The National tribune., 1899-07-27
ABSURD IGNORANCE.

has been making itself ridiculous in the eye
of the veterans of Pennsylvania and Ne1
Jersey by its remarkable displays of ignoranC
on pension and veteran questions, and W
have received from the comrades in thos
States many clippings from it, with causti
comments. But this is the most absurd G
all. Read:
THE PENSION INVESTIGATION.
The report that the Loyal Legion threat
ems to retire from the Grand Army of tn
| Republic unless the latter organization
ceases TO permit itself to be used by pension
attorneys is creditable to the Loyal Legion
| The laws of the United States in regard t
pensions are ten times more liberal thai
those OF any other nation in ChriStendom
lGermany maintains a standing army o
6oo,ooO men, with a reserve corps of owe
3,o00,OOO at no greater coStthan the amoun
the United States pays for pensions alone
10 say nothing of the sum paid to retired
army officers.
There is not the slightest difficulty in any
deserving veteran getting the pension h'
may be entitled to without the intervention
OF a pension attorney. That is the posi-
ton taken by Pension Commissioner Evans
who aims to save the old veterans from
unnecessary expense by getting rid of the
y.
grown to be very rich. A Washington
| pension attorney who died a few years age
was reputed to he worth S2,0OO,00O
| Why should the Grand Army of the Re
public take pthe fight for the pension attOr
| neys? 1t is not concerned in their welfare
| There are many honest and worthy mer
| among the attorneys, But that class OF
! men are not concerned in this contest.
| They can not grow rich in the business. II
| IS olly the Shysters VINO hunt up and push
| through all sorts of doubtful claims. They
are the men making the fight on Com
missioner Evans.
The Grand Army committee which has
been making an investigation of the Pen
sion Bureau is reported to have found no
cause of complaint The Grand Army
never had more faithful member than
President Mckinley. 1t is in the highest
degree improbable that anything could be
done in the Pension Bureau under this
Administration that would be in the slight
est manner injurious to the honest veter-
ans. They can not do a worse thing for
their organization than to take up the
cause of the attorneys" who find in Com
missioner Evans, himself Grand Army
man, an immovable obstacle to fraudu-
lent claims.
In the first place, the Loyal Legion has
absolutely nothing to do with the Grand Army
Of the Republic, contrary to what the badly
informed editor of the Press imagines. The
two organizations are as separate and distinct
as the Odd Fellows and Masons Member
ship in the Loyal Legion is restricted to those
who were officers in the army or navy during
the rebellion, TO the sons of those deceased. and
10 distinguished citizens" A very large
proportion probably much more than
maiority-0f the members are also members of
t Grand Army. and the relations between
the two Orders always have been-probably
always will be-very cordial and frateraa
The Loyal Legion has no thought Of such
action as the editor of the Press asserts, first.
for the reason we have given, and next because
the Loyal Legion and the Grand Army are
very apt to think exactly alike on any question
that comes up
When the Press says that Germany main
tains standing army" etc, it simply revivcs
and revamps familiar Shrek of the New York
World, Journal, E5ening Post Times etc,
against the pension system, the falsity of
which has often been exposed by THE Ma
TToNAL TRIBUNE.
In the first place, it really costs Germany
over S20o, 900, 600 year TO maintain her army
In the next the German pension system is |
more comprehensive and effective than ours, |
for every kind Of public Office and employment |
is strictly reserved for those who have served |
in the army and their widows This extends |
TO the humblest watcher at a railroad crossing, !
with special preferences TO those who have
served in war time. Thirdly, and most i'm
portant Of all, our pension roll represents more
hard fighting than all the armies of Europe
hare done uitbin The lifetime of any man no,D
on any pension rOll-dOmestic or foreign.
We can bring 100000 witnesses within a
fortnight to utterly disprove the Press absurd |
that there is not the slightest diff
Guilty in any deserving veteran getting the
pension he is entitled to-" etc. Within a
month we can add another 100000 Witnesses
TO the first and so on We can demonstrate
beyond shadow Of doubt in any reasonable |
mans mind, that there is nothing in this
country made so exasperatingly hard TO prove
as rightlul pension claim There is nothing
so clogged about with senselesS pctifogging :
technicalitics. with cunning devices TO defeat
the claimant and nullify the law; with cruel
yexatious, heart breaking delays and heart
less denials. Thousands Of as good soldiers
as fought under the flag go TO their graves
every year with souls crushed by the in
gratitude Of the Government.
This is matter SO notorious that if the |
editor Of the Press had ordinary newspaper
intelligence he could satisfy himself Of it by
even a casual examination.
Ii is not true that pension attorneys make |
wealth. There are very few Of them
that can Show anything but exceedingly |
returns for lifetime Of very hard |
work. There is no business in the country so |
harassing and battling, in proportion to the
fees, than the prosecution Of pension claims
1t has been designedly made so. Obstacles
arc thrown in the way Of the prosecution of
pension claims such as do not exist, nor would |
be tolerated, in the prosecution of any other
claims against the Government. One reason |
is that the amounts involved are so small and |
the attorneys fees so insignificant that it is |
not practicable TO take the cases into the higher
courts and obtain correction of the Pension |