The National tribune., 1900-05-17
THE AMENDED ACT OF JUNE 81. 1890.

June 27, 1890, are now a law, having been
! signed by the President May 8, the same
day that he received the bill from Congress.
The long and persistent efforts of the Com
mander-in-Chief and Pension Committee
are therefore crowned with that measure
OF success. The mistake made was in not
asking for more, and making that more
mandatory, so as to put it beyond the
power of any mischievous Commissioner
of Pensions in the future to disturb. The
mistake was due TO the changed conditions
from last Fall, when the Committee for
mulated its plan. The temper of Congress
was then not thought favorable to a de-
cided increase in liberalIty, and the Com
mittee asked for the thing that seemed
then could be gotten without delay. 1t
hoped that the bill would be passed before
the holidays, and give the comrades and
| their widows the relief 1T contemplated.
Its consideration was delayed, however,
for various reasons, until the Congress
| men had been out home to see about their
fences, when they wakened up with start
to the knowledge that something must be
done to meet the universal complaints Of
| the veterans and their friends. Then
| they were in the mood to pass a bill of much
more comprehensive and liberal character
| than that prepared by the Committee, but
under the repressive management of
Speaker Henderson and Chairman Sullo-
way nothing was allowed to be added to the
bill, and it was passed precisely as the Com
mittee prepared it last Fall.
A careful study of the law shows that it
leaves the obnoxious discretion" Of the
Commissioner substantially where it was
before. The construction by the Com
missioner remains the main thing. 1t
directs, but does not specifically order, the
grouping of disabilities. This grouping
was the obvious intention of the law when
first passed, and it was so construed by
President Harrison, Secretary Noble and
Commissioner Raum. Commissioner
Lochren reversed this construction, and
Mr.. Evans closely followed his precedent,
StDuIly DIObcSliliS lUI IlOic tNO ytSiio
that he could not do otherwise, and that it
was out Of the power of the Secretary Of the
Interior or even the President to change
that construction. Then, at the visit of the
Committee last Fall, ,hesuddenly announced
that he was doing the very thing that he
had claimed he was so powerless to do, and
was grouping disabilities. The Committee
found, by actual investigation at the
Bureau, that this was not SO, and carried
the case to the President. But they took
him at his word so far as to prepare bill
which would put the matter beyond ques-
ton.
1t is much the same with the limitation
on widows pensions. Commissioner
Raum found abundant warranty in the
original law for allowing a widow PEN
sion though she might have an income Of
$500, but Lochren invented some reason
for denying pension to any one who had
an income in excess of $9G, and Evans
slavishly followed him.
The good that the amendments viii do
remains to be demonstrated. The whole
matter is still as absolutely within the
Commissioners discretion" as before
If he chooses, he can juggle with and de-
feat these amendments just as successfully
as he has previous laws. He is reported
as saying that it viii cost $1,000, 900 to
carry the law out. Really, that is, it will
cost that amount, or three times that
| amount, if he chooses to make it SO. 1t
need not cost $1,000 if he so decides
1t all depends upon him, and what bizarre
| view he may take. There is rumor that
the matter has been referred to the Presi-
dent for an executive order on the subject.
or at least an indication of his wishes.
In view of the unmistakable evidences
Of the bitter discomfort of the veterans
and their friends with the mis-
management Of the Pension Bureau
which have reached Congress and
the President, we may reasonably hope
for much more liberal administration of
the Pension Bureau than has obtained
since Lochren begun the present regime of
injustice and illiberality.
If this hope shall be realized, 1t will be
all that THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE has
fought for with such persistence. 1t is
absolutely immaterial to us who is Com
missioner of Pensions, SO long as he exc
cutes the laws faithfully and in accordance
with their true intent and purport. If he
does this we shall praise him; if not, de-
nounce him, no matter who he may be,
or to what party he may belong.
But, as matter Of policy, we will say
that Evans will have to be several times as
liberal as new Commissioner would have
to be, in order to overcome or even greatly
lessen the bitterness and distrust which
his three years of maladministration has
aroused in the minds of the comrades.
|
| APPARENTLY, the British are making
a very creditable cavalry raid, for the re-
lief of Mafeking. They have about 5000
cavalry, unaccompanied by any wheels
and are on swift rush. If the Beers had
any Of the generalship with which they
1 l,,., Ioa,- .%ol L..