The National tribune., 1900-02-15
THE soMMANDER-1N-cHIEF.s SPECIE

THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES SPEECH.
We give up good portion of our space
this week to the publication in full of the
speech of the Commander-in-Chief at the
Grand Army banquet in this city, Monday
evening, Feb 8. The speech is eminently
worth all the space we give it. The Grand
Army, represented by the Commander-in-
Chief and National Pension Committee
have. like the old farmer in the fable. been
trying turf on the Pension Commissioner.
Now they will TRY what virtue there is in
stones" Mr.. Evans, with the aid of his
cver-active literary bureau. has succeeded
part of the people as to what the Gran d
ARM has really said AMI mnant about him.
Because the Pension Committee and the
National Encampment spoke with reserve
and dignity. because they did not specify
him by name. and apply to him rpthctS
which he richly deserved. he has had the
autacity 70 claim that he was "vindicated."
''iIlo1s,l." "nloaerltai." Commended" :"
etc. As none of the great daily papers
published the report of The Committee on
Pensions. ani if thcv had il would have been
difficult for tho general and non-vetorau
raa Her to fully understand the ncccss ariIy
complicated presentation Of the case. he was
able to deceive the public. But neither
he nor his satellites can mvstify or pervcrt
the plain. straightforward words of the
Connln1er-in-Chief They are as clear.
incisive an arraignment of his adminiStra-
ton of the Pension Bureau as the English
language is capable of, and addressed
directly to the sympathies of the common
people with the men who saved the Nation.
The speech leaves absolutely no room
for any one TO mistake the sentiments of
the Grand Army of the Republic TOW ard
Mr.. Evans. 1t was as formal and emphatic
u voicing rs could be made of the bitter
discomfort of the veterans over the heartIeSs
breaking of the promises made to them in
1896. The speech was delivered at publ
and formal gathering OF the Department of
the Potomac. GAR, and enthusiastic
ally approved by every comrade present.
1t was delivered within stones throw of
the White House, in the presence of Mem
bers of the Cabinet. Senators and Repre-
sentatives, and its more essential portions
were published in the daily papers of the
city so that it could be read by the Presi-
dent, Cabinet, and Congress. 1t was the
first Zine that anything adverse 10 Evans
has been allowed to be published in some of
the papers.
The Commander-in-Chief followed up
his arraignment by n vigorous letter to the
Department of the Potomac. which we
publish elsewhere. in which he makes
crushing rejoinder to Evans's perennial
shrek of frauds" by showing how incom-
parably greater are IN" frauds with which
the other Commissioners. those of Customs.
Internal Revenue, Land Office, ETC.. have
to contend with, and yet none of them
'shock the general ear with
horrid speech"
Differing markedly from Evans, none of
these other Commissioners is constantly
filling the papers with self-laudation as TO
how much smarter and more honest and
more devoted to the public interest he S
than any of his subordinates or prede-
cessors. Unlike Mr.. Evans, no other one
is forever telling how miserable he found
the conditions of his office, how incom-
petent and untrustworthy are all his sub
ordinates, how ignorant his predecessors
were of the true meaning of the laws, and
how his keen intelligence and unfiinching
are all that stand between the
Treasury and mob of ravenous looters.
The speech was mastery effort, and
marks new epoch. in the agitation for
justice to veterans and their widows
Its effect for good can not help being
marked.