Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-10-04

ber was 21S,4S9. When Commissioner
Evans entered upon his work there |
were 100000 claims then pending. This |
avalanche of new claims has been
added thereto. The WORK of settling |
them has pursued with such diligence
that the end of the fiscal year, 1899
only 477,239 unsettled claims remained
on the files of the bureau, of which
only 1T2,197 were original, the re
mainder being for increase or addi-
tional allowance.
In fact the work Of the bureau is
now so nearly up to late that original
claims can be settled as fast as they
are completed by the filing of the
necessary evidence by claimants, and
this has been accomplished notwith-
standing that about 10000 additional
claims were filed last year on account
of the Spanish war. Since April /,
1897, the date of Commissioner Evans
taking office, over 10000 names of
pensioners who had been previously
dropped unjustly for various alleged
causes, under the last Cleveland ad-
ministration, had been restored to the
rolls, and these persons are now re-
ceiving pensions amounting to s1,600,-
600 annually. This work is still going
on, the commissioner having directed
the restoration of sos names during
May last. In the state of Ohio alone
the number of pensioners on June 80,
1899, was l05,G27, and the amount paid
| ri IN
| The act of 1890, passed by a Repub-
lican congress and approved by Re-
publican president, has been SO
literally administered under two Re-
| publican administrations that there
are now 420912 solliers and sailors,
and 1926 widows, receiving it's ben
efits, who would not be entirled under
the general pension law. During the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1899, over
$4,000 900 were paid to pensioners
under this act, being nearly one-half
the entire amount disbursed in pen
sions. While the liberality of this act
is beyond dispute, it was found that
the terms of the law deprived many
meritorious claimants from sharing its
benefits. Therefore, on May 9, 1900
an act was passed amending it-pop-
ularly known as THE Grand Army
Bill" This bill was favored by that
organization, and its eminent justice
caused it to receive the approval OF
the president and Commissioner
Evans. Section of this act liberal
ICES the provisions for pensionine
widows. The law of 1890 simply pro
, vidid that widow was not pension
! able unless she was without othel
means Of support than her daily labor
Under this, it was held that unless ;
. widows other means of support ex
, ceeded what her pension would b.
(S96) she was to be deemed withou
other support than her labor. The ney
: act provides that if a soldiers wild
= ow's income does not exceed $3.50 pc
!. year, she shall be pensionable. Thi
= will put on the rolls at least 4000
: deserving women.
= Much more might be said on thi
i subject, but every intelligent soldie
who has approached the matter in a
S inquiring spirit, knows that the Re
publican party has been the consis
I tent friend of the veterans from tn
beginning, and that the Democrati
l party has bean on the other side. Th
animus of the Democrats is clearl
shown in speech by Representativ
Sims, of Tennessee, on February l
= last, who declared 'if the souther
members of this house, who are nc
D dependent on the pensioners votes fo
their seats, do not take hold of thi
5 evil and root it out, no mortal ca
predict to what ruinous lengths it wi
60" He was speaking of the entir
pension system, and nothing less tina
its abolition will satisfy him. Thi
ought to be sufficient for every oil
soldier, and for every friend of tn
soldier.