The National tribune., 1900-01-25

}, list. TO read this paper. and then come in
: here and say that the Commissioner ol
Pensions has not fully and to the utmost
r extent discharged the duties OF that hlgh
e office. Applausel
: The average amount paid annually t6
| each pensioner, invalid, and widow now on
the rolls, is s132.74, a magnificent record
made by the Congress of the United States;
The annual value of the entire pension roll
amounts of S131 ,617. .961. l am now
speaking of the year, just closed, that
amount being S649, 1876 more than has ever
been paid out in any single year in the
history of the Pension Office
Notwithstanding this fact. that we have
: made this large increase over all previous
Years. still the Pension department is critl-
l cized for its illiberaltiy. have had under
my own supervision and under my own
notice cases in which there were hardShlps,
no doubt. In those cases felt that justice
had not been done the claimants rs my
friend from Ohio and my friend from MaSSa-
chusetts have said. But where is there Il
court in Christendom, where is there a
Judge, or where is there any tribunal any
where of which litigants do not complain
that they have not had full justice done
them? And in this great Bureau, which
last year handled over 153, 900 cases, why,
if a case involving little hardship now and
then did not occur, it would be extra
ordinary.
L It Ntltllillstl ilt lllllt Ol lllt 3 'iitA'
man has expired.
Mr.. Mahon submitted as part of his
remarks a report of the Commissioner OF
Pensions of the work of the office for the
past year
Mr.. Benton congratulated the Republi
cans that in the beginning of another
Presidential canvass they have found
a scapegoat on this pension question. l
felicitate the gentleman from Pennsylva-
MIA and the Republican party in laying the
whole trouble on the pension attorney
know that he Is found somewhat an OBJ
streperous animal. He gives us all more
or less annoyance, and he gives you. an
excuse to defend your Administration
Mr.. Benton went on to discuss private
pension legislation. 81 was of the opinion
| that the Invalid Pension Committee, under
the lead of the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Ray) was exceedingly careful, if not
Stingy, during the 55th Congress. j did
not learn until late in that Congress that
| myself must pick out one or two bills
and try to get them through.
II introduced something like 20 bills.
] came within an ace of getting one through.
Just about two days before Congress ad-
| Journed an affidavit which the Chairman
required me to get was forthcoming, and l
am sure that the gentleman from New York
would have reported the bill favorably for
that widow if Congress had not expired.
So came within one of getting one pen
sion bill passed out of the 20 introduced.
Now, if other gentlemen did not do any
better than l did, the complaint they
would have was that the Pension Com
mittee was not liberal enough for them"
Mr.. Ray explained: Speaking about
the requirements OF the Committee that
gentlemen Of the House should point out
the bills they want considered we had
referred to our Committee somewhere be-
tween 5000 and 5000 bills. II was not
within the possibility for us to take up the
bills and examine their merits and look
| through them, and therefore we had to ask
members of the House TO call to our atten-
| ton the bills they wanted considered first.
So no one could complain of that action"
| OUGHT TO BE FAIRLY CONSTRUED.
Mr.. Benton proceeded TO say: Now, am
not going to fall over myself against
the allowance of pensions, for as long as
we have the laws on the statute books
| which we have, then, III my opinion, they
ought to be fairly construed by the execu-
| tive officer. | have no doubt, / say to gen
tlemen on this side Of the House, that they
are now and then wrong. | am satisfied
some men are able TO prove more than others.
] have seen men getting no pension at all.
| | have got number of cases i'll my own
mind which come about in very unfortu-
nate way.
Under the old law men are required to
prove by somebody that the wound secured
in the line of battle or in the line of duty. i
have in mind one case where man was
shot and taken to hospital; while in the
hospital he took the smallpox and came out
of it deaf. He is not getting any pension.
Unfortunately, he could not draw one un-
der the law Of 1890 because of the law, and
he could not draw one under the law of
1862, for the reason that there is not and
has not for % years been single man liv-
ing who knew absolutely that he was shot
in the line of duty, although the proof was
made-and think that is hardship-by
nj nf mother cnl11I that rpp
him while he was down.
But no comrade was around tEere, and
| the Pension Office will not grant HIM u pen
sion for that reason. There are number
| of such hardships. ] have no doubt a
number Of claims are allowed at the Pen
sion Office that are UNJUST, because OF the
| fact that some men can prove more than
others and prove it easier. j know men
Justly complain who draw S6 or 81 "A month
for a very small disability that occurred
whllc.l in the army, and other men are draw
ing Sl2 month who got sick after the war
was long over.
! 'Thcse things look unfair to gentlemen.
| Let me say to you. the very best thing we
can do is TO watch and see whether the
Executive officers of the Government fairly
| conStrue the law under which they act.
Now, as far as | am concerned, | am
not going to quarrel with anybody, but my
| Judgment is that nothing good can come
Of criticiSing these large pension bills.
| They are not gong to grow any smaller
for several years, and you will find that in
"A short time young congressman from
Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Virginia
will clamOr Just as hard for pensions to the
soldiers of the Spanish-American war as
will our Republican friends from Iowa, Hi
nois and Ohio and Indiana for pensions
for the old veterans of the civil war. 1t is
altogether according to how hard you are
pressed, and by whom you are surrounded,
as to where your heart is on this question"
| Applause and laughter.
y WIDOWS CLAIM
Mr.. Hill, of Connecticut. Mr.. Chair
man. / have Just taken a letter from the
postoffice which | wish to read. 1t is from
Il widow asking assistance for another.
She says:
This is n case of Mrs. -, whose
| husband died last May. He drew a pen
sion for a few years previous to his death,
and she has tried very hard 10 obtain the
widows pension, but as yet has not sue
ceeded. She is a very worthy woman.
Her husband left her with a farm, but no
money. She is over 20 years of age, and
really needs this"
Now, | have no desire to criticise the
Pension Office and am not going to do so,
but this is simply n type of very many
letters which | have received, and have in
mind now the case of a widow ln-my town
who has property valued at $1,000 by the
assessor. 1t is a little home out in the
country. She lives in it herself. She
is 20 years or more of age, with absolutely
no income whatever. Yet the ownership