The National tribune., 1899-12-28
FROM GEN. PATTEE.
A DISTINGUISHED Old Sold er Forced to Accept
the Hospitalities of a Soldiers Home.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In
closed | send you an editorial cut from the
Chicago Tribune. The vicious cruelty Ind
disregard of truth manifested far exceed
anything that l have before seen. After
the first paragraph there is not word of
truth in it. His comments on pension at
torneys and pension ring ere peculiarly
false and unjust. The old soldier by him
self, as general thing, could do but little
towards securing pension without the aid
of an attorney. The number of pension
+attprneys has been reduced within a few
years almost one-half. And they do not all
live in Washington, and are usually as
honest as political editors. The veterans
only ask the laws to be executed as they
exist or repealed.
They are just as honest as any other
class of men. Congress made the laws for
a purpose after due deliberation and all we
ask is that they be executed or repealed.
We protest against them being mlscOn-
strued or abrogated. That the Commits
sioner has mistaken the law 40 man dare
deny, for he has been called down fire.
quently by the Assistant Secretary of the
Interior, who decides all cases appealed.
| am at present enjoying the hospitality
of the Soldiers Home in South Dakota, and
there are about 180 veterans in it at the
present time. About 80 per cent. of them
are completely broken down and disabled.
Several of them are helpless and move about
in wheel-chairs. One gets no pension at
all, and others only S12 per month under
the law of 1890, with old law claim pending.
There are others, many of them, too, who
are totally disabled and getting from S6 to
sl2 per month. with old law claims pending
for six to ~ years, who are entitled to from
$50 to $50 per month.
| filed my claim under the old law June
4, 1890, and under the new law Aug. %,
1890. | am getting S12 per month.
served in the volunteer army from Oct. %.
1851. to June 22. 1856; about 10 months
as Captain, eight months as Major and
three years and 10 months as Lieutenant
Colonel. have % aflidavits filed to prove my
claim, and two of them would be sufficient
10 prove my claim before any court on
earth, ey"ept perhaps before TIE high court
of the Pension Bureau or French court
martial. | have been examined by three
medical boards at an expense Of S21 cash,
and | have Just been informed by my at
tornev that my claim has been rejected by
the Board of Review because there is no
hos1ital record, and that my claim will be
referred TO Special Examiners, which
means delay of from one to three years.
The editorial send you from the Chicago
Tribune says: "Censure of Commissioner
Evans IS indirect censure of the President"
II does not require any great wisdom or
acu'2cn 10 discover that. nor do the veterans
dodge the conclusion or the responsibility.
We claim the right to criticize even the
President, and no man can deny us the
right There are nj least two old veterans
this Home-myself and one otber-that ex-
pended time and money TO attend State
in two different States To help
to organize the Republican party before
Mr. Mckinley was 13 years old.-JOHN
PATTEE. Prevet Rrigadier-General, U. S.
A.: late Captain. Co. A. 18th Iowa; late
Major. dist Iowa; late Lieutenant-Colonel,
7th Iowa Cav. Hot Snrings, S. d.