The evening times., 1900-10-20

An interview. which was published in the
New Orleans Times Democrat of Octo-
Der 10, and which has gone unehaiienged
so far, viii give the young man who, in
his patriotic ardor answered the call Of
President Mckinley for volunteers to de-
fend his country food for deep thought.
Not only the young man, but his father
and mother, and indeed every American
who loves his country and is ready TO
sacrifice his life for it, will ponder and
finally recognize that all the fine words
which have been said about the brave
young men who died in the Spanish war
or came home wounded, crippled, or dis
eased, were nothing but idle talk, scat
tered broadcast not a genuine tribute
to his patriotism and valor, and a recog-
milton of his rights, but simply as a catch
penny, snare to get his vote. But the
cat Is out of the bag now. and the re-
suit Will surely not fail.
The following is a verbatim copy Of the
story of Mr.. Brooks, the trusted agent
and mouthpieee OF the trade mark
friend md champion of the soldier and
pensioner, the present Republican Admin
istration OF Mark Hanna:
Mr. brO0hS
Walter ]. Brooks, Assistant Chief Clerk
of the United States Pension Bureau, at
Washington, was guest OF the Cosmo-
politan Hotel yesterday. Mr. Brooks, his
brother. Dr. F. V. Brooks, and Mr. 7. R
Hennon of Washington, spent the day IN
seeing the sights of New Orleans, and they
were Ioud in their praises last night OF the
hospitality Of the people here. Mr.. Brooks
and his party left last night over the
Southern Pacific Railroad for the City OF
Mexico. They are going there purely on
pleasure trip and Will stop over III New
Orleans On their way back to Washing
ton.
The application for pensions from
those engaged in the Spanish war are COM
ing in fast said Mr.. Brooks, last evening,
TO a "TimeS-Denocrat' reporter. The bu-
reau has already fled 10000 applications,
and they are still coming in. Over 90 per
cent OF the members of the District OF Co
Iunbia regiment have filed applications for
pensions
How many OF these men were wound
sdr'
- Not one. so far as I know. Most of
them claim that they have been perma-
nentiy injured by contracting fever or oth
er diseases in camp
What percentage of Roosevelt's
Rough Riders have applied for pensions?'
cannot tell you; 1 haven't the sta
LLSIiCS on tndI regiment.
About what will be the aggregate sum
paid out annually for these 80 Geo pen
bions?'
oh, there won't be 10000 pensions
granted; I should say that not more than
so per cent of the applications viii be act
ed upon favorably. But about 1900 men
will get pensions and they will average
about $3.50 year each, or, say S2,250, COO
for all of them
Do you think that two millions and
a quarter dollars will cover the pensions
annually for the Spanish war;
No; experience has shown that the
pension list grows for a number of years
after the ciose of war. But lots of the
men who have applied for pensions are
young men who have nothing whatever
the matter with them The examinations
of our surgeons clearly show that. All
they have is pension fever" and that is
a bad complaint. When a man has it he
usually has il in violent form and it
becomes chronic with him
% How about the pensions for those en-
gagged in the Philippine war;
LazIness and immortality.
They are just beginning to come IN.
suppose they will come in rapidly soon,
but it is too early for them yet. We are
not pushing the Spanish war claims very
fast Most of the applicants are young
men and they do not need the pensions
very badly OF course, they viii get their
pensions from the day their applications
are fled, but we are in no hurry to grant
them 1t is the feeling at the Pension
Bureau that it is not a good thing for the
young men to draw pensions 1t makes
them lazy and is not good for them NOR
ally"
Commenting on this utterance of the
trusted agent of the Administration, who
claims to be the only friend of the young
man who offered his life to fight for his
country, the New Orleans Times Demo-
crat'' of October H. editoriaIIy says:
+SThe interview published in the Times
Democrat yesterday with Mr. Walter ].
Brooks Assistant Chief Clerk of the
United States Pension Bureau gives an
insight into the pension business and
some idea of what we may expect in the
way of pensions on account of our Phil
ippfne war Mr. Brooks holds an import
ant position in the Bureau, and may be
considered as speaking officially or semi
officially; and even he is disgusted with
the greed of some of the eX-soldiers-
they have what he is pleased to call the
pension fever and he rightly describes
It as bad complaint. When a man has
it. he continues he usually has il in a
violent form, and 1t becomes chronic with
him.
THE Republican party has used the
pension issue in politics far as it can
stretch it, and is using it today; but how
hypocritical 1t is in the matter is well
shown by the interview we gave, for Mr.
Brooks not only ridieules the pension fe-
YER, but he assumes in advance that the
bureau intends to throw out half of the
claims presented on account of the Span
ish war. The Republican party pretends
DISTRESSING STOMACH DISEASE