The Washington times., 1905-04-16

IL seems % me that Ii these cases e.
Gently referred to had gone through to
allowance ard a pension had been p:dd
these men, this Government would not
suffer IS much because of it as has each
and every one of these soldiers who
have been denied the rension -;iat
actually belonged TO them under The
law
Suspicious and FaEaI1cal.
ut is a fact that Government en-
ployes who have the paying out, or the
direction OF paying out. MONEYS for the
Government eventually get the idea
into their heads that when. they save
not how honestly CIR dishonesty. they
are saving money for themselves, and
Pension Office clerks sometimes ger so
fanatieal on the subject hat they will
refuse TO give consideration 10 evidence
that WORLD be accepted favorabiy in any
court of the land, and their fanaticism
is allowed to continue 70 the bitter end.
with the result of the rejection of good
and honest claims
Il recoliect that ut the close of ne
war men who had the direction OF m
tering the Unionsarny out n3anipuia ted
the mastering out in sueh a manner
as te save TO fhe Governmetn bounty
and pay that was actuaIIs and honestly
due to the soldier, by muste-ing men
out in the field a day or two be fore the
termination of the service required to,
give title TO this additional pay or
bounty, and which under the ris:e adopt
ed terminated their service so far that
/ they could have no cIStm against the
Government
And yet, many regiments were held
in camp for days and sometimes weeks
IN getting to their homes after. being
mustered cut and per sc they got no
pay fer this time. but the Government,
they thought. was poor then and they
made no kick. Most of them were glad
TO get horne alive. l have never seen
this matter ventilated by the newspa-
pers. and I never heard cf anybody
having been threatened with discharge
after making this Intentional OF un1n-
tentional mistake
Favorable to Pensions.
THE officials of the Pension Bureau
and other adjudicating officials. of the
| Government who have the direction of
paving out the funds that go broadcast
over the land do not seem to under
stand the situation. The people of this
country are favorable to pensions The
people understand and know that the
| magnificent financial condition of the
Government and of the country today is
! due almost entirely to the liberal dis
! trihItion Of money In pensions every
month, which goes into every hamlet
and is Immediately put into circulation
| for the benefit of all the people except
the man who has money to sell The
man who has money to seil-and by
| him | mean the man who has money, on
the interest of which he lives, and is
| therefore desirous of getting fne largest
| possible interest for it--is opposed to
| pensions simply because a liberal dis
| trfbution of pension money makes
money a cheap article. T:Ie man who
has monev TO sell is the enemy of the
country. and Is more dangerous than
| he who manipuiates trust.
! The people demanded the enactment
OF a service pension law Some favored
ar age clause therein. while Others did
not The demand had become SO great
and had been forced upon members of
! Congress so strongly by the people that
| IL such a bill should have been reported
] to the Pension Committee immediately
preceding the issue of order 7S fof which
/ we have all heard. and possibly even
| after that, 1t would have become a law
81 far as the acts of the two houses of
| Congress could have made 1t a law
Order Was an Excuse.
| .'Order IS was issued simply as an ex-
cuse for not permitting such a bill TO
/ be reported. and the bill was not re-
ported. That order Is has such a ques-
/ tionable right of origin that I do not
believe shat any examiner adjudicating
a claim in which age is a factor; should
be punished If he caused the commence
nient of the pension to date from a
| time preceding the date fixed in that
| order.
| Il feel that newspapers of this 4coun-
try should realize the fact that this is
| a great and wealthy codntry. 1t is able
to do grand and glorious things because
! of the immense wealth that has been
acquired to it through the liberal dis
pensation OF pension moneys, which
have gone into the trade and kept the
labor and other forces at work and
| developed Il portion Of the wealth that
is with US for development and placed
the nation where 1t is today. the fore
most nation of the earth in all things
and realizing these things. that they
should give all praise to the men who
made it possible that the nation should
live and in the care of whom by the
Governments fulfilling its promise,
made TO the soldier when in his youth
(and childhood In many cases., he went
forth 10 battle, has resulted the condi
tions which now exist, and of which, a.