The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-14
WARE and THE Law.
Commissioner Keeps in Middle
of Road and Doesn't Fuss.

The following is contained in a Wash
ington dispatch:
Eugene F. Ware, commissioner of PEN
SionS, who has reOrgan1Zed the force OF
employees at the pension bureau and has
inaugurated that which he considered
necessary in the way of reforms, is now
preparing to leave the city for vaca-
ton. He said today he had not made
up his mind where he would spend his
vacation, and that he supposed he would
wind up his deliberations on the sub
himself with several days rest at home.
Mr. Ware stated that in the three
months he had held the office of COM
missioner he had not had a quarrel with
anyone. Senators and representatives,
he said, had not found any special fault
with his methods, and applicants for
pensions also seemed to be satisfied with
the way he disposed of applications.
when 1 became commissioner" said
Mr.. Ware, IAN impression seemed to
prevail that there would be wide
Swath cut right through the laws, the
national treasury and everything else.
There has been nothing of the kind.
When I took charge I called in all the
heads of divisions and told them very
plainly that my policy would be to OBJ
serve the law. I said that if the acts
of congress allowed a man pension I
wanted him to get it. If he could not
meet the requirements of the law
pension ought not to be granted. think
that statement surprised them some
to it. Cold evidence and cold law, 1 said
to them, must prevail in the granting
of pensions
More than this, when I went out to
Kansas and they put me in a carriage
and took me down to address a mass
meeting of old soldiers, / said the same
thing. No sympathy and no sentiment,
] said, but only the law. To my sur
prise, they applauded me. I thought
they must have misunderstood me, and
repeated it more plainly. They ap-
plauded me again 1 asked Joe Wa
tiers about it. Joe Waters is a western
genius and a great orator among the
old soldiers. He told me that the boys
felt that they had been given the bene-
fit of the law, and all they wanted was
fair treatment. Here's a letter from
him on my desk right now, and he re-
peats what he said, that the old soldiers
want nothing more than the law grants
them. l reject pension applications ev-
cry day. l don't like to do it, but
have to, because the law is not COM
piled with. Only, when 1 do reject a
pension it will be an honest rejection. %
The commissioner stated that he had
established civil service system at the
pension bureau that was working salts
factorily. He said: In the beginning
found that pressure from all direc-
tions was brought to bear on the COM
missioner of pensions to appoint men
to positions in the bureau who had had
no experience. I had two 81 800 posi-
lions to fill, and hoped to postpone the
ScicCtlOu VI IieH 1Or tLfSe pldceS unIli
had fully familiarized myself with the
office conditions. But I found 1 had to
make the appointments and make them
soon- I think there were 400 men pre-
scented to me with the strongest indorse-
ments for those two places.
well, nearly all of the applicants
were well fitted for the work, but as
looked about the office l saw a gooG
many other men who had worked here
for years who had developed the most
valuable knowledge and experience
here-many of them old soldiers-and !
made up my mind that if anyone was
made an $500 clerk it should be the
man who had proven his ability and his
steadiness right here under fire. SO to
speak. I'll appoint outsiders as places
for them may be created. but they will
have to go in at the bottom of the lad
der"