The National tribune., 1899-08-31

honesty.
| Ninth Count.
| He continues to nullify the act of
| March 6, 1896, passed by Congress to cor
rect an abuse and misinterpretation of the
act of June 27, 1890, by the Cleveland Ad-
rection of his superior officer, refused to
apply the law, even to the extent permis-
sible under the Interpretation of the former
Administration, unless specifically re-
quested by claimants. P. D., 10, dated
Dec. p, 1S9s.)
| Tenth Count.
| Contrary to the law and the rights Of
claimants TO choose, he has rejected thou
sands of claims on the alleged ground OF
mo benefit" whereas the claims should have
been granted and the claimants permitted
to elect which of two pensions they would
prefer to receive. He was required to dis
continue this practice. lP. D., 10, dated
Dec. z, 1889
Eleuenth Count
| For nearly two years he has unlawfully
| withheld from settlement all general law
claims of children over 16 years of age,
in disregard of the law and decision of the
| Department Up. d., z, p. 433); meanwhile
using every effort to secure such a con-
| struction of the law as will enable him to
| reject and deny these lawful claims, the
matter being now pending on his renewed
request for reconsideration of the questions
| OF law.
Tuelfth Count.
He has for the past year unlawfully with
| held from official consideration in ordinary
course of business the Just claims of soldiers
and sailors of the Spanish war, many of
| them sons and other relatives of soldiers
and sailors of the rebellion, on the miSrepre-
sentation that the WarI partment has been
| unprepared or unwilling or unable to fur
n. ..,l
military records, whereas the War Depart
ment has been ready and willing to furnish
desired reports on "a hours notice. ma
| tional Tribune. June %, 1S99) The
unlawful and unjustifiable action of the
Commissioner of Pensions in this class of
claims furnishes striking evidence of his
personal feelings and disposition towards
| all beneficiaries of the pension laws, there
being with respect to this class OF claims no
room for the slanderous objection or sug-
gestion that the claimants have for many
years slept on their alleged rights and the
claims therefore presumably of doubtful or
fraudulent character.
Thirteenth Count.
It is notorious that claims filed under
the general law before July 1, 1880, and
therefore involving arrears to date of dis
charge, are rejected by his direction unless
supported by record evidence, and II sup
ported by record evidence are buried in the
Special Examination Division, the evident
purpose being to reject if not to delay in
definitely all claims requiring large first
payment.
Fourteenth Count.
He has rejected thousands of claims for
invalid pension under the Act of June 81,
1890, the applicants in which are 81 years
of age and over, Notwithstanding that
under the Mexican war pension act of Jan.
%, 1887, claimants 62 years Of age are re-
titled to the rating of IS per month, and
Notwithstanding that 90 years is the COM
pulsory retirement age of the Regular
Army, Navy and Marine Corps.
Fifteenth Count.
Upon manifestly misleading repre-
sentations as to the status of the official
| business Of the Pension Bureau he pro-
cured the reduction of the Office force of the
/ Pension Bureau by 100, (July l., 1881 not
withstanding that the delays III action and
settlement were then great and have con-
tinued notoriously so to the present time,
being as great if not greater than for many
years past, thousands of claimants being
| unable to secure any action on their claims
| or learn what, if any, additional evidence is
necessary, weeks and months growing into
years without any information OF any
character being ELECTED as to the official
status of the claim. 1t is worthy of note
| that discrimination appears to be made
| against cidIIl5 OH l1lt End1ly years ana
therefore involving considerable sums as
arrears, the official reports as to the aver
age amounts Of first payments bearing out
what has become noticeable in this regard
(Annual Report, 1898, p. 23)
Sixteenth Count.
Notwithstanding the great number
| of Just and valid claims awaiting settle
ment for many years, he has diligently
| avoided their consideration in order that ne
| l,N.,
the Treasury large amounts of the appro-
priations for pensions. (Annual Reports,
| 1897, 1898, 1899
| Seventeenth Count.
He has sought to deprive claimants
| of the benefit OF advice Of counsel by for
warding to them direct the orders for medi-
| cal examination, expecting and desiring
| that claimants, without knowledge of their
/ rights and privileges and without due re-
| gard for their interests, will place them
selves at a disadvantage and afford a
greater opportunity for the rejection or de-
lay of their claims. (Order 361, dated
April IA, 1889
Eighteenth Count
While criticising, both in the public press
and in official reports, the work of the Ex-
amining Surgeons appointed and retained
by him on grounds of fitness, and showing
the fallibility OF the examinations made by
LISii bilutI uietllOI, IIt IeteTIHclGSS
habituaily regards their reports as abso-
lutely correct when unfavorable TO the
claimants and as the personal knowledge
and experience OF thousands OF claimants
attest, wholly disregards favorable reports,
on slight pretext or no pretext whatever
(See Associated Press reports and Annual
Report for 1S9S.)
: Nineteenth Count.
Before he had been in office a year.
t,ao 1rad of
alleged pension frauds, his pTatings in the
public press in the form of inspired articles
and statements purporting to he Inter
| views" rivaling and eclipsing in misrepre-
| sentation and righteousness anything of
similar character published during the
preceding Administration. ASSOCIATED
Press reportS.)
i I'inentteth Count
II BE has studiously invited and OBJ
tained the approval, to large degree, Of
the same portion OF the public press that
tapplauded the revision" and alleged re
) forms" instituted by Lochren and Hoke
. Smith, and has claimed personal credit for
D the detection and suppression of alleged
D frauds and for reducing the pension-roll or
: permitting a minimum increase The
same press that acclaimed Lochren and
Hoke Smith as wise and just finds Joy and
satisfaction in Henry Clay Evans. At the
same time he has clnningly sought and
! obtained credit with the press friendly to
ft,a Tpio - an.