Year: 1876

justice to all worthy pensioners, while at
the same time all claims will be subjected
to the same rules of proof and like rigid
scrutiny which now govern the admins
tration of the Pension Office. There is no
doubt that this is the best and most practi-
cal method of relief which it is IN the
power of Congress to afford By it those
cases which have passed the ordeal of the
Pension Office, meeting no other obstruc-
ton than the ive-year limitation, may be
speedily adjusted and the applicants per-
manently relieved from the suffering which
has goaded them to the humiliation of
making their applications. 1t appears to
be thing it were well to do, 'tand if 'twere
well 'twere done at all, then 'twere better
done quickly"


But there is another section Of the Re-
vised Statues that bears with more sever
ity upon applicants of certain class than
the one quoted above. 1t is section AIT,
and enacts that ''no claim for pension, not
prosecuted to successful issue within
"five years from the date of filing the
"same, shall be admitted without record
"evidence from the War or Navy De-
"partment of the injury or the disease
(Which resulted in the disability or death
"of the person on whose account the
"claim is made; provided that in any case
"in which the limitation prescribed by
rsthis section bars the further prosecution
"of the claim, the claimant may present
through the Pension Office to the Adiu-
"tant General of the army, or the Sur
"geon General of the navy, evidence that
"the disease or injury which resulted in
"the injury or death Of the person on
"whose account the claim is made, origin
"ated in the service and in the line. of
"duty; and if such evidence is deemed
"satisfactory by the officer to t,honl it may
"be submitted, he shall cause record of
"the fact so proved to be made, and a copy
"of the same transmitted to the Commis-
"sioner of Pensions, and the bar to the
prosecution of the claim shall thereby be
removed"


Some of the difficulties which surround
the operations of this proviso may be very
briefly stated. First, inimical, prejudiced,
or venal clerks in the Pension Office may
easily throw a complicated case over the
five-year limit by demanding more evidence
upon one point after another, and it is
believed that such things have been done
for the double purpose of acquiring good
reputation with the head of the office for
extraordinary watchfulness and scrutiny
and compelling applicants to employ a
favorite agent. Second, having been thrown
under the five year bar, applications is made
to the War Cor Navy Department. for record
evidence and the required certificate. The
records are searched, but if the deceased or
disabled happened to have been volunteer
who scorned to report to the surgeon or 60
to the hospital for little rheumatism, or
dysentery, or diarrhea, the records will
show nothing. If er-pdrte certificates of
respectable civilian surgeons were piled
mountain-high before the Adjutant General
or the Surgeon General, they would have
no official effect. They might convince his
heart, but they would never overcome his
reverence for red tape and officialpropriety.
He would not feel justified in giving the
certificate Numerous cases of this char
acter are before the two Houses Of Con-
gress, and doubtless are equitable and just
Section AIT of the Revised Statutes ought
to he repealed.