The National tribune., 1899-03-30
INCREDIBLE LIES.

y
of the most argravating infections that
this country has to endure. 1t is pub
lished for that superiine set of people in
New York who are ashamed of being
Americans, and are constantly blushing
orthe d" credulity, ignorance, and general
lowness" of the people in this country.
They can see no good in country which
has not Il landed, hereditary aristocracy,
an established church, and other cor
receives of the "vulgarity of the masses y
Yet, with all its pretenses of higher
principles and elevating culture, the
Erening Post will resort to more un-
blushing lying to make its points than
will the "yellow papers that it sneers
at so loftily. This is particularly true
with regard to pensions, to which
the Ercning Post has always been
bitterly opposed, probably because the
money goes to the plain people who are
entitled to il, instead of, as in England,
TO the titled few who have never done
anything but be born to pensions.
Take as an illustration the following
story, recently published. which would
disgrace tie |Forld or the Journal, but
is solemnly put forth as fact by this
Pharisee, who is continually calling on
the Lord to witness how much better he
is than the common run of men:
c. D. is pensoDer on the list, drawing
S12 q month for total disability, involving
the need of constant attendance by another
person. He is the leading physician in the
town where he lives, has large and lucra-
tive practice, which he attends 10 daily, and
is rs fine-looking specimen Of physical man
hood rs can be found anywhere. lie Is
scheduled as sufferer from some chronic
complaint like rheumati>m, and from oc-
casiOnal cpileptic attacks. His case was re-
ported to the Pension Office, and the Com
missioner was moved to look into it person.
ally. thinking there might at least be reason
for allowing the man $50, which is the rate
for total disability requiring the periodical
attendance of another personals. for ex-
ample. where an invalid is unable TO dress
himself or 10 use his knift and fork at table.
al la, af NJ
sort.
"Wherc does the constant attendance OF
the other person come in, them" inquired
tie Commissioner Of the attorney in the case.
"Oll, lie has 10 have boy 10 drive his gig
when he makes his professional calls, - was
the prompt answer, "and he is liable to have
10 make calls at any hour OF the day or night,
so that the attendance is practically con-
slant"
1t is bitter mockery of this class OF
pensioners to tell such a story of one
of them. There are but 2,57S of these
ratings on the roll, and they represent
an inconceivable amount of human
mutilation, misery, and helplessness.
The rating is separated by a. wide gap
from the next one below it, and repre-
sents something very much worse than
the loss of an arm, a leg, or an eye, or
the total incapacity to perform manual
labor. To get it one must have lost
both eyes. or both hands, or both feet,
and be so nearly utterly helpless as to
" require the regular personal aid and
attendance Of another person." For
one who requires only the "frequent
and periodical attendance of another
person." only $50 month is allowed.
To get the rating of sI2, a man
must have the most manifest and terri
BILE injuries, he must show that he re-
ceived them in line of duty, and that he
is so helpless that lie must have attend
ance every day-almost every hour
of his life. The list is relatively so small
that the circumstances connected with
each case are well-known in the Pension
Bureau. They are equally well-known
in the communities in which each of the
pensioners reside. Each of these S72
pensioners is well-known and notable
figure in his neighborhood.
Naturally such large ratings were the
first objects of attack by the Cleveland
Administration when it began its raid
ON the pension list. After the severest
scrutiny they only found on it the name
of Chas. d. Long, Justice of the Su.
preme Court of Michigan, that they
could hope to attack with success. He
had lost an arm, and received terrible
wound in the side, which remains open,
and must be kept open and dressed
daily to preserve his life. His loss of
an arm prevented him dressing the
wound himself. Here was sharp tech