The National tribune., 1900-01-25
MAHoN. OF PENNSYLVANIA.


the floor of the House. Mr. Thaddeus NJ
Mahon, of Pennsylvania, is now serving
his fourth term in the House, but in the
seven years that he has been in Congress
he has attracted so little attention that wheT
his name is mentioned it has to be pains
takingly explained that he is m ember ot
| Congress from Pennsylvania.
In the seven years that Mr.. Mahon has
seen anything in the Record from him
worthy of notice or comment-either favor
able or adverse, until his astonishing speech
last Friday in defense of Mr.. Evans. This
was so full of glaring misstatements OF
facts, that it would appear fortunate for
Mr.. Mahon's reputation that he has not
spoken oftener. If he knew no more about
other subjects coming before Congress, or
were as reckless in his assertions concern
ing them, as about pensions, he would
have made himself laughing stock.
Take for example this startling untruth:
81 want to say that the Commander-in-
Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.
at their convention in the City of Phlia-
delphia within the last year, appointed Il
committee of men who were prominent
during the war-and my Comrade Norton,
from OHIO, knows all about lt-and sent
them over TO the City of Washington.
Pension Commissioner Evans threw
open the doors and gave the committee all
the information desired, and after a thor
ough and complete investigation by the
representatives of the Grand Army of the
Republic i'll the United States, who repre-
sented these men fairly and honestly, the
committee went back to that great Encamp-
ment and made report that this infamous
lie created by these pension sharks was
without foundation and without proof.
And that great body Of the old army, mum
bering thousands of delegates, ndorsed the
Commissioner and said his administration
OF that Office was just and i'll the interest ol
the old soldier of the civil war
The man simply did not know what he
was talking about, or else did not care TO tell
the truth, because every statement IS flag
rantly opposed TO the facts.
In the first place, the Commander-in-
Chief did not send the Committee over"
from Philadelphia. The bitter discomfort
of the veterans had manifested itself at
Cincinnati, the year before, in the unani-
nous passage OF resolutions denouncing
the maladministration of the Pension Bl-
reau. 1t was hoped then that this would
bring relief. AS the months rolled by and
the relief was not forthcoming the feeling
among the comrades increased to such an
extent that the Acting Commander-in-
Chief called d meeting of the National
Committee on Pensions in Washington
last July. This Committee found number
of the complaints only too well-founded,
and attempted to secure their redress.
This was promised them, but was not made,
and the Committee was compelled to make
a report to the National Encampment, at
Philadelphia, in which the administration
of the pension laws was criticized with the
greatest severity. This was adopted by
the National Encampment without a dis
senting voice, and Committee appointed
to carry the grievances directly to the Presi-
dent of the United States. In view of these
well-known facts, Mr. Mahon shows I'M
usual hardihood in making such state
ment.
When Mr. Mahon stated that THE Ma
TIONAL TRIBUNE had stirred up all this
feeling at the instigation Of pension at
torneys, he stated what was absolutely I'M
true, and which he can hardly help knowing
is untrue. He must have known it from the
thousands Of letters he has received from
his own constituents, who are victims of the
Pension Bureaus injustice. He must have
individual knowledge Of the merits of these
poor men and women, and their fragrant
mistreatment by the Pension Commits
sioner. He knows that THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE has absolutely no connection
with any pension attorney, nor cents
worth of interest in any pension claim, and
that it only represents the feeling which
exists in his own District on the subject
We challenge him to say that he can not
find in his correspondence every day some
cases which will fully bear out every allie
cation which THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
has made against the Pension Bureau.
He exposes himself to the sneers and ridi-
cule of every veteran in his own District by
such farrago.
And he knows that it is not true that there
is a ring of pension sharks" in Washing
ton. He knows the falsity Of that rdicu-
lous bogy quite as well as any one, even Mr..
Evans.
Mr.. Mahon says that he has handled
$500 pension cases since he has been in
Congress. That in itself is the strongest
indictment that could be made against the
management Of the Pension Bureau. 1t
means that in his District alone there have
been $500 veterans and their widows who
have been denied the benefits which the
laws granted, their own applications and
the efforts Of their attorneys have been fruit
less, and at last they have been compelled
10 invoke the powerful aid of their Repre-
sentative in Congress. If the laws had
been fairly administered. would these de-
serving claimants have had 10 go outside
of the legitimate channels and invoke
political and official influence TO secure
them their rights? Most aSsuredly not.
Mr.. Mahon's seven years in Congress cover