Evening star., 1901-06-27
EVANS AND SICKLES
What Broke Of the Relations Be-
tween the Two.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF 4 LAW
What Pension Officials Say of the
Commissioner.
THE GENERALS STATEMENT

THE GENERALS STATEMENT
Gen. Daniel E Sickles again gave out a
statement in New York yesterday in ref
erence to his opposition to Commissioner
Evans Of the pension bureau. and today
officials who have long been associated
with Commissioner Evans broke their 81
lence and gave to Star reporter their
version of the underlying ground of an
tagonism which Gen Sickles entertains
for their chief. Mr. Evans has lately been
prevailed on by many of his friends to
open up his ammunition and let the enc
my have a round of shot," as It is general
ly understood that he could effectively re-
ply to his critics were he to undertake to
do So But he sits coolly In his office in
the big pension building allows the breezes
from an electric fan to play with the pa
pers on his desk and says very little about
those who demand that he be removed
from the office he has filled over four
years When Gen. Sckles' retort was call
ed to his attention today he referred to
the fine war record of the veteran. who is
much his senior In years. and said he
didn't like the idea of extending any con-
troversy with him Even the suggestion
that Gen. Sickes had opened up fire first
and. being a good soldier. would not OBJ
jeCt to return volley had no effect on
the commissioner, who preferred to rest
his case on his statement already made
public
What His Friends Say.
But friends of the commissioner insist
that the turning point of Gen. Sickles
friendship and support of Mr.. Evans can
clearly be defined and that it occurred when
the commissioner declined about year
ago. To allow Gen. Sickles to construe a
law for the bureau, and insisted follow
ing the construction placed upon the statute
by the Attorney General. 1t is said at the
bureau that there were many evidences to
show that this the occasion of a
scene" although it occurred in the private
room of the commissioner. Congress had
passed act approved May g. 1900, in
amendment of sections and 3 of the pen
sion act of June "a, 1890. This act provided
Tor Invalid pensions or from 81 to sl2 per
month. and contained this clause. .and such
pension shall commence from the date of
the Ming of the application in the bureau
of pensions, after the passage of this act.
etc. Gen. Sickles told the commissioner
that the expression. after the passage of
this act" did not refer to the act of May o.
1880 but to the act of June %, 1890. OF
which it was amendatory. Mr.. Evans
thought the wording of the act made it
refer to pension claims filed after June ..
1890 Had Gen. Sickles' construction of the
language of the law been accepted by the
bureau il would have allowed many claims
to go back from one to ten years, and have
caused the payment Of much back pension
of the commissioner in opposition to his
views and it is understood he declared:
Well. the Grand Army drew this act and
ii should be allowed to interpret it.
The Attorney Generals Construction.
Commissioner Evans determined to let
the Attorney General construe the language
of the act. which was done. and that law
officer. whose duty it is to act as the legal
adviser of the commissioner on such occa-
hot Mr
Evans supposed it meant, and that con-
StructiOn was adopted by the bureau
officials of the pension office say that
from that day to this General Sickles has
not called on the commissioner. and that
he has since joined the army of critics of
the commissioner.
The idea that the Grand Army and not
the officers of the government should un-
dertake to cOnstrue acts of Congress is re-
ferred TO at the pension office as a very re-
markabie one
General Sickles in his statement made In
New York yesterday, declared that he In
tended by the letters he wrote to Commits
sioner Evans to counsel that he should be
allowed to serve out his term of office.
General SickleS said in part:
My impression was he was endeaVoring
to discharge his duties faithfully. Subse-
quently, in the autumn of 1899 / was ap-
pointed by the national sncampment at
Philadelphia one of the pension committee,
with instructions to investigate the action
of the pension office l have been d mem
ber of that committee now for two years
and it has been my duty to inform myself
the subject
Il have reached the conclusion common
with my colleagues of the committee. that
the reappointment of Commissioner Evans
would not be expedient- The veterans OF
the country-sG out of every 100 of them
at least, including soldiers widows-are
convinced that Commissioner Evans is un-
just to them. Commissioner Evans en-
deavOrs to make IL appear that the objec-
tIOns to his reappointment come from pen
sion agents only. and he has succeeded in
making the newspapers believe this story.
This is a grave mistake. Commissioner
Evans has. unfortunately, administered
the duties of his Office as to create Il gen.
eral impression among those who have oc-
CaSlOn 10 transact business with II that he
is not fair: that he is too technical in the
construction OF the statutes; that he is un-
reasonab BILE and oyer-fastidious in his de-
mands for testimony; that he treats every
applicant for a pension with suspicion; that
he affords no facilities to soldiers to SOL
diers widows to overcome technical
quirements: that he maintains large corps
of spies. who go about the country to
IL they can't find excuses to reduce allow
ances to pensioners or to stop them alto
gether. and that the espionage exercised
over the widows of veterans is most often
siye and unwarranted.
For these. and other reasons, the people
whose names are inscribed on the pension
rolls-and there are nearly million Of
them-remonstrate against the reappOint-
ment of Commissioner Evans. / have no
personal controversy with the commission
er- Our relations have always been agree
able j have endeayored to do him Justice
but regard his reappointment inexpedi-
ent- These were my views last autumn
when l was asked to visit Ohio. Indiana
Illinois. Kansas and Nebraska where 1t
Was believed the soldiers vote would ~. de-
cisive. | had become fully informed as to
The sentiments OF veteran soldiers in regard
u the commissioner. ] was convinced that
all appeals to them would be in vain unless
could
EsaHS would not be reappointed / SO
stated to the national committee in reply
10 their request to take the stump-asking
from the committee assurances that Com
missioner Evans would not be reappoinred
Such assurances were given me-
i repeated them In proper quarters in
October last. with excellent results The
men to whom l repeated these assurances
OF the national committee now call upon
me to make them good 1t is my duty to
do so. Beyond this i have no interest in