The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-27
PENSION COMMISSIONERS WHO
HAVE FAILED 70 SATISFY.
NO MATTER HOW HONEST
Or to Which Political Party They Be-
lonoed the Office Killed
the Man Politically.

IlOuS are III OTuST lOT EuSCue =. ware,
the newly-appointed commissioner OF
pensions. His friends say that it
would have been better for his politi-
cal future had he stuck to the manu-
facture of poems, for the office he has
now assumed has blighted the ambi-
ton of nearly every previous ecu
gets for the bitterest criticism. no
matter how honest, sincere or faith
full they may be in the discharge of
their duties. Whatever he may do
there he is certain to stir up a bucnh
of hostiles, and commission to do is
equally fruitful in abuse. He gets it
coming and going.
Before Cleveland was elected the
pension bureau was honeycombed
with scandals. Cliques Of patent at
torneys, with a few notable excep-
tions, had had things their W way
for nearly 20 years. Consequently
great revelations were expected when
General John s. Black of Illinois was
appointed to succeed General Dudley.
Black did his best to make the pen
sion roll a roll of honor by correcting
the abuses that had crept into it. His
sympathy for the deserving veteran
was unquestioned, but his attempt to
administer even justice raised him a
hest of enemies who made life miser-
able. for him. He failed to satisfy any
one.
Corporal Tanner was the next COM
missioner and his reckless manage
ment of the bureau contributed large
ly to Harrison's defeat. He declared
war on the surplus and waged the on
test successfully. 1t melted away as
a SNOWFALL would in the crater of Mt.
Pelee. Scarcely AN application was
refused, and nearly every clerk in the
pension Office had his pension rerat-
ed and increased, with no questions
asked. It was gay sport for Tanner
while it lasted, but the storm of crit
icism was so widespread that the adj
ministration was forced to pull him
off after he had occupied the Office
only a short time. General Raum
was his successor, but he also failed to
satisfy either one side of the other,
and left the Office a disappointed and
disillusioned man.
With Cleveland's second term came
William Lochren of Minnesota. Meth
er his honesty nor his ability was
questioned, but he attempted to con-
strue the law strictly and the howl
that went up was not eve equaled
in Evans S Cleveland took care
of him, however, and appointed him
United States district Judge for Min
nesota.
The fight againts Evans is too re
cent to need review. While he
energies from the long and bitter fight
with a dominant faction of the G. A.
r. with the appointment to one of
the NEST profitable posts in the gift
of the government, yet the fact can
not be concealed that he suffered a
crushing oefeat in the administration
Of the pension bureau. He was fore
ed out, and his political life will prob
ably end with his London mission.
The pension bureau has wrecked
the ambition of every man who has
administered it's affairs. The ques-
ton now is, what will it do to Ware?
Mr.. Ware will be called upon to dis
burse something like $14O, 900, 900 an
ually. He will have to pass upon
thousands of claims, knowing that
every one rejected means a personal
enemy with a knife ready for the first
favorable political occasion. He has
under his direct control a force of
about 1000 clerks, mostly veterans
and pensioners of the great war. And
he ALSO has under his supervision TO-
900 attorneys, Is pension agents and
5000 examining surgeons throughout
the country.
The guide books will tell you that
the immense pension building on
Judiciary square is considered one of
the most beautiful structures in Wash |
ington, but as a matter of fact the
huge pile of brick, covering an area
of two acres, looks like a great red
barn and has been fittingly described
as a case Of architectural delirum
tremems. General Meigs was the
architect, and his other great engi-
neering works have saved his fame.
It was of this building that General
Sheridan told Meigs when asked his
opinion that he had only n objec-l
ton to 1.-THE building was fireproof.
more eloquent than the stored
frieze O. the Parthenon is the sculp-
tnrn ~ tha ronoion h,,31A1nr ursth 49,