The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-24
Made Application Simply to Es-
tablish His Right.
HE is ABLE TO WORK.
Came Out of Army Better Than
When He Entered.
Was Once Arrested for Walking
on State House Grounds.

won his point and secured the COnstruC-
ton OF the walks. has sprung into ma
tional fame by refusing TO accept PEN
sion Of So month which was granted
TO him a few weeks ago by the United
States pension department
All sorts Of motives have been attrib-
uted to Mr.. Daley for his queer action.
/ He has been accused OF seeking freak
notOriety: of being crazy. and it has
even been intimated that there was
some dark and diabolicaI plot TO rob the
government at the bottom of his refusa.
f 70 accept pension money But the thing
I which really inspired Dailey'S action
was his conscience To a reporter for
I the State Journal today Mr. Daley gave
the following account OF how he was
granted pension and why he refused to
ACCEPT il.
1t has always been my theory said
Mr. Daley that the government gives
I people I believe three causes are at the
/ bottom OF the immense number of pen
sI0ns which the government grants:
First. that a great many worthless. lazy
4 Ioafers who were in the army think thar
1 they are entitled TO pensions when they
are perfectly able to earn their living;
Second to the pension attorneys. whe
un4eF the guiSe OF philanthropy are con
stsutiy stirring up new applicants, and
T third, the political dena gogues who make
political ca oital out Of the old soldiers
! bE advocating measures for relaxation
/ II the pension laws.
r claim that 7 came out of the army
better man mentally. morally and
! PHYSICALLY than when 1 went in Men
( tally because I studied German during
my leisure time in the army: morally
/ because the discipline braced me up.
and physically because I sustained no
injuries and the campaigning and out
+ door life helped me.
You can see for yourself that the re-
ports IN the newspapers that I am bent
double and crippled with rheumatism
are all Wrong''-Air- Daley Is a remark
ably well preserved man for So years.
and his hair and Hloustache are still
hardly white enough to be called gray
The fact is, that my crippled fingers are
+ due 10 FORM CT rheumatism which
contracted from exposure while working
Tor the Santa Fe railway company. I
suffer no pain. and I earn my living
! worked right here for 3 years. and I
suppose that the Santa Fe is paying ms
what they consider me worth -
I Mr.. Daley IS employed in the office
fingers on each hand are 1bent out Of
shape He says his feet are similarly
+ affected It does not seriously interfere
with his work. however.
so that is my position in regard 70
! pensions. said Mr. Daley. Now Of
course the question naturally arises Why
l should apply for pension Well my
wife attends a good many old soldier
gatherings. and she sometimes finds
I that unpleasant comments are made on
+ the fact that in my apparently crippled
condition I do not draw a pension.
Some of the people broadly Intimate
{ that the reason L have not received a
pension IS because had something
wrong with my record which prevents
/ it. Now old soldiers have sort of way
{ OF being rather proud of their record.
and they don't ike to have people cast
slurS on it. I decided that I would go
after pension and get it. to show
everybody that my record is straight So
l fled the necessary blanks. and under
went the usual physical examina ton
! did not hire any pension attorney. I did
i the work myself. and 1 went after the
pension Just as hard as though I really
needed it. My application was acted
upon very promptly. Within three
months after I applied I received no
tice that the pension was granted fol
the full amount asked for want il
understood that 10 get a pension 1t is
not necessary for the applicant to as
Sert that the disabilities from which he
Is suffering were received in the service
Ct the country If my disabilities had
been received in the army 1 would have
applied for a pension long ago
After receiving word that his pension
was granted. Mr.. Daley wrote to the
/ pension office as fellows.
4 have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of pension certificate No. I 040,-
955. The award is generous, and the re
suit prompt Ny purpose in filing my
-appIica tien was to establish my claim.
which. being done by the issuance Of the
certificate and payments made in ac-
coFdance herewith may easily be said
to he accomplished
You are hereby directed and eupOw-
cred TO remove my name from the pen
sion list. and to discontinue the issuance
OF any funds for payment of any claims
under and by virtue of the above num-
bered certificate"
In reply to this letter Mr. Ware re-
Piled with terse and characteristic
note He said. Your recent commune
ca lCu received and contents noted I
may 90 what you want me TO. and I
may not The matter will be investi-
gated
Later. after making the examination.
Mr.. Ware wrote as follows:
Fearing that something might be
wrong. have had your record fully ex-
amined, and the fact is established that
you are fully entitled to the pension
which has been allowed you. Fearing
that there might be something wrong
about your cancellation. 1 have ordered
you investigated by one of my best spa-
ciaI examiners. and he says that while
you are suffering from very great PEN
sioaable disabilities. your head is all
right and that you are mentally sound
This being the case. I have directed
that your order be carried out. and your
name removed from the pension list
7 have four sons who are all at work,
+ said Mr.. Daley today. ''and when I am
I unable to support myself. expect to
F look to them for assistance. If it should
harren that they are unable to help me
and I am Unable TO HELM myself then /
might feel justified in asking the govern
ment to give me some assistance. For
1 the present I am well able to take care
OF myself If I should accept that So a
north from the government. It would be
equivalent to acknowledging that I am
not an able bodied man. and am not able
to earn the wages the Santa F'e pays ne
would have to 20 II my employers and
say. Here the government has decided
that I should receive So month pension
sTn f4stice to Yourselves. you should de-
duct So month from my salary Having
done that il IS apparent that would not
be arythfng ahead by accepting this
pension money
r l. Relieved that Mr. Tlai1ev Is the