The National tribune., 1902-04-03
TIE NEXT COMMISSIONERS OF PENSIONS.

TIE NEXT COMMISSIONERS OF PENSIONS.
The Grand Army of the Republic has
no candidate for Commissioner of PEN
sions.
Very emphatically, it has not.
The office is one of the most important
in the gift of the President, and should
be flied by man of high character.
ability, and attainments. Yet the Grand
Army does not expect that any of these
characteristics shall be extraordinary
merely that the veterans shall have in the
Pension Bureau the same high range of
qualities as are placed at the service OF
other classes of fellow-citizens of equal
numbers and interest. This is certainly a
reasonable demand. We are surely en-
titled to have given us as high a class
man rs is given to any other group of
1,000,000 citizens, and an annual disburse-
ment of $140,000,000.
The first requisite of the new Commits
sioner should be that he be n man of n jul
dicial temperament. If he has had judicial
experience, so much the better. He must
be capable of interpreting the pension laws
without fear, favor or affection. The vet
Grams ask no favors-only even-handed
justice, and what the laws give them.
The new Commissioner should enter his
office without any prejudices, theories.
predictions or personal vagaries of any
kind.
1t should be his highest determination
to earnestly study the pension laws, learn
precisely what they mean, and then exc
cute them toward all men, exactly as the
other laws of the country are executed.
The veterans want to stand before the
pension laws precisely as they and other
citizens stand before the other laws.
The new Commissioner should be man
of the grade, capacity and character of
the men who are selected for United
States District and Circuit Judges, and
the veterans will be entirely satisfied with
any man of this type, who will enter the
Pension Bureau and perform its duties
exactly as he would take his seat on the
Federal bench.
There are any number of such nell in
every State, and the President need have
no difficulty in finding one. who, possess
ing these primary essentials, is likewise
entirely acceptable from a political, and
possibly geographical standpoint. Every
section abOunds in men who would make
frst-class Commissioners.
OF course, the Grand Army stands for
preference to veterans who have served
their country in the field, for all appoint
ments in the public service. There is a
sentimental feeling that the Commissioner
Of Pensions should be a man who has
seen actual service, and this sentiment has
dominated in appointments prior
to that of the present Commissioner.
But this is a minor consideration COM
pared with getting a Commissioner of the
rightly judicial character. Nor need il |
stand in the way of the selection of vet |
eran. The Grand Army of the Republic |
Includes a large number of lawyers who |
nave won their way to high places in the |
aw. Quite a number of them have sat |
,r are sitting upon the benches of their |
'espective States. They have good execu- |
i've ability in addition, and the President |
Will get very good Commissioner if he !
selects any one from a large number of |
hem. Individual comrades have strong |
preferences as to whom should be selected, |
,ut the Grand Army of the Republic has |
lone.
1t only wants a man of infexible in |
egrity and justice and sufficient execu-
i've ability selected.