Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-04
AS TO CLAIMS AND CLAIMANTS
Origin and Significance of the Attacks
Made Upon Pension Com
missioner Evans.

FORT RANDALL, S. D., Dec. Ito the
| Editor of The Bee: l see by the Chicago
Inter Ocean that the commander in chief of
the Grand Army of the Republic has sub
mitted his repo&Afso the president for his
recommendations congress regarding the
pension laws. y8sS fully satisfied to learn
that all the past q proaches which the Ma
| tional Tribune brought and heaped upon
| the present commissioner of pensions, II.
c. Evans, were proven to be 'ibes. Mr..
Evans report to the secretary OF the in
terror was a clear sheet of his work as COM
missioner of pensions. The same report
where prejudice will not exist, as with the
National Tribune. can be found by any
honest, well thinking person to be the clear
est made by any commissioner since the
days of Major w. n. Dudley as commits
sioner. Fault was found with Commissioner
Evans for protecting the veterans from the
many sharks who are feathering their nests
for the good of the pensoner that this tribe
of claim agents are working, but for the
money that is in it, But for our congress at
Washington and the carefulness of Commls-
sioner Evans the poor pensioner would be
robbed of the little he would receive.
| have had trial Of the sharks myself.
In October, 1877, / received a letter from
one Fitzgerald in Washington, a claim
agent, requiring from me $15 and he would
get me a pension in less than six months.
| showed his letter to other pensioners who
pronounced him all right | sent him the
s15, which was but a forerunner. Six
months afterwards he asked $40 more. This
be did not get. The next l heard from him
he required postage stamps to the amount
of 81 in order that he could keep me posted
in a claim he (Fitzgerald) never submitted
TO the Pension department. His next move
was to dispose of the National Tribune to
the lamented George E. Lennon, the SOL
dier's friend. Such are the men that Com
missioner Evans did exclude from his office.
Commissioner Evans was found fault
with Why? Because he did not court the
Washington attorneys as grand advisers
and take into his confidence an established
set of sharks. 1t is well we have no such
men in Washington representing the far
west
The report of pensions granted every
week. which is shown by The Bee, to Ne
braska, Iowa and South Dakota veterans, is
but a small fraction OF what is granted all
over the states, and still the cry is, Evans
must go!" This is the height of nonsense
Mr.. Evans is as good and as just as can
be found, but the Almighty God could not
please all, and most undoubtedly Mr.
Evans cannot. Fault was found with him.
Why? Because he protected the govern
ment and also the Densioner when 1t was
necessary TO do so.
Certainly. claims are kept back for many
months awaiting the necessary testimony
as is required by law The delay is the ap
picant's own fault Here is case which
came under my observation. A man put up
a claim, stating he belonged to the Sixth
Iowa cavalry. He has no discharge from
that regmont his name could not be found
in the records CT the War department nor
in the archives of his state. Now. Mr..
Evans would be a fine man in the eyes of
this applicant If he awarded the pension
without proof of his service from some
quarter 1t is for such protection of the
government that the National Tribune has
barked so much from day to day about Mr
Evans JOHN H. M'LAUGHLlN.