Evening star., 1901-06-29
GEN. SICKLES' STATEMENT
AZ PRESENTS A LETTER FROM SEN
ATOR SCOTT.
Also Gives Out One He Wrote to the
Pre.ident-His Contention
for the Veterans.


hat the removal would be made. Gen.
5ickles gave out a statement in New York
yesterday. together with a letter he re-
,eived from Senator Scott and one he sent
o President Mckinley. This statement
was called out by the declaration OF Sena-
or Scott that he did not remember having
old Gen. Sickles the national co!nmittee
would urge the removal of Commissioner
Evans Here Is Senator Scotts letter,
lated September 90 1900 in full:
NV Dear General: Yours Of the 18th TO
hand and contents noted. OF course, IL
would be impossible for me to say to you
hat the President would not appoint, or
hat be would appoint certain individuals,
out 1 think 1 can safely say that l hardy
think Evans will be continued as conamls-
sioner and l have no doubt that the PreS-
dent and all of US who are Interested In
mis- election will try to see to 1t that there
Is a commissioner of pensions who WILL De
satisfactory to the old soldiers.
l think this is all that could say on that
subject without perhaps embarrassing the
President and possibly the committee. but
I think You can take 1t for granted that
things will be about on the line that you
With kindest regards. and wishing you
. very pleasant trip. am, yours very SIN
cerely, N b. SColi'
Gen. Sickles' Plea
This letter was in response to Cen
sickles' plea that he wanted to tell
veterans
that Mr.. Evans would be removed from the
pension office He told Senator Scott he
was satisfied that there was widespread
dissatisfaction among tne veteran soldiers
and that his usefulness speaking tour
would be greatly augmented If he were au-
thOrized to make the following assurances
10 representative soldiers in disaHected
localities"
.'First-That in the event of our success
Commissioner Evans will not be reappoint-
ed.
III shall ha
person acceptable to the representatives, Cto
Wit. the pension cOmmitteel of the e. A X
recently appointed at the Chicago encanp-
ment. of which | one.
''Third-That the administration of the
pension laws shall be governed by the lib
craI construction always given to remedial
statutes.
'.FOurth-That the administration will
favor the creation OF court of pension ap-
peals. substantially on the lines indicated
In the bin now before Congress. drafted for
the pension committee of the G. \. R., and
submitted 10 President Mckinley and ap-
proved by him"
\ Letter to the President.
General Sickles. on June II last, wrote to
President Mckinley as follows:
referring to our conversation early in
March last. touching the bureau of pen
siOns. | beg 10 recall to your notice the
suggestion then made. Indicating the I'M
portance of an early appointment OF a sue
cessor to the present commissioner. The
strongly urging such an appointment con-
firms the impressions l then had. 1 nope
you will not delay action any longer in
this direction.
Personally. 1 am placed In a very en-
barrassing position In this matter. Before
setting out for the west in the last presi-
Dental campaign. l felt constrained, IN
view of my knowledge Of the sentiment
among veteran soldiers to ask the national
committee for a distinct assurance that
another commissioner of pensions would
be appointed on the expiration of the tenn
Of the present incumbent.
Such assurances were given me. and
found 1t necessary In Ohio. Indiana. I'LL
n0s and in Kansas and Nebraska to in
form veterans that the present incumbent
would not continue in office after the
piration Of his term of four years. Dur
ing the past six weeks / have received a
great many letters from those states
Tninding me of the assurances I had given,
and some Of them. l regret to say, reproacn
me with something very near deception and
bad faith in view of the continuance In Of
flee of Mr.. Evans. l am tenacious of my
word and keenly feel any just impeach-
meEt of it. Some OF these letters come
from the Dayton district in Ohio. where
Mr.. Nevens election would have been i'm
possible, without my personal efforts,
backed BY the promise of a change in the
pension bureau. as Neven himself will tell
you. 1 could not visit the Dayton home
gain under existing circumstances.
II do hope IT may be agreeable to you.
without further delay, to make ap-
pointment which will satisfy the almost
universal desire of your comrades in the
civil war for a change in the pension
bureau. The demand for this will grow
stronger and stronger every day and you
will soon be placed in the dilemma of ap
pearing 10 yield to pressure when you do
make appointment, or, on the other
hand. If you continue the present COM
missioner in office, you will find yourself
in painful conflict with the sentiments of
the civil war veterans. who with almost
entire unanimity gave You their cordial
support in November last. SO strong Is
this feeling in Kansas and Nebraska, for
example. that. in my Judgment, both Of
those states would vote for Bryan IL an
election were to come off tomorrow.
Let me appeal to you to act promptly.
I would have written to you on this sub
ject early last month. IL I had felt at
liberty 10 intrude upon you at a moment
when you were at the bedside of your be-
loved wife; but now. when she is happily
out Of danger, l can no longer disregard
a sense of duty and friendship which i'm
pels me to make this appeal
Gen. sfckIes' Contention.
Speaking Of his contention in regard to
the pension office yesterday, Gen. Sickles
said:
II have grown tired of the constant at
tackS which made upon the old SOL
diers and the members OF the Grand Army
of the Republic" said General Sickles.
These attacks made by supposedly
reputable newspapers throughout the coun-
try. They are made continually. They are
made without justification or cause. One
thing Is certain. II any newspaper In the
south should speak OF the members of the
confederate veteran camps in the insulting
and indecent language which Is applied by
the newspapers III this community and else
where to members Of the Grand Army of
the Republic. in one hour it's building
would be razed to the ground and It's prop
erty destroyed. Some of the same med!-
cine should be administered here. II
were twenty years younger i would go
down town myself and do IT. Twenty years
ago 1 was able TO do good many things
l would lead a column to do to the news
paper detractors of the Grand Army men
what would be done to any newspaper de-
tractor of the survivors of the confederate
armies. | am tired of the attacks on the
Grand Army man and the old soldier
The number OF fraudulent claims pre-
sented to the pension department is less
than per cent of the total. 1t is propor-
tionately smaller than the number of fraud
ulent claims presented In any other de-
partment of the government. For every
fraudulent pension claim presented hum
Sol,F ,-saI hsa