The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-08

arise from want OF unuerStanulnB as
to these conditions. Thus for example,
a soldier is entitled under the general
law to $17 per month for the loss of
an eye, but under the act of 1890 he re-
ceives only Sc per month, as 1t does not
incapacitate him materially from earn
ing a subsistence by manual labor
So, in the case of deafness. A soldier
who is suffering from a degree of deaf
ness emitting him under the general
law to $40 or SIS per month has no
penslonable status under the act OF
1890, as the slight degree of deafness in
question does not incapacitate him
from earning support by manual
the general law regardless of her pos
sessions, while under the act of 1890
the enjoyment of an income in excess
of the amount she would receive as
pension is a bar to pension under that
act. When these different conditions
arise in the same neighborhood, people
seldom stop to inquire as to the law
under which application is made, and
when a claim is allowed under the gem
eral law at a high rate for a degree
of deafness which does not entitle to
a rating under the act of 1890 it neces-
sarily results in criticism of the COM
missioner. When a widow, who is in
afIluent circumstances, is granted a
pension under the general law while q
claimant not nearly so well off is de-
MED a pension under the new law be-
cause she is not without other means
of support than her daily labor, it
seems to the public to be an unjust dis
elimination on the part of the bureau.
Yet the law creates these conditions,
and it is not within the commissioners
power to do otherwise than execute the
law as construed by the Interior de-
partment, but in nearly all these cases
the pension bureau gets the blame
when it attempts to carry out the law
as it exists.
During President Grants first term,
from 1869 to 1873, there were allowed in
all II ,462 claims of the Civil war. Dur
ing his second term, from 1873 to 1877.
there were allowed 47359 claims, and
during president Hayes term, from
1877 to 1881, 39,945 claims were allowed.
This shows that the number of allow
ances for 1898 was greater than those
for the entire four years Of Grants Sec
ond term and the entird administra-
| tion of President Hayes. In President
| Grants first term the total payments
| for pensions were $116,136,275; during
his second term, $114, ,395, ,357, and dur
ing President Hayes term, s145, 1929, ,4S9
Thus it appears that the payments for
1898 were largely in excess of the
amount paid during either the first oil
| second administration of President
Grant and almost as much as was paid
| during the entire four years of Presi.
! dent Hayes administration,
These are the facts in the case
Speaking of the efforts being so assidu.
ously made to place him in an unfavor.
able light before the soldiers and the
country, Commissioner Evans says: 90
am convinced that the foundation o.
the clamor that is being raised will bt
traced to my refusal to allow claim
agents to run the bureau. I have en-
| uedNOTeu 10 dlOTu CldlilldHlS VINO arr
not represented by attorneys every
facility for the prosecution of theil
claims, and have often found it neces
sary to take action which the attor
neys do not like, and as a result they
appear to have organized systemati
attacks upon the bureau from all direc
tions, thereby endeavoring to create
sentiment of hostility among the sol
diers to the administration of the pen
sion bureau, when, as q matter of fact
all the officers and clerks are putting
forth their best efforts to adjudicat
claims justly and speedily, and in con
formity with the law as it exists.
realized when 1 came here how hard
place it would be to try to fill. l there
fore selected the best eX-Union soldier
in the whole bureau and gave them tn
responsible positions, hoping that tn
, soldiers would appreciate the fact tina
their comrades were on guard"
Veterans who stop to reflect ought t
realize that Major Mckinley, himself
Grand Army man, and Pension Com
missioner Evans, also a comrade, woul
be the last men in the world to toleI
, ate in the administration of the pensio
office abuses or injustices which it
within their power to cure.