The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1911-11-07
Pensioners Denied Their Rights.
(By George W. Summsrs)

Republican love for the old soldier
seems to be waning, since the
Democrats have obtained control
of Congress. In years gone uy it
was always the proud boast Of the
Republicans that they were the only
real friends OF the veteran and that
1T was to the Republican party the
disabled soldier had to look for his
pension. But the tables have been
turned and the Republican admin
istration is apparently doing all it
can to block the passage of private
pension bills for the relief of the old
soldiers of the civil war The sup
position is that the Republica ms are
unwilling the Democratic Congress
should be given credit for passing
any pension bills and that they are
willing that the old soldiers should
suffer rather than let the Demo-
Gratis have the credit of passing
bills for their relief.
Congressman Hamilton, of the
fourth West Virginia district,
member of the House committee on
Invalid Pensions, which handles all
pension bills for the relief of SOL
diers of the civil war or their wild
ows, has disclosed what is an APP
parent plot to discredit Demo-
Gratis among old soldiers and to do
30 at the expense of the veterans
themselves. If the plot works out
as it evidently is intended to work
hundreds of private pension bills,
possibly thousands of the m, will be
held up by the Republicans, and not
permitted to pass, while hundreds
or possibly thousands of old Union
soldiers will be the sufferers be-
cause the Republicans want to dis
credit the Democrats among the
veterans.
All pension bills affecting sol.
diers Of the civil war are referred to
the House committee on Invalid
Pensions and under the law the
Secretary of the Interior is required
to assign TO service with this com
mi ttee pension examiner. upon
request of the committee Her
man Gauss has been assigned to
this duty for some time bat at the
close of the special session of Con
gress last August he resigned.
The committee then requested the
assignment Of 7. Fletcher Dennis
TO service with the committee.
Mr.. Hamilton was. surprised,
when he arrived here a few DAYS
ago and undertook to transact some
business with the committo of which
he Is a member, to find that neither
Mr.. Dennis nor any other examiner.
has been at work on The pension
bills before the committee since
the adjournment of Congress. In
garry developed the fact that while
Mr.. Gauss was permitted to resign
no one has been appointed in his
place, the request OF the committee
having been ignored. The De-
partment of tlie Interior claims to
have been waiting on a recommeD-
dation from the Commissioner of
Pensions, who has made no recon-
endation and who under the law
has nothing to do with the matter
since the Secretary is required to
assign the examiner on the request
OF the committee.
Mr.. Hamilton, in the absence of
the chairman and other members of
the committee. is endeavoring TO
ascertain why the examiner has not
been assigned. In the absence OF
other excuse, it would seem that the
Republican administration has seen
an opportunity to delay or prevent
the passage Of many pension bills
by refusing to assign the examiner
to pass on them, hoping thereby to
put the Democratic Congress in a
bad light with the old soldiers
Mr.. Hamilton intends to remain
here till some action is taken in the
matter, so the blame for the failure
to pass pension bills may be placed
properly.
The Bookkeeper or STEM
ographer who has the recommen.
datiOn of the Mountain State