Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-22
On the Rotten Pension Bureau
Under H. Clay Evans.
BY a POSTED cRIrlC
Which Must Appeal 10 President
ROosevelt's Sense of Fairness as
Making onta a Case for Removal
Citations and Quotations Back
Up the Proofs-HOw the Veteran and
His Widow Are Robbed


the Pension Department, has become highly
popular with members of the Junto Judge
Rassieur. in his late address before the last
national encampment, said the veterans
complaints were we'll founded, and were
almost a universal complaint"
The last five issues Of the GLOBE have
cited conclusive proofs Of the existence Of
the anti-pension junto in the Cabinet, in
both political parties in Congress, in the
Pension Department, and among the G. A.
R. officials, for illegally and unconstitu-
tionally reducing the pension laws by con
struction and oblivion, in the absence Of
Congress; and for preventing Congressional
investigation.
In debate in Congress, January Io, 1900,
the Congressional members of the junto,
armed with Evans peculiar weapons,
"hopped onto" Congressman Curtis like
the heas in Egypt, for introducing a resolu-
ton to investigate these complaints, The
right Of petition was denied, Congress
man Sims, Democrat, of Tennessee Evans
state), made such a bald and fabulous
speech laudatory of that pretended G. A.
r. investigation which whitewashed Evans,
that Sims afterwards cut il out Of the bound
volume Of the Rec0yd
Congressman Ray, Republican of New
York mot Pennsylvania the same day in
answer to charges against the department
by Congressman Robinson, boldly stated
that Evans was o X that Evans was not
holding up claims Of minors that the
alleged minors were from twenty-five TO
thirty-five years old; that he Ray was op-
posed to Section 47o2 Of the minors law; that
Evans was doing the proper thing; that
these children were over sixteen years old
at date of filing claims, and that the law
ought to be repealed Ray did not say that
Evans had been pleading with Congress for
four years 10 repeal retroactively that sec
ton, and to repudiate the short accrued
pension Of these minors.
To use mild term Ray stated an untruth
for a bad purpose His speech clearly
showed, in traversing the language Of Hoke
Smiths decision against Lochren on this
very point, that Ray was well posted
(Buagher p d. 433 text Ray knew, at
that very moment that for al least two and
one-half years Evans had been constantly
holding up the claims Of infants in arms
and at the bottle in every case where one
of the older children under sixteen al sol
diers death was over sixteen az filing
claim.
Three fourths OF the claims held up by
Evans had been filed since Evans appoint
uent and were of this class In a majority
of the 10000 claims of minors held up by
Evans there was only a few dollars due the
child over 10 at filing claim the bulk of the
amount In each claim being due to the
Younger children whose title was conceded
by Evans That was all there was In the
hold up Of consequence to the surplus
for if Evans had complied with ruling 90 of
1881, and paid to those under 70 az filing
the amounts which lie conceded to be due
them. the balance would mot been worth
the carde" to the treasury. In many of
the hold-ups there was less than dollar in
dispute with $500 admitted to be due tie
infants This is why Ray did not want
Congressional investigation. This is why
he conceded a small modicum Of Evans
crime against these claimants Rvans out
Lochrened Loclren; for Lochren held up
only claims in which at least one child was
over 16 prior to July T. 1880, Evans was
continuing order applying to future births
and claims, and he held up claims Of minors
where soldiers died after Evans came
into Office Il was almost impossible to
escape his sweeping rule, planned for
Saving" for June 3oths, '98, 60 1900, 1901
and 1909. It was hoped to run that long.
Hitchcock knew all about it, aud quietly
kept still and tacitly permitted Evans
to overrule Hoke Smith and former Secre-
taries of Interior and three Attorney Gen
erals until several months after Robinson's
speech January Io, 1900, when the pressure
became something awful to stem. Then,
on Nav 26, Hitchcock (the distinguished
lawyer) overruled three Attorney Generals
and all former Secretaries Of Interior by
writing Evans (II p d. No. a. to continue
to hold UP the 5000 claims which Hoke
Smith had ordered I.ochren to reopen.
These 5000 we're just beginning to reach
the adjudicatons from the rejected files,
when Evans (the legal luminary of the
bureau) conceived his coup Of repeating
the dose with quadruple ingredients.
AS to Evans new wrinkles put in for
quantity, Hitchcock found, on May 26, 1900,
that he could not stand the pressure any
longer and overruled Evans on the 1900
( claims which contained no child that was
/ I6 prior to July /, 1880; but why July i 1887
Hitchcock had two motives in oveuuling
/ all former secretaries and three attorney
/ generals as to the 1000 claims containing at
/ least one minor 10 prior to July !, 1880.
First, he wanted to let Evans down easy;
Cd he wanted to avoid paying ont the
I amounts CONCEDED 10 De uuc the Infants
not over 16 July /, 1885, which he admitted
to be due them but which Evans was hold
ing ND for commercial purposes to turn into
the Treasury June 80 each year. But here
again the pressure became unbearable; aud
although he had on June II, 1900, sigued
Evans order to hold up the infants shares
IN the mixed claims Hitchcock was forced
ON January 10, 1901, TO reeede from that and
ordered Evans to pay out to the minors mol
r6 Iuly /. 1885, their respective shares in
accordance with the long established prac
tice under ruling o. which reads The
pension agent may, in accordance with ex
isting practice be instructed to pay the
quotas due the several minors on separate
vouchers, or to withhold from any Of ther
their portion and pay the others" (Dig
1855, r. 1881
This pair should be summarily dismisseC
as incompetent or worse. The span OF life
to the veteran Is too short to be "monkeyet
with"
Hitchcock, on May 80, 1900, Ia reversinl
the Attorney Generals. said he wanted {,
| oct the Section Ayo1 construed bv ths. co1ir