The National tribune., 1899-04-27
EVANS MUST GO.

1t had been under earnest discussion
for over eight years. The comrades
had talked it over most thoroughly in
all their meetings, from those OF the
Posts to the National Encampments.
They had discussed it with their Sena-
tors and Representatives, until the lat
ter were fully possessed of their wishes.
The press of the country, from Maine to
California, had canvassed it, and also the
opinions of the veterans. Both Houses
Of Congress, after tireless consideration
of it in committee-rooms and on the
floor, had repeatedly passed it separately
in different Congresses. Then they
both passed it once, and Cleveland
vetoed it, which provoked another ami
mated discussion all over the country.
1t was finally repassed by the 51st
Congress, and signed by President Har-
rison. By this time every man in the
country fully understood that the in
tent and purpose of the law was to give
pension not exceeding S12 a month,
to every man who had served so days
and been honorably discharged, who
was suffering from any sort Of disability.
This made it an effective Service Pen
sion law, for no man who had been in
the army or navy between 1861 and
1865 was as good 4 man as he was at
that tine. He was then % years
older, and age alone lad impaired lis
faculties, to say nothing Of the strains
of his service, accentuated hy the lapse
Of a quarter of century of the
sharp struggle for existence which the
veterans had to wage after returning
home.
The President of the United States
interpreted it so, Assistant Secretary
Bussey and Commissioner Raum, whom
he appointed to conduct the pension
system, interpreted it so, the 5lst Con-
gress appropriated money to carry out
this Interpretation, as did the succeeding
Congress, which was Democratic. There
had been up to this time 10 question
that the law meant that every man who
possessed the requirements of 80 days
service and honorable discharge, and
was in any degree disabled from any
cause not due to his vicious habits, was
entitled to pension. Then in came
Cleveland, with his rancorous ISLANDERS
on pensioners rs class and his malicious
crusades against them, which were SO
to the Treasury and SO wan
tonly cruel TO the veterans and their
ones.
MIR. Cleveland dared not have re-
pealed the law upon which the veterans
ard their friends had spent 81 much
effort, but he set VIM. Lochrcn to work
upon devices and subterfugcs by which
it could be robbed of all the qualities
which had been painstakingly given it.
He was to worm-eat out all the heart of
the law, and leave the veterans but the
empty husk. Lcchren worked for
nearly four years with servile zeal TO do
his masters will. When lie had finished
the act of 1890 was scarcely more
than mockery of the bill which had
been passed six years before. And
the sadness of it was that each of
those six years had made it more
and more vitality important to the vet
Grams that the law, instead of being
eyiscerated, should be more literally
interpreted, to meet their rapidly-in-
creasing infrmities. Then Henry Clay
Evans came in, with the mandate of
the people to undo Lochrcn's wrongs,
and restore to the veterans the law as it
was passed by Congress and interpreted
by Harrison, Bussey, Raum, and two
Congresses. Mr.. Evans has done moth
ing Of the kind. He has treated the
will of the people with contempt. Not
a single unjust ruling of Lochren has
he reversed, not one harsh Interpretation
has he corrected. He has rather i'm
proved upon the copy set by his pre-
decessor, and given new harshness,
cruelty, and injustice to the execution
Of the law. In towering conceit, he
has assumed 10 be wiser than Congress
n