The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-26
GENERAL SICKbES REPLIES
Defends His Position in Regard TO
the Pension Commissioner.
He Admits Having Written the Let
terS Complimentary to Nr- Evans,
But Says That the Bureau Has
Reen TncompctentIy Conducted.

NEW YORK. June 26.-Gen. Daniel E.
SicIxIes said tbs -~-~fnsy that he would
make a formal ;iilS,.vl within short time
to the statement issued yesterday by Pen
sion Commissioner Evans, in which the
Commissioner said that two years ago Cen
eTal Sickles was his most stanch sup
porter and made public two letters of the
general unquaIifedIy endorsing the con-
duct of the Pension Bureau by Mr.. Evans.
When asked today if the letters published
were correct transcripts of the CORE
spondence General SickIes said:
Just at the present moment I do not
want TO make any lengthy statement but
I VIII do so later. Commissioner Evans
has launched forth into a lengthy explain
alton OF what he considers my change
of heart and cites my letters to substan-
tate it / did write these letters; and,
further. when the Grand Army of the Re
public encampnaent at Philadelphia in 1889
wanted to pass sweeping resolutions con-
demnatory of Commissioner Evans, was
the one who opposed it 7 spoke with all
my energy against any such thing and 1
made plain my reason for so doing I
told the veterans that it was not right to
condemn a man before his policy had been
fully defined and before he had had q
chance to demonstrate the honesty of his
purpose.
Il told them I believed in the honesty
of Evans and l appealed 20 them to sus-
pend judgment until his future actions
made plain the fact that his conduct of
the Office was detrimental to the inter
ests of the old soldiers and in direct op-
position to the spirit and intent of the
pension laws aad the theory Of those who
designed means of helping those who
helped defend their country. Further. I
told them that II would cast a stigma on
Commissioner Evans TO demand his re-
uoval in the middle Of his term, and. if
their grievances were not remedied, they
could act when his term expired
My words at that encamDment fore
stalled action, and not only Commissioner
Evans but the President himself thank
ed me for it. Commissioner Evans knows
full well why my endorsement of 1888 was
given. and if he needs must know the
reason why it has been changed, 1 can
make that very plain also
Since 1888 I have been on the Pension
Committee OF the Grand Army Of the Re
public, and 1 am in a position to know
IN just what way the laws intended 10
help our soldiers and our soldiers wives
have been administered. Honesty is a
"
but when unmixed with common sense
and Intelligence. it develops into narrow
mindedness. Should an application for
pension be rejected because of the small
est technical error. is the welfare of the
veteran and the award of small sum to
prevent possible starvation OF less conse-
quence than the minute analysis of a pen
sion application to discover some possible
reason for rejecting his appeal?
Let me repeat for Commissioner -Ev-
ans benefit that he has conducted his Of
fee honestly, but OF his conduct of his
office. no more can be said When I speak
of individual cases. let me refer to one
that came up while was discussing mat
ters with him in his Office one day. [
asked to see some Of the rejected appli-
cations and the first one showed me was
from 4 neighbor Of mine in this district
did not know the man. I examined the
papers and could find no reason on which
his application could be rejected I called
the Commissioners attention to it and he
said he had not seen the papers. 1 asked
him who had passed on it. and he told
me the medical examiner. That gentle
man was sent for, and re professed total
ignorance of the case, saying that he had
never seen the papers / made an en-
phatie protest against such action and
Oh d EtN4G" gt li4dL dt5tiiCdlttL, II vas
granted that day. That was only one
case selected at random.
4 make no excuse for my position now
or in 1893. and I have been consistent in
my attitude I opposed hasty action then
and 1 did not hesitate TO endorse what
believed 10 he the stanch honesty and
straightforward purpose Of Commissioner
Exams
lie did not fulfill expectations. and not
my word alone but the Unanimous senti-
Inent of thousands Of old soldiers who
seek only justice and their deserts will
bear me out in my statements that Com
missioner Evans should give place to a
man who will not base his administration
OF d department such as the Pension Bu-
reau on honesty alOre-Which is not such
rare quality as might be inferred-but
viii add 10 ii an intelligent appreciation
of the needs of the Office