Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-18
BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.

BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
Pension Commissioners wares Policy
of "CoId Evidence and Cold Law"
Major John NJ. Carson. Washington cor
respondent OF the Philadelphia Ledger,
gives the Ledger an instructive account Of
the methods and policy Of the pension
bureau under Commissions Ware. He hnds
the commissioner moving quietly in the
discharge Of his duties. He has made no
radical changes In the regulations that
obtained prior to his advent, but with the
knowledge gained from patient inquiry and
experience has added a few new regula-
lions to those which direct the general
administration Of the clerical force and
meet the approval Of the public. Mr.. Ware
has deliberately laid dow a policy that
will govern the administrator Of the ONCE,
both with regard to its immediate per-
sonnet and the granting Of pensions. This
Is the new policy as defined by the COM
missioner: mo promotions for political
Influence and no sympathy with any effort
to handicap meritorious clerks Of high or
low degree, and fair dealing with the pen
sioners. II a man is entitled to a pension
he will get It; II he is not, then he won't
get IT, not while l am commissioner" Ad-
herence to that policy may bring the COM
missioner into conflict with demagogue con-
gressmen and INSCRIPTIONS attorneys, but
will insure him the support Of the presi-
dent and the approval Of the people.
That Commissioner Ware is a man OF
originality and force is established by the
systematic name in which he is discharg-
Ing his duties. In the granting Of pensions
his basic rule Is cold evidence and cold
law" and in the selection OF clerks for
promotion, mo precedence to political pull,
and no consideration for religion or ma
t~ivity." Mr.. Ware realized when he as
sumed the ONCE that many OF the old SOL
diers were, through persistent misrepre-
sentation, made to believe Commissioner
Evans was hostile TO them, expected ell
barriers would be removed to the obtaining
Of original and the increase Of old pen
sions. When l came into ofice," said Mr..
Ware, speaking on this point, Everybody
expected a wide swath would be cut right
through the laws, the appropriations, the
national treasury and everything else,
There has been nothing of the kind. When
/ took charge here l called in all the heads
Of divisions and told them very plainly
that my policy would be to observe the law.
l said that II the acts Of congress allowed
a man a pension I wanted him to get IL.
II he could not meet the requirements OF
the law no pension ought to be granted. 1
think that statement surprised some of
them, but l meant 1t and have stuck to Il.
Cold evidence and cold law, l said to them,
In the granting OF pensions"
In regard to dealing with the clerks Of
the office Mr.. Ware is equally straight
f0RuyoRH a-I
on assuming ONCE" said the commissioner.
was that the most persistent pressure was
brought to bear on the commissioner to
appoint men to positions in the bureau who
had had no experience in the office. had
two $1,000 positions to fill, and I hoped to
postpone the selection Of men for those
places until 1 had fully familiarized my
eelf with the Office conditions. But I
found l had to make those appointments,
and make them soon. l think there were
over 400 men presented to me with the
strongest Endorsements for those two Jobs.
Well, nearly all Of the applicants we're
well fitted for the work, but, as looked
about the office, l saw a good many other
men who had worked here for years, who
had developed the most valuable knowl-
edge and experience here-many of them
old soldiers-and I made up my mind that,
IL duyOn6 was mdu0 an 9l,oUU CLERK, 1t
should be the man who had proven his
ability and his steadiness right here un-
der fire, so to speak. I'll appoint out
siders as places for them may be created,
but they will have to go In at the bottom
OF the ladder"
At the outset, after discovering the pres-
sure brought to bear to secure promotion,
regardless Of fitness or merit, Mr.. Ware
appointed a special committee, consisting
of certain chiefs of divisions, to make
recommendations of persons in the office
considered deserving and qualified for pro-
motion. 81 meet the chiefs of divisions, as
sistant chiefs, chief clerks and deputy COM
missioners every week, and we have a lit
tie convention OF forty members At the
first meeting of this body I explained my
purpose as to promotions. 1t was an
nounced that merit, tried and proved, was
to be the only consideration Then. when
the first vacancy arose, 1 appointed a spe-
cial commission of three chiefs Of d.
vision to serve as a select committee on
promotions in that one Instance. Those
gentlemen acted according to my instruc-
tions. They sent me a list Of men. from
| whom I could choose. Every man on the
list was OF the highest possible grade, and
a number were democrats, and one Of
these was an ex-confederate soldier. I
called the committee together and asked
them what they meant by recommending
an ex-confederate for promotion here in
the ONCE. l told them might have to
explain that to the country II the promo
tion should be made. And those men re-
piled to me that It was simply because
any list Of the most efficient clerks in
this ONCE must include that ex-confed-
crates name. / made the promotions with
this help from the select committee Of
division chiefs"
Accompanying the commission is a letter,
which goes to all who are promoted, which
informs the recipient that he was ad-
yanced on merit alone. The letter adds
value to the commission, and its effect
must be to induce the man receiving 1t
to continue his efforts to deserve the con-
hdence OF his chief. 1t reads: This is
to say to you that you do not owe your
promotion to political influences or to the
commissioner or to your friends. You were
promoted solely on account OF merit, ana
I hope that while you remain in the bu-
reau you will continue the course which
gave you the promotion" II this system
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