The National tribune., 1899-10-26
UNFORTUNATE EITHER WAY.

UNFORTUNATE EITHER WAY.
Gen. D. B. Henderson seems to be play
| ing in hard luck lately.
Either he Is misinformed as to some
important public questions, or else the
reporters ara taking malicious pleasure
in making him say things much at vari-
ance with well-known facts. For example,
he Is reported as saying at Cleveland, o.:
"He then addressed the veterans, many
| of whom were seated upon the platform.
He said that it behooves them to stand
by the party which protected them while
| on the battle line and which cares for their
widows and children. He told them that
they had the right to kick if they wanted
to-, and said that if he had been God he
did not believe that Pension Commissioner
Evans would have been the first man he
would have manufactured.
But, despite all the criticisms" con-
tinued the General, Il want TO tell you
that Evans has made a splendid record.
| can take the facts and figures and prove
that his record is the best made by any
Pension Commissioner. Of course, claim
agents do not like him; their business is
falling off little.
The same records that will show that
not Republican vote has ever been re-
Ctiutu dSGiIlS d 8eueldl ptllSlOu idN
will show that the Democrats have been
eminently opposed to them. Do you
know that other countries only pension
veterans who have been disabled, and
until 1890 our country paid pensions in
the same way. By the act passed that
every veteran, whether disabled or not,
can receive pension? Under the new
law $4,000 veterans were added to the PEN
sion rolls and $1,000 widows are receiving
their mite from the Government which
they never received before"
With the partisan side of this we have
nothing to do. Let the Democratic and
Republican politicians fight that out be-
tween them.
But when Gen. Henderson says that
"Evans's record is the best
made by any Commissioner" he is as
erroneous as if he had said that the State
of Rhode Island was bigger than Pennsyl-
vania. In all respects Mr.. Evans is the
worst Commissioner that ever held the
pension laws than any of his predecessors,
who were all fine lawyers, while he is
destitute of any legal training, and his
want of it is frequently and painfully
manifest. He entered the office with fhe
determination to obstruct the execution
of the laws and narrow the scope of their
benefits, where his predecessors
the exception of Lochren-really intended
to execute the laws according TO their intent
and purport. This alone would make him
the worst of Pension Commissioners.
incorrect when he proceeds to talk Of
pensions in general. He says that "other
countries only pension soldiers who are dis
abled." In the first place, this is untrue, and
the next place, if it were true, it would
have no bearing whatever on the act of
June 27, 1890, in spite of Gen. Henderson's
inference to the contrary. Great Britain
gives a very substantial service pension,
as thousands of discharged British sol
diers in this country who regularly re-
ceive it can testify. Germany and France
both give privileges and advantages to
their discharged soldiers which are in the
nature of an equivalent to pension. Doubt
less Austria, Italy, Russia, and other coun-
tries do the same, for everywhere it is
recognized as good public policy to give
substantial rewards to men who faithfully
serve out their allotted time.
But this, as We have said before, has
absolutely no bearing on the act of June
27, 1890, and we can not for an instant
see how Gen. Henderson came to say that
by 1t every veteran, whether disabled
or not, can receive pension. Under
the new law $1,000 veterans were added
to the pension roll, and $4,000 widows
receiving their mite from the Government
which they never received before"
1t is almost impossible to believe that
Gen. Henderson could have made such
statement. He must know that no man
can get on the pension roll under the act
Of June 81, 1890, without proving himself
more or less physical wreck, and the
proof furnished must be more than would
be adequate to send him to the penitentiary
were he on trial for felony. Even then he
can not get ON the roll until some one dies
and makes a place for him. Then, in
stead of the act of June 27, 1890, having
placed $4,000 men and $1,000 widows on
the rolls, as Gen. Henderson is said to
have stated, the total number is 42O,912
men and 13O,266 widows.
OUR NAVY IN THE PACIFIC.
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