Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-26
COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS
No Confirmation Of the Rumor of the Dis
placement Of Mr., Evans.
What Cabinet officer Says-CIaims
That the Law Is BEING
Carried Dat.

Public men who come to the White House
are very much Interested in the report ,Aat
Mr.. II. Clay Evans. the commissioner Of
pensions. might be transferred fron that
bureau. at the request of the Grand Army
OF the republic. because OF his alleged strict
construction of the pension laws
rms report cannot be confirmed at the
"htte House. In fact the information IS
to the contrary.
do no; believe said a member Of the
cabinet today, that the government VIII
encourage attack upon an official for doing
MS duty. especially when that official has
SHOWN great deal of backbone in doing
his duty
In TINS congestion it is recalled that in
the last republican administration a COM
missioner OF pensions was removed for con-
STRUNG the pension laws too easily
What MIR. Evans Friends Saw.
The talk at the pension bureau is that
Commissioner Evans, since he has been at
the head of the pension bureau. has given
the United States an honest administration
and been absolutely fair with the pension
ers. The mistakes of others. IL Is said
have been laid at his door but his loyalty
has forbidden him to speak and place the
responsibility where ii belongs People do
rot understand. VIII not II is alleged
that the commissioner of pensions is a
bureau official subject entirely 20 the or
GERS OF the Secretary Of the Interior. and
Ii the latter is not satisfied with the con-
structlon placed upon his rules and reguia-
lions by the commissioner of pensions IL is
for him to indicate a change and for the
commissioner. as a subordinate To follow
them The pension Office has long been
considered as the political burying ground
ana any one who has had the tcmerity 10
accept the position Of commissioner has
been lost in the Whirlpool of criticism IL
Is Tod fr,
satisfy the pension attorneys ard their
clients and at the same time he a con-
scientious officer.
The country at large realizes II is claim
ed. that In Commissioner Evans the adj
ministration has selected a man who. with
out regard to future considerations, has
conducted the business of the pension bu-
reau in an honest manner.
Il have noticed said friend Of the
commissioner, the statement that he was
TO be transferred 10 some other depa ri ment:
that the Grand Army desires 1t. and that
the pension committee Of that great body
VIII, at the next enCampment. make an adj
verse report on Commissioner Evans for the
manner in which he has conducted his de-
partment. These things. | believe. have
been prompted by the enemies Of Commits
sioner Evans When the Investigating COM
mittee was in Washington il was my prfyi-
lege to talk with one Of its members and
everything he said indicated that the com
mittee was most agrecably surprised at the
eminent fairness Of the commissioner: dep
recated the attacks that had been made
upon him and said that the comrades Of
the Grand Army would be glad to hear
their report. So ii would seem that there
is nothing in this charge that the commit
tee will criticise Commissioner Evans in it's
report
Now. as to the transfer. Does any poll
tician expect the President to remove a
nan who has been honest and fearless in
the administration of the most Important
bureau of the government Why, We
would have a bigger scandal than the War
Department gave us