The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1899-02-16


cussion of the bill to pension Gen. John
NJ. Palmer to force upon the attention
of Congress the continuing evils of the
INSTRUMENTATION of the Pension
Burean. He did it by presenting the
following petition, which was read by
the Clerk, and printed in the Con.
gressionai Record:
T. the Congres fthe United S7tases of Americ1:
We, the members of Judson Fitzpatrick
Post, No. As. Department OF Indiana, Grand
Army of the Republic, through the officers
of said post, send greeting and would show:
That a member of this post. Comrade
Charles Allen, who WAS private In 20. b,
lih Mich, was granted pension over ~
years ago, at the rate Of 81 per month, to
date from the first day of July, 1864, and
continued to receive such pension until the
18th day of July, 1893, at which date he
was granted S. per month under the act OF
June 81, 1000, to date from the 18th day OF
| November, 1890 and was paid at the rate OF
So per month to the 4th day of May, lS96.
| certificate, under the act of June 81, 1890
was issued, I'm lieu OF certificate dated
July 10, 1892. to recover erroneous payments
under general law" on the margin of which
certificate was the following entry:
8 Deduct all Jay nents under act of Jnne
| 81, 1890. and REQ, er at the rate of 81 pei
month from July 1, 1864, to date of last pay
menl under general law"
Which is construed by the pension agent
at indianapolis to mean that all pension paid
him from July l, 1864, to the 18th day Of
November, 1870, to wit, 81, 1856. 40. is to be
recovered back, and that he is to receive nc
further pay until his present rate at So pei
month shall have amounted to the said
81, $50 49, which. as said pension agent has
| figured it, will be the August payment in
1909, at which time there will lie due him
S5.S7. ~
Comrade allen is now past 60 years old
is poor, has no income of anykind, except
what he earns by days work, has q family
to support, and will in all probability be
dead eOre the year 1909.
| He ser, ed three years in said 4th Mich,
participating in all the campaigns and battles
during that time that the regiment was in,
and now in his old aye, when he actually
needs the help. to have the small pension oil
So per month stoppe,i on him, and worse.
that he l.. compelled to pay back all he had
received al "a per month, is, in the opinion
OF his comrades, not 0nly uni ust but cruelty
wrong.
And we appeal to the Congress of the great
Government he gave the best years OF his
life To preserve, 10 right this great wrong by
at Ouce placing his name Oh the pensOn-roIl
Tor at le;,st 80 per months, from the 9TH day
Of May, 1896.
We not ce move is about to be made to
place the name Of Gen John M. Palmer on
the penson-rol at S10O per month. We
dent object to this, but simply ask that at
the same time the poor old comraie, Charles
Allen he also placed on the roll-not at $lUO
per month, but at 50, as above prayed for.
We ask Tins in justice, and we ask it because
it is right. And for this we will ever pray.
BY command of the Post:
LEWIS KIRK WOOD, Post Commander.
Official:
w. II. LEMON, Post Adjnfnnt.
FREEONT, Ind, jan 81, 1899.
This presents, in concrete shape,
the evil-minded Juggling introduced by
Lochren into the management of the
Pension Bureau, and which still con-
tinues. 1t shows why the veterans were
bitterly dissatisfied with the manage
ment of the Pension Bureau under
Cleveland, and are no less SO with that
of Mr.. Henry Clay Evans. If the
people of the country could be made tc
understand the cruelties and fragrant
lnjustices of this sharp practice wave
of Indignation would sweep over them
that would cover the authors of such
tricks with lasting ignominy. Let US
review the facts:
Comrade Chas. Allen was a good,
faithful soldier, and served three wears
in one of the best regiments in the
army. The 4th Mich. began its fight
Ing on the Peninsula, and lost 20 men
killed at Galnes's Mill, 81 at Malvern
Hill, IA at Fredericksburg, 40 at Get
tysburg, IL in the Wilderness, 10 at
Spottsylvania, and so on. At Gettys-
burg it had hand,to-hand con-
fict in the Wheat Field. A rebel
officer seized the flag of the 4th,
aud was Immediately shot by the
Colonel-H. II. Jeffords-who was the
next instant bayonetted by rebel SOL
der, who was in turn shot dead by the
Major of the regiment. w. Hall.
Altogether the regiment lost 189 killed,
l4.2 per cent. Oh IL, total enrolment.
1t had ,32o men on lis rolls, Of whom
632 were killed or wounded, nearly
every other man. After three years of
service in such regiment Comrade
Allen, after due proof of his disabilities,
in 1864, when all the circumstances
were fresh in the minds of his officers
and comrades, was granted pension of
81 month. There can be no doubt
q l,-~< L. Il Il