Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-19
TALKS OF PENSION MATTERS
Old Soldier Objects to Some of the
Methods in Vogue in the
Department..

NORTH PLATTE, Neb., Nov. 1e.-To
the Editor of The Bee: have read your
editorial in The Bee of the 10Th. under
the head of Pension Law Revision"
desire TO offer few words from the
standpoint of the old soldier on that sub
ject. 1t nas got to be the fashion amongst
the soldier hating section of the press to
charge up to the pension agent any crit.
cism of the Pension department, so
desire to preface my remarks with the
statement that while | am a practicng at
torney, the only pension business | have
ever done has been wholly gratis.
| have great faith in The Bee, that it
old soldier. Although served in the ranks
for thirty-two months during the civil war,
have never applied for pension and
never expect to under existing laws SO
that in what ] have to say there is no
personal bias. The agitation in the Grand
Army and amongst the old soldiers during
the past two years has not been for re-
vision of the pension laws, but for faith
full execution of the laws as they now ex-
list, in the same spirit in which they were
enacted.
pointed commissioner of pensions under
Cleveland In 1892, the old soldier found no
fault with the department. Lochren allowed
himself to become the tool of the soldier
haters throughout the land and in every
conceivable way harassed the old soldier
and denied him his simplest rights and to
a large extent nullitied the pension laws.
In 1896 the republican party in its plat
form, its press and on the stump promised
to right the wrongs that had been henpcd
upon the old soldier by Lochren. Promised
to place the pension office under the man
agement of the friends OF the old soldier.
Promised to execute the pension laws in
the spirit in which they were enacted.
This is the one pledge of the republican
party, made ut that time that has not been
fulfilled.
There is not one of the many obnoxious
purpose of harassing the old soldier and
multiplying the pension Laws but has been
vigorously enforced by Henry Clay Evans,
the present commissioner, and many new
ones invented to the same end.
To cite you to even n few OF the many
cases of injustice practiced by Evans would
fill the columns of your paoer ! will only
refer to two cases in point as samples
Under the act of June, $780, an honorably
discharged soldier of the civil war. who
served not less than ninety days and who
Is dependent upon his labor for a living
and is suffering from disability not due
to his own vicious habits sufficient to dis
qualify him from performing manual labor.
is entitled to a pension of not less than s6
per month and not more than $l2 per
In the Pension department there has
grown up system of ratings, each disa-
bility having n rating fixed for 1t.
Prior to Lochren's advent pensions under
the act of 1890 were adjudged under rule
l6i. which provided that pensions under
same rule as applied under the old law.
That Is, for the purpose of determining
the rate the applicant should receive, the
several disabilities which he might be suf-
fering from should be considered together.
For example: The applicant might have
three different ailments each one of which
would rate at 81 per month; taking them
together the pensioner would be entitled
to a pension of sl2 per month. Lochren
nuIlihed this equitable rule and In it's
place put In force his rule. 225, which in
substance provided that unless the appli-
cant was suffering from some single disa-
bility which would rate at not less than 50
per month, he was NOT entitled to any
pension. So that under this infamous rule
a soldier might be suffering from half a
dozen different complaints and be totally
unable to perform manual labor. Yet un-
less he could show that on some one of
these disabilities he was entitled 10 a rat
ing of Sc he was denied any pension And
under this Infamous rule many an old SOL
dier has been driven TO the poorhouse and
there permitted 10 die,
This rule and every other obnoxious rule
of Lochren's has been during the past three