St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1916-03-25


form Of periodical
Dprting to be publish
ut the soldiers, the
pontained matter
In anxiety for the
soldier ind appeals to their
love OF gain were cunningly 1ntefe
mingled. always representing the "a.
verttsers a. In the enjoyment az
special and peculiar facilities tor the
successful prosecution Of claims. ana
usually adding the suggestion that
NO charge would be made unless the
pension should be obtained.
In his report Of 1873, In part. he
said:
Without rejecting upon the intel.
ligence and integrity Of these sur
geons in general, It 10 . fact that
! the reports Of these examinations too
/ often bear evidence that they we're
of the most superficial character, and
not infrequently are they found to
be untruthful in whole or In part.
Now we come to the private, pan,
sion system, the most inexcusab3e
custom that the Congress has ever
countenanced. We are all more or
les politically ambitious. We either
nope to remain in Congress or to b
committed to service Of wider scope,
. very laudahls ambition indeed. 60
we gladly avail ourselves Of any
scheme or policy BY which IN IN
suspecting constituency may DO made
to aid and assist IN In the roteution
Of that which We now enjoy, or In the
attainment OF something higher up.
Frankly, this 10 the raison d'otso Of
the practice. What millions We
squander that Caesar might b.
great!
Now. II sitter IN examination the
bureau finds that the applicants
military record shows that from fear
or some other reason equally % M
worthy, the applicant refused TO
share the dangers which confronted
his comrades and abscondod, his a.
plication II forthwith rejected. The
bureau 10 governed neither By poll
limitations, and they are not trans
crossed or abused. but tn. Congress-
mans authority pertaining to PEN
sions and soldires 10 omnipoteat
His Jurisdiction Is - bouudleoe q
the globe. His efforts are eircum-
cribed by no law, NO rule, NO peoce-
dent-nothing but his political eoa-
science. So the rejected applicant
goes from the bureau to his Repre-
sentative who introduces q bin and,
you can depend upon It, u the Con-
gressman possesses the requisite log-
rolling procl!vities. Congress will lr
due course Of business trAnsfofm hls
Marathon racer into hero. At the
same time he viii be provided with
q liberal pension for t..o balance Of
his natural life 90 balm to his out
ragged sensibilities. We may co.,
tinue by congressional action 70 en-
graft on the pension rolls the names
Of deserters, perjurers and tAkero:
but there are some things even b.
yond the power Of Z Congressman.
By laying 90 many stripes On Q
donkey's back you can not tur. hin
into . zebra. and neither can you b
legislative actor convert the desert.
er into an honorable and worthy ool.
der. Your Ehetoric can NOT add @
the honor and glory Of hin Who has
acted we'll his part. but Q grievous
wrong you do him when ron under
take to place ON parity with him
deserters and takers whose right TO
pecuniary assistance from the Gov.
eminent IL absolutely nouexistent. /
venture the assertion that there =
not 9 single solitary meritorjoua 4
claim that does not come within the
purview Of our grotesquely e1trava- 4
CANT legislation. Every attment,
every conceivable disability, and
every fancied incapaclty have been
and provide Tor.
Hence, the Congress cannot just
" before the American people this
indisct1minate passage Of private
pension acts. This method OF Inn
posing additional burdens upon the
taxpayers calls for condien punioh-
ment at the hands Of those who must
pay the toll. This system 70 CO.
trary to every principle OF fair deal.
ing and good policy.
Now. II the advocate Of this meth
Cd OF granting pensions asserts that
there are meritorious claims that do
not come within the provisions u
the general laws. then It u up to
the Congress to authorize the Com
missioner Of Pensions to report such
Claims 20 Congress ana prohibit the
passage Of every private bill that does
not bear the recommendation and In
dorsement OF the Commissioners Of
Pensions. A private act will then
have no political signincance and
hence IL Of no political Importance to
any Member. you do this & will
hazard the guess in passing that our 4
private pension act system will anon
all to "innocuous desuetude.' =
For your edification bag leave
o say that the number OF pensions
yranter by special acts during the
Fifty-fourth Congress were 378: FIT
:y-fifth. 694; Fifty-sixth, 1881:
2.17l: Fifty-cighth.
I.355; Fifty-ninth. $3.50; 6ixtieth,
800; Sixty-frst, S.649; Sixty-sec-
md. $3.50: and Sixty-third, 6.o6l.
From 1871 to 1915 we granted.
y special acts. 1898 pensions
these acts alone cost the American
PEOPLE millions Of dollars, above the
merits OF which 1t Is indeed charit-
Ible to say there are grave doubts.
During the Sixty-fourth Congress-