The National tribune., 1899-07-27

S know better than to accuse the Grand Arm.
OF the Republic of simply making fight 10
c dishonest pension attorneys. This is groS
insult TO thousands OF his readers, who hav
been long supporters OF his paper He il
willfully shutting his eyes to notorious facts
that lie right under them. We challenge hin
to send a reporter to any Grand Army Post il
Pennsylvania or New Jersey, and interview
: the members as to what they know of the Pen
sion Bureau and what complaints they hav
as to its management. We dare him to tel
the truth as to the facts he can develop by in
terviewing the first 100 veterans he may find
This is a straight journalistic way Of getting
at the truth which he dare not adopt.
LINCOLN POSTS INDICTMENT.
The most crushing indictment yet presented
by any Grand Army Post against Pension
Commissioner Evans is that drawn by Lin
coin Post No /, OF Topeka Hans, the largest
and most influential Post in the Department
OF Kansas. II is model document of its kind
which we earnestly wish could be initiated by
every Post in the United States 1t is the
work of committee of three able comrades
OF the Post, J X. Hudson, J. g. Wood and
j. W. Sidwcll. They are all men of the high
est standing in the community, and the Chair
man is the only man in Kansas who received
a Brigadier Generals commission at the out
break of the Spanish war. Very creditably
| ba hoe lilo doc,
allowed official favors to bias his Judgment
when the interests of his comrades were con-
cerned. The document is thoroughly digni-
fed in tone, but intensely in earnest, and its
recital of facts is overwhelming. 1t begins
by detailing the assaults upon the comrades
by the newspapers, and how successfully
they were repeled. 1t then goes on:
| But more insidious and despicable
enemy to the veteran and his pension still
llIrked behind the Presidential warrant, as
Commissioner of Pensions.
His first effort against the pension claim
ants was covert and avoWedly in their be
half If the pension attorneys could be
disbarred by the Pension Bureau great
point would be gained. SO he began a
systematic effort to abuse, until many re-
Sented the treatment and began to criti-
clZe the Pension Bureau and its Commits
sioner This was meat TO him. The at
torneyS out Of the way, the claimants
would be utterly poweress. Like a ship
at sea without a rudder, driven hither and
yon by wind and wave, claimants would
have been helpless, and in the end would
have been compelled to yield. 1t must be
conceded that nine-tenths of the claimants
can not properly draw petition, much
less comply with the technical require
ments of the rules and regulations of the
Pension Bureau. So that men who make a
business of booking up on the acts of Con-
gress DECISIONS of the Interior Department.
relating to pensions and kindred claims.
the rules and regulations of the Pension
Bureau, and have a ready command of
good English at penis point. are alone COM
petent to prosecute such claims. Compar-
atvely few claims would have ever been
allowed had the claimants been unaided.
knowing the weakness and inability of
the great majority of claimants. instead
of insisting upon lending a helping hand
and affording every facility for the estab-
lisilment of just claims, for unjust and
fraudulent claims are not in issue. lie has
thrown every obstacle in the way and was
willing to sponge from the slate the roll of
attorneys if he had dared.
The indictment then proceeds TO arraign
Evans for his determined nsistence that every
pension claim is fraud, with the burden of
proof that it is not being put upon the claim
ant, and every obstacle thrown in his way in
demonstrating its truth.
The indictment supports its counts by
specific instances, drawn from a host with
which the Post is perfectly familiar. Only
a limited number of these can be given without
unduly swelling the document, but they are
all very pertinent.
First, is the case of Louisa Kratzer, poor, |
hard working widow of an excellent soldier,
who left her meager little farm TO support
herself and family Of children. The tcsti- |
mony shows that the utmost value of the pro
and this was only wrung from it by the hard
est kind Of toll. Her claim for pension was |
rejected because she is not without other |
means Of daily support than her daily labor"
Ade Rainer another poor old widow, who
makes living by house-cleaning and wash
ing, had her claim rejected on account Of
charge Of unchas,ity, preferred by some un-
known accuscr. Yet, all of Mrs. Rainer's |
neighb0rs, who have known her as an ire
proachable wife and mother for long period |
OF years, scout the charge, and are willing 10 |
testify to her good character. But the Pen
sion Bureau will not hear the evidence in
her favor, nor will it give the name Of the
creature who slandcred the poor old washer
woman.
d. L. McElfresh, insane himself and family
are denied a pension because il has been dis
covered by the Pension Bureau that he was
kicked on the head by mule when he was
II years old. There is not an atom of tcsti-
mony connecting that kick with his present
condition, but evidently the Bureau construcs
the kick into vicious habits"
David C. Whitner has proved total inability
for labor, caused by progressive disease of
the brain, resl:lting from sunstrokc His
constantly grows worse with ad-
vancing age. The proof of the incurrcnce
Of his disability and its effects is beyond
doubt but because il has been p5Hding for a
long time, and carries large amount Of
arrears, Evans refuses to allow it,
|. !. Wagner received injuries in the raid
on the Weldon Railroad and at Hatchers S
Run, which have resulted in heart disease
and PARALYSIS from which he iS dvinr He