The National tribune., 1901-02-21
His IDEAS.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: | will say
that L have been reader of your paper
since the early SOS, and have allowed you
to run The NATIONAL TRIBUNE to suit
yourself, and have been satisfied with your
management until now. In regard to the
proposed Court of Pension Appeals, l
think g. II. Flournoy, of knoxville,
Tenn, is correct. All that | can see ia
the Court of Appeals is Il fat job for poll
ticians and no benefit to- the old soldier, Oh
the young either. You seem disappointed
over the defeat Of the Bromwei DII. /
cannot see why. Under the present civil
service rules 1t would be OF very little
benefit TO the veteran of the civil war.
see frequent reference to the German Gus
tom of filling civil service positions with
men who have done military service. That
Is ali very well. But we are not in Ger
many, neither has Germany jurisdiction
over us, and l am glad Of it, for we can do
better. Our whole pension system is
wrong. To tell the truth, | do not believe
one single individual, from the president
down to the fourth-class postmaster who
takes our pension certificates once every
three months, turns them over with owl
like wisdom, and tells us to sign here
cares one whit for either us or our disa
bilities. Our votes are all that insures
attention or respect. Now. Mr.. Editor,
wish the man well who dons his cOuntry'a
uniform, either in time of war or peace.
and renders it faithful service, and wouIa
suggest that the Pension Office be taken
out of politics; that the ranking" officer
on the retired list of army or naval officers
be Commissioner of Pensions on fall pay,
and the next in rank be Assistant Com
missioner, and so on down, with the prIvi-
lege of resigning when they like. Army
Surgeons, either retired or active, to be
Examiners; Army Paymasters to pay pen
l..
the examination for mental and business
qualifications should also be made, and a
list of those qualifications kept on file in
the Pension Office and available at all
times for the benefit Of all the Departments
of the Government, and where a pensioner
was found who could discharge the dutie.
Of any position at the disposal of any OF
the Departments. it should be rendered
him. If he accepted it, his pension should
be counted in his salary. TO illustrate, |
get S144 per year. The Government en-
ploys Il guide in the Yellowstone National
Park at 500 per month, or 81 200 Il year
Now. if | would get this position, the As
sistant Quarter Master at the park would
pay me 81 ,056 and the pension, S14l;
total, 81 200; a saving to the Government
of Sl44, and an increase in my income of
81 ,056. l think if we should wipe out all
pension legislation and start on this plan,
1T would give better satisfaction. pen
sioner would make application for a posi-
iion, give the number of his certificate:
reference could be made at once as to his
qualification, as shown in Pension Office;
there would Ike an object in employing pen
sioners, and l believe pensions wG::!,i be
more readily granted and bctt,r ratings
allowed. Whit do you think of itI Ii
would save millions to the Government
and at the same time put many more mil
lions into the pockets of the veterans.-
SAMU IL TATLow. Cos. Il and Il, 1st Kan.
In oil;