The National tribune., 1899-06-01

to execute the laws to SO perform their duty
as TO do justice to the soldiers and administer
the law so rs not to obstruct the prosecution
Of pensions by technical requirements not
within the province of the law, and which
are only calculated to hinder and oEstruct i'll
> the effort to obtain lawful pensions Your
Committee will cali attention TO the fact that
two years ago the country was stirred to its
Depths by complaints of the injustice of the
then administration of the Pension Bureau.
These complaints were so specific and
distinct that they furnished the basis of
political efforts. They were the subject of
emphatic utterances by the National Encamp-
Iment. Beyond doubt the political campaign
OF 1886 was largely influenced by the hope of
ameliOTating the harsh conditions then exist
ing in the Pension Bureau We submit that
this expected ameliOration has not taken
place; that in no substantial instance has one
of these harsh rules been abrogated. but
every one of them remains in full force and
effect as under the previous Administration.
The best illustration of this is the odious
Rule 30, which was substituted for the Just
Rule 16i, to the infinite injury of tens of
thousands of mucll-deserving men and
women. 1t seems unnecessary to enlarge
upon the fact that the veterans had the right
TO expect very different treatment from the
present Commissioner of Pensions than they
received from his predecessor.
Another fact that it seems unnecessary to
enlarge upon is that time is highly important
to the veterans. The passing years have n
diretui acceerat:On for them. Every day
brings them nearer the grave in increasing
ratio. Their Feeds cry out more vociterously
with every changing of the moon, yet the
number of weekly allowances steadily dimin-
/ is,cs ,,l,ila ha Da,c;nn nE,
ciaily states that he has 625, 600 claims pend
ing in his Bureau, of which he says 75, 900 so
far have received nothing ut all. Elsewhere
he states that about 100000 survivors re-
ceived 10 pensions, and yet very recently the
Commissioner recommended and carried
through 4 reduction of 1G0 in his force of
clerks, on the ground that he had more force
than he needed. -
This in tie face of the fact that hardly a
day passed that in this broad land pension
certificates arrived only in time to be laid Oh
tie coffin of the applicant. In the meantime
the geo employees of the Pension Bureau
continue the dreary round of circumlocution,
OF pulling out the yellow papers, adding
note TO the fading Endorsements and replacing
them in the pigeOn-holes. 1t has been esti-
mated by mathematician fond of calcula-
tions that the mere physical labor employed
i'll these futile landings has been sufficient
to have picked up the Army of the Potomac
i'll its proudest strength and carried it bodily
from Washington to Richmond.
Resolved, That the rule of the Pension
Office by which n widow is debarred from
pension if she has an income of 800 is
unjust. and we ask the President that the
order lie abrogated and the minimum de-
barring fiom pension be fixed at not less
than $500 per annum. In this connection
we desire to inform the President that very
early in his Administration it was announced
by a high official in the Pension Office that
tie widows limit would be raised to $500,
but it never materialized.
Resolved, That we ask for the re-establisll-
ment Of Order 1G4 which! was enforced under
the Harrison regime This order, in simple
terEis, took cOgnizance in rating a mans
pension OF all the disabilities he suffered
under. 1t was abrogated by the last Admin
istratiOn, and it was held that to be entitled
to tie lowest rate of Sc per month, n comrade
must nave some one disability which is rated
at that amount If he has three disabilities
rated at $4 each, he gets no pension at all.
This iniquitious rule is maintained up to this
hour, and We submit is not such treatment
as we had right to expect from COmrade
| William Mckinley. And we are confident
"ith 10 onCC iClCNtu lIoIl tilc
mighty matters of National and worldwide
importance which now command his atten-
tior, he will see that justice is done.
Resolved, That in constituting the phrase
inability to perform manual labor, it be
construed to mean inability to perform
unprofessional unskilled labor, labor re-
quiring muscular effort alone Your Com
mittee further respectfully states that it is
wise to receive even the official state
ment of the Commissioner of Pensions
with several large grains of allowance.
He states in one place that there are 75,-
600 comrades who never received pen
: sion. In another place he fixes the figure at
200, 900. We are aware that from time to time
he issues glowing statements as to the great
, work he is doing for the comrades in compari-
son to what was formerly done, but most of
his comparisons are with the Administrations
of President Grant and President Hayes
Prior to the act of 1890, granting pensions
after 80 days service for disability honorabIy
, incurred even after the war, he compares with
the period when the sum total of claims
was only 300, 900. When owing to the small
force in the Adjutant- Generals Office, it
took two years to get a report on the claim
ants record, where now it takes only five
days. He compares work with the wor.,
5 done when the clerks in the Pension Office
numbered only 300, while he has 1000. He
aiscreetly refrains from giving prominence to
, the number of his rejections. Our comrades
living and the widows Of comrades dead cry
} aloud for justice. We voice their cry, and
bring it to the ear of that cOmrade in CHIEF
authority over all the land, confident that he
| will do justice.
These resolutions were adopted
: nine months ago. So far as Mr.
/ Evans is concerned they might as
well not have been passed. He
dismissed them with the remark
that they were the work of pen.
sion attorneys" his favorite buga.
boo. This was absolutely untrue.
The subcommittee which framed