The National tribune., 1900-01-18
DEPARTMENT AND
CONGRESSIONAL NEWS.

DELAYED PENSION CLAIMS-LARGE
PAYMENTS.-Still there are rumors of the
unlawful, arbitrary action Of Commis-
sioner Evans in holding up for an indefinite
period, and without any sufficient reason,
completed pension claims that involve
large payments of money. 1t is said that
these cases are absolutely without flaw
as to legality and as to proof, and have
passed through all the lengths of official
routine, and the issuance of certificates is
withheld simply and solely because the
Commissioner wills It SO, and personally
checks the final formal action, the issuance
of the certificates.
WIDOWS ARREARS-GENERAL LAW
PENSION.-On the Sth instant the Senate
passed a bill Is. 1879 to repeal SO much
of the act of June z, 1888, as allows widows
claiming under the general law to receive
pension from the date of death of the de-
ceased soldier or sailor. The bill provides
that from and after the passage of this
act all pensions which may be granted
under the acts of July IA, 1852, and March
occurring from a cause which originated
In the service of the United States since
March a, 1861, shall commence from the
date Of the filing of the declarations then on
file, or which may hereafter be filed" 1t
will be seen that the proposed law is retro
active in effect, applying to all cases on
file, as well as to those hereafter filed. Ii
seems hardly possible that the bill will
become a law in this shape, as the effect
would be TO deprive applicants of rights
already accrued TO them under the act of
1888. In his report for 1899 Commissioner
Evans characterizes the act Of 1888 as
"bad law" and as holding out induce
ments" to the filing of fraudulent claims" {"
In this connection it is interesting to read
what Gen. John G.. Black, then Commits
sioner Of Pensions, and on whose recon-
mendation largely the law of 1888 was
enacted, had TO say in his official annual
report for 1887. He said: Our knowledge
of the sacred relations OF husband and wife
makes us know that the last thought which
often occurs TO the widow is that of the
pecuniary results of death. Moreover,
there is sense of delicacy which prevents
a woman from Immediately making applf-
cation TO be ayailed of the results of her
husbands death, and so between cares
dellcacy, and sometimes ignorance of
right, long intervals elapSa between the
death of the husband and the filing of the
application OF the widow. In such cases
as may hereafter arise it seems TO me that
the law should allow the commencement
Of the pension TO date from the death of
the husband, where the other conditions
required by the law are present" Mr.
Evans sees only the possible frauds" and
thinks only Of the various instances of
fraud that have occurred and have come 10
his notce-a few isolated cases. The
House Of Representatives may agree with
Gen. Black rather than Mr.. Evans.
AMENDING THE ACT OF JUNE 27.
1S90.-The bill IS. 1477) to amend sections
2 and Of the act of June u, 1890, passed
the Senate on the Sth instant, substantially
unchanged. AS to invalid pension title
under the act Of 1890 it is proposed that in
determining the degree Of inability to earn
q support by manual labor each and every
infirmity shall be duly considered, and the
aggregate OF the disabilities shown be
rated"
As to widows pension title under the act
1880 the bill was amended so as to provide
that the widow shall not be entitled if she
has resources from which, In the opinion
OF the Pension Bureau, an income of more
than $3.50 per year is derivable, even though
the income actually derived is $3.50 or less
per year. The bill now goes to the House
OF Representatives for action there
In the debate on the bill there was the
usual amount of lack of information and
knowledge of existing law displayed by the
honorable Senators.
EX-CoNFEDERATES-ACT OF JUNE
~, lS9O.-Ihe Senate passed ON the Sth
instant resolution Is. II. s. constituting
the act of June q, 1890, as to the pension
title OF eX-Confederates who served in the
United States army or navy during the war
OF the rebellion for 80 days or more, and
were honorably discharged. The resolu-
uon declares that the act Of June 27 1890
shall be held to apply to "all persons" who
80 served, but shall not apply to those who
served IN any Of the six regiments of United
States Volunteer Infantry" organized from
Confederate deserters and prisoners of war
In the Fall at 1864 and Winter of 1864 -G5.
1t Is somewhat doubtful if this resolution
can be construed as accomplishing what il
Is ostensibly intended to accomplish. Ii
Ffepeals the disloyalty laws only by impli-
cation and the act of June 81, 1880, itself
does as much. and was SO regarded fol
several years.