The National tribune., 1899-05-18
THE INDICTMENT AGAINST HENRY
CLAY EVANS.

Kinley as President of the United
States, Henry Clay Evans sought ant
secured the appointment of Commis
sioncr of Pensions. Whatever his idea
may have been upon taking the office
those of the veterans of the country anG
their friends as to his course and duty
were quite clear and strong. For foul
years the country had rung with de
nunciations of the cruelty and injustice
of the administration of his predeces.
sor, VIM. Lochren. The papers had
vigorously assailed Lochren's policy
at every gathering of veterans it had
been severely attacked; the National
Encampments of the Grand Army OF
the Republic had pronounced dignified
bat exceedingly earnest remonstrances
against it, and during the campaign
which had resulted in Maj. McKinley's
election, every stump had been a ros-
trum for vehement condemnation of it.
| These facts were as well-known to Mr..
Evans as to any other citizen of the
country, and the mere acceptance Of the
place by him was distinct pledge to
remedy the evils which had formed SO
large a part of the issues of the cam
paign. 1t was case of false pretense
Oh his part-an egregious confidence
game-for not only has he not remedied
substantially one of those evils, but he
has aggravated and intensified most of
them. 1t is clear now that he never
had the slightest intention of making
the reforms which the people demanded
by their votes in 1896, and that he took
the office with the intention of defeating
their clearly-expressed will.
So much for the general charge. Now
for the specifications which support it:
1st Specifcation.-There had been
universal complaint of the Boards of
Examining Surgeons as constituted by
Mr.. Lochren. These had been revo-
lutionized by him. Prior to his entrance
they had been non-partisan, and largely
constituted of ex-Surgeons of the army
who had experience with the veterans
and knowledge of and sympathy with
their ailments. Lochren made the
Boards strictly partisan, and made them
up of young fiedgling graduates, to whom
the income was a great inducement.
Mr.. Evans made many fourishing an
nouncements, and in some instances ap-
pointed new Boards, but in the main
the Boards continue as formed by
Lochren. The pretense that these are
under the protection of the Civil Service
has been thoroughly exposed in these
columns. But it is only fair to say that
these Boards have treated the veterans
a great deal better than Mr.. Evans has,
and large part of his baleful work has
been that of cutting in two the allow
ances they have made the veterans, or
in rejecting them altogether. Even the
Lochren Boards have been entirely too
liberal to suit him.
ed SpecJfcotion.-In response to the
complaints of the veterans Congress
passed the act of March 6, 1896, to stop
Lochren's juggling claimants under the
act of June q, 1890, out of the arrears
accruing between the filing of the claims
and their allowance. Lochren treated
this law as dead letter, and Evans has
continued his practice.
Sd Specifeation.-The per centage of
rejections under Evans equals that
under LochreD, and this at a time
when the execution of the laws should
be still more liberal, owing TO the
advancing years Of the veterans, the
intensifcation of their disabilities, and
consequent greater urgency Of their
needs.
18th Specifcation.-He has retained
around him, and is guided by, the same
ring in the Pension Bureau which d.
rected Lochren's policy. He has ad-
vanced ard promoted them, while re-
ducing or refusing promotion to clerks
and officials who were known to be in
favor Of executing the laws according
to their spirit and purport. One OF
these, the chief executioner under
I oolx1, Il r