The National tribune., 1899-12-28
THE PENSION coDIrroArIos CoMMIs-


Commission to codify the pension laws
which is now on its way through Congress
are:
1. There is no need of such codification.
The pension laws are few in number, ex-
ceedingly plain and explicit in terms, and
incapable of misconstruction, except by
those who are determined to misconstrue
them. A codification would not prevent
such misconstruction, but probably give the
same persons fresh opportunities for mis-
construction.
2. The pension laws have quite recently,
to-wit, in 1894, or only five years ago, been
carefully codified, by pension experts, and
such codification was adopted by Congress.
Few new laws have been passed since
then, and these are of minor importance.
3. The proposition, emanating as it does
from the present Secretary of the Interior
and Comm issioner of Pensions, is open to
the charge that it is political device, to
stave off interference with the present
policy of the Bureau, and to beguile the
veterans and their friends until after the
coming Presidential election.
4. 1t promises no immediate relief from
the present intolerable condition in the
Pension Bureau, and immediate relief is
what the veterans and their friends demand.
The Commission would be startlingly
different from any other in the history of
the Government if it attacked the subject
with businesslike promptness. and com
pleted its work in a reasonable time. 1t is
almost hopeless to expect that it viii finish
the task in time to have the coditication
adopted by the present session of Congress,
in which case nothing decisive could be done
until after Congress reassembles next
December, or a year from now. In the
meanwhile probably 100000 veterans and
their widows will have died. Indeed,
the very language of the bill seems to con-
template the existence of the Commission
for some years. We may expect this.
Instances are quite rare where men holding
a good easy job, at $1,000 year, with a
pleasant residence in Washington, the
delights of official society, and a large
staff Of secretaries, clerks. messengers,
etc., to do the actual labor, have made
haste to work themselves out Of the job.
5. The Commission seems absurdly
cumbrous and expensive. The Senate has
increased the number of members TO five,
each at 900 year. This makes S25, 900
a year. Allowances for secretaries, ex-
perts, clerk hire, etc, may make another
$4,000, or $4,000 altogether. or possibly
$1,000 a week, for an indefinite period, or
enough to put 500 widows on the roll at
500 year. All this for doing work
which any competent lawyer would be
glad to do for 81 900, and think himself
well paid.
6. The charge is freely made that the
belonging to the Grand Army of the Re
public is intended as a direct bribe TO some
prominent Grand Army man to use his
standing and influence in the Order TO
help beguile his comrades into accepting
the Commission until after the election,
instead Of the reforms which the veterans
demand.
Z. The provision with regard to the Com
mission doing its work under the direction
of the Secretary of the Interior" would
seem at once to rob the Commission of the
non-partisan and Independent character
at first attributed to it, and make it merely
an addition of some higher grade clerks to
the Department of the Interior, and an
annex to the Pension Bureau. If the
Secretary of the Interior really wants to
codify the pension laws. and wants the work
done quickly and ably, he has got fine
instrumentality ready at hand in the Board
of Pension Appeals, a very able corps
Of men, thoroughly acquainted with the
pension laws, and which could do the work
in a few weeks, without extra expense to
the Government.
If it is desired to make five fat, comfort
able jobs for an indefinite term of years
for five politicians out Of a job, that lie
matter between the President and Con-
gress, in which the veterans have only a
remote and general interest. Not for an
instant are they going to accept the Com
mission as a meai.- Of relief, or look to it for
any sort of relief. They do not want the
laws codified, but executed according to
their plain terms and purport. They have
no sort Of belief that any Commission can
make the laws palmer than they now are,
or less susceptible of pervcrsion by any
Commissioner who chooses to pervert
them. So they will view the passage Of
the bill with profound Indifference. II
means nothing to them but an injudicious
expenditure Of public money.
SENATOR CLAY and Representative
Livingstone, of Georgia, will introduce a
bill into Congress TO make a National Park
of the scene OF the terrific fighting before
Atlanta, July %, 1864. The business
Mems League of Atlanta has secured an
option of loo acres Of land, which COM
prises the greatest part of the actual battle
field.
GEN. WILBUR r. SMITH, Secretary of
the Mexican National Association of Nexi-
can War Veterans, is working hard to
secure an increase of Mexican pensions TO