Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-07
The Pension Bureau.

The enemies Of Commissioner Evans are
confident of victory in the resignation of
that official from the pension bureau They
put the matter In the simplest form. His
resignation was desired and had long been
demanded by them. and the President at
last felt obliged TO yield to the pressure.
Otherwise. as they assert, there would have
been no such action. MIR. Evans liked the
duties of his Office, likes Washington as
Place of residence. and of his own motion
would have chosen to remain. He goes be-
cause they made It too hot for him. The
President was convinced that he could not
longer stand for him.
The Presidents friends resent this view
of the matter, and predict that signal dis
ar pOintment awaits all who expect a change
In the general administration of the pen
SION bureau to follow the change in the
Commissionership. That. they contend, is
impossible. The course of Mr.. Evans has
met the approval of Mr.. Roosevelt quite
as cordially as it did that of Mr. Mckinley.
He has interpreted the pension laws with
justice to the veterans and to the govern
ment. He set his face against no interests
but those of the raen who traffic in pen
sicns as a business have tried to
convert the generous sentiment of a CRATE
ting. They are the authors of the criticisms
which under persistent reiteration have
brought some excellent men to believe that
the veterans themselves have not been fair
IL dealt with.
The President will be on trial in the per-
son of Mr.. Evans successor, and therein
lies a question of moment IN connection
with the change His friends will expect an
appointee as resolute in resisting the agents
Who make business" of pensions as Mr..
Evans has been. They want the laws lib
orally but honestly interpreted. with no
semblance OF surrender to a policy which
would open the doors to Tom, Dick and
Harry upon any sort of application. On
the other hand the enemies of Mr.. Evans
the men who are pluming themselves upon
the claim that they forcing him out of
0fhce-wif set to work to try the mettle of
the new commissioner, and in the same way
that they tried the mettle of his predeces-
scr. The war is certain to continue. and
for awhile 1t may take on renewed vigor
The country will watch it's progress with
much interest. ami great deal will depend
upon the result. Indeed. the most impor-
tant place the President now has at his dis
pcsal is this Office which for four years
has attracted so much of the public al
tention.
Since the President announces approval of
Mr.. Evans administration and will, it is
stated, indicate the fact by promoting the
pension commissioner and by appointing a
successor of the same school of thought
and principle, it would perhaps have been
wiser to have postponed announcement of
the actual receipt of the resignation and of
action or Intended action upon it until the
Office to which Mr.. Evans was to be pro-
rnCted had been definitely determined, and
his successor carefully and irrevocably Sc
ltcted. The effect CT the ambiguous condi-
tons now existing is to stir up to fever
heat the radicals and to disturb the con-
servatives on both sides of the pension
controversy and to transfer the storm CEN
ter from the pension bureau to the White
House.