The National tribune., 1901-06-13
IRRITATING FUsTIAN.

When sensible men reflect upon the fact
that more than eight out of every nine
men and women on the pension roll get
but So week or less, and that more than
half get but So a week or less the rotten
fustian with which Evans is constantly
filling the papers becomes intensely irri'
! tating.
All Americans will at once say that
any man who served his country honor
ably during the war is, now in his old
age, unquestionably entitled to at least the
moderate allowance of S3 week during
the remainder of his life. No right feel
ing man would for a moment think of
denying that much to him or to his widow
if he be dead. 1t would look like base
National ingratitude.
Every man who served in the war Of
the rebellion is now past 80 years of age.
More time has passed since the close of
the war than was ever suffered to pass
after any war before giving all the sur
vivors service pensions. UnbrOken pre-
cedent establishes the right of every man
who has an honorable discharge to place
Oh the pension roll Taking the relative
value of money into consideration, the
IS month allowed all survivors of the
Revolution. the War of 1912, and the
Mexican and Indian Wars was much
higher than the average pension today.
Therefore. all this racket by Mr.. Evans
about his phenomenal honesty; about his
unparalleled ability; about the cloud of
pension sharks who have compassed
him around; about the wicked and design
ing men whose schemes he illustrates;
about the vicious and lazy creatures who
are trying to live in luxury Mt the expense
of the Government; about his wonderful
savings to the Treasury-all this elaborate
and costly system of Examining Surgeons,
Special Examiners and endless circumlo-
cution of red tape-boils itself down to n
system of tricks, evasions and dishonest
devices to keep aged men and women out
of the 81 or SO a week which the laws
give them and which the American people
believe they should have.
1t can be nothing else.
Whether a man served 80 days and
was hOnorably discharged is fact that
can be ascertained in a few minutes at
the War Department.
II he did, then he is past 80 years of
age, and certainly more or less broken.
He is therefore entitled to a pension.
1t then follows that all of Mr.. Evans's
prodigious efforts in the past four years,
with (which the country has rung, have
been nothing else-could be nothing else
than juggling with the laws to keep these
men from getting that which the people
intend they shall have.
The wickedness of claim agents has
consisted in insisting that their clients
should receive the 81 or So a week that
the laws provided.
''The greed of the Treasury-Iootersr has
been the righteous requests of prematurely
aged and enfeebled men. presenting their
honorable discharges in evidence of serv-
ice performed in their youth, for fulfill
ment of the promises made to them when
they saved the Nation from mortal peril.
Remembering that eight out of every
nine of the men and women on the pension
roll get but So week or less;
Remembering that more than half Of
the whole number get but 81 week or
less:-
How sickening-how shamefll-how
meanly ungrateful-seems all this rant
and rhodomontade with which Evans has
filed the country since he has been in Of
fee.
How can any man speak or write of
the wonderful valor and sacrifices of
Americans in the great war without pain
full bushes at the thought that there is
an official of the Government who never
ceases extoiling himself for his success in
beating the men who did all these things,
and their widows, out a petty 81 a week
to support their old age?