the bigger the scoundrel the
fairer appears his evidence upon its face,
because he is skilled in the business Of
preparing evidence in plausible form and
Will have his case arranged in such a
manner as 10 carry conviction; whereas
the honest man, relying upon the justice
OF his claim pays very little attention to
the form IN which 1t Is gotten up. Hence
the case OF an honest man is frequently
presented in an inartifcial form; and be
cause error is made in the preparation of
the case Through no fault OF the appli
can't he may be and often is denied a pen
Il. L.
cause he has not a good case, but because
the man who prepared the papers has
made errors, while at the same time the
rogue goes through with flying colors.
The Commissioned of Pensions and all
the men charged with the administration
OF the pension laws have learned how easy
it is for them to be imposed upon. Hence
in all these cases they proceed with the
greatest caution; hence they require evi-
dence of perfectly satisfactory character:
hence they send out to verify the truth of
the various statements presented.
Now, there Is not a man within the
sound OF my voice, there is not Il lover Of
liberty and Of his country anywhere in the
United States, who wants an unjust pen
sion granted. Then, do not let us find
fault with the administration OF the Pen
sion Department. Let us give them credit
for the good they do, and when we find an
error let us call their attention to it, and if
they will not correct it, then 1t is time for
the Congress of the United States to take
the matter in hand and correct the error
This we can do without indulging in
any abuse OF any man or men connected |
with the administration Of the pension |
laws of the United States. They are Try
ing to do their duty. They are doing their |
duty.
"'The man who INDUCES in unjust crit
stem of the Bureau, the man who advo-
Gates lax administration of those laws, |
the man who would see the money that |
goes into the Treasury Of the United |
States, and that belongs to the whole |
people, scattered to undeserving places |
will not hold place within these halls OF |
legislation for any great length of time.
The eyes of the people are upon us. |
They want us to do our duty and our whole |
duty. They want US to take care of the |
old soldier, the soldiers widow, and the |
soldiers minor child, but in doing it they
want us to exercise. care and discretion
to see to it that the generous hand of this
great Government is only extended to those
who are worthy to grasp 1T.
ut is beneath us, and say it with all |
due respect to my friend from Ohio, it is
beneath any gentleman on either side of |
this House to come here and complain of |
the administration of the Pension Office,
when its officers are doing their best TO |
guard against fraud and to see that the
money OF the people goes only to the
pockets OF those who merit it, those who
Justly deserve it. There are hundreds of
cases under consideration every day and
many pensions are, being granted or in