Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1892 — CLEVELAND’S PENSION RECORD. [ARTICLE]

CLEVELAND’S PENSION RECORD.

PARTISAN MISREPRESENTATION CONFRONTED WITH THE TRUTH From Official Reports—His Efforts to Make the Pension Roll a Roll of Honor and Token of Valor—Delayed Work of Tears Rushed Forward Under His Administration, and Nearly Double the Number of Certificates Issued. In this private pension business the PRESIDENT HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN CORRECTING THE ERRORS OF CONGRESS. He HAS DONE IT AT THE RISK OF HAVING HIS MOTIVES MISREPRESENTED, HIS CONDUCT DENOUNCED, HIS PATRIOTISM QUESTIONED, HIS POPULARITY IMPAIRED; BUT CONSCIOUS OF BEING RIGHT, DETERMINED TO DO RIGHT, HE HAS GONE RESOLUTELY ON IN THE FAITHFUL DISCHARGE OF HIS duty. That is what he should be encouraged TO CONTINUE TO DO, AND BY NO OTHERS MORE THAN BY THE BRAVE MEN WHO FOUGHT THE BATTLES OF THEIR COUNTRY, AND WHO SHOULD NOW STAND SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH THE COM-MANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMY IN HIS EFFORT TO MAKE THE PENSION LIST A ROLL OF HONOR, AND EVERY PENSION CERTIFICATE A TOKEN OF VALOR AND Patriotism.— General Grant’s Friend, George W. Childs, in the Philadelphia Ledger. The Facts as tn Pensions. Having laid aside the bloody shirt only after it had been hooted from sight by the disgusted American people, there was nothing left for the Republican party but to attempt to misuse the old flag to stir sectional feeling. And cowardly slander of a Democratic president has been the fit method used. To all claims that Mr. Cleveland and his administration were otherwise than considerate of the soldier and prompt in protecting both his rights and the honor of the service, there can be no better answer than the conclusive one afforded by the simple statement of the facts, made in congress in 1888 by a Union veteran, Luther H. McKinney, of New Hampshire, from which the following is quoted. It will be as satisfactory to all deserving veterans, as it is disheartening to all who without desert attempted to crowd their names in the roll of honor. It will be as encouraging to those who did fight as it will be discouraging to the camp followers and stragglers who now, to feed themselves, would stint the really deserving. John DeWitt Warner.

lam not here today as an apologist for my party; I am here only to state the facts as they exist, and to show to the people of this country that the Democratic party is true to those who fought the country’s battles, and that during the three full years that the present administration has been in power, the Union soldiers have received greater consideration than they ever received in a like period during the twenty years of Republican administration after the war was over. Every Republican upon this floor and every intelligent man in the country knows this to be true; but for mere partisan purposes thej’ have perverted the facts and sent broadcast through the land the statement that the present administration and the party that supports it is the enemy of the Union soldier. A simple investigation of the pension rolls will show how false this statement is. In order that we may make the comparison most just to the Republican party we will compare the last three years of the Republican administration with the three full years of the Democratic administration. The annual report of the commissioner Of pensions for the fiscal years 1883, 1884 and 1885 show certificates issued as follows: Original 108,121 Increase 79,248 Miscellaneous;; 3,852 Total claims admitted during the last three years of Republican rule 191,221 The records of the pension bureau for the fiscal years 1886, 1887 and 1888 show certificates issued as follows during these years: Original 156,226 Increase . 181,173 Miscellaneous 22,055 Total claims admitted during first three years of Democratic administration 359,454 Excess of certificates issued under Democratic administration. 168,233 Net increase to pension rolls during the last three fiscal years of Arthur’s administration 59,428 Net increase to pension rolls during the first three fiscal years of Democratic administration.. 104,875 Excess of net increase under Democratic administration.... 45,44 7 FUNDS DISBURSED. During the last three years of Republican rule $183,399,216 31 During three years of Democratic administration 217,339,757 30 Excess of disbursements by Democratic administration...#34.ooo,s4l 01 New names added to the pension rolls during last three years of Republican administration.... 92,215 Birst three years of Democratic administration 172.132 Excess of names added by the Democrats 79,917 This does not indicate that the soldiers have suffered under Democratic administration of the pension bureau. With no increase of force in the department, but with a decrease, without superior opportunity for collecting evidence, the administration of General Black has shown almost 100 percent, at increase of work performed and of certificates issued. The work of the department has been brought up to date; old claims have been disposed of, and the bureau is now doing current work, and every claim is assured of prompt consideration when the claimant presents the necessary evidence required by law. If we will turn to the workings of the special examiners’ division we will find the comparison equally favorable to the present administration. We Stake the comparison between the years of 1884 and 1885, under Commissioner

Dudley, with the years 1886 and 1887, under Commissioner Black. The reason for not comparing with the full three years is because the report of the commissioner for 1888 is not yet complete. For 1884—Examiners in field 351 Cases investigated 7,453 Reports made 2,187 Depositions taken 18,484 For 1885—Examiners in field 308 Cases investigated 9,831 Reports made 29,234 Despositions taken 189,743 Credibility reports 23,623 Expense account for the two years, $514,269.18. Of the sum $843,551 was charged as traveling expenses; average cost of investigating, $52.31 per case. For 1886—Examiners in field 377 Cases investigated 13,715 Reports made 29,395 Depositions taken 171,380 Credibility reports 23,246 For 1887—Examiners in field 358 Cases investigated 31,010 Reports made 26,899 Depositions taken 140,544 Credibility reports 33,193 Total expenses for two years, $437,404, of which sum $153,180.20 was charged for traveling expenses. Average cost of investigation, $13.78 per case. This work was done with an average force of sixty-four examiners less than were employed by Mr. Dudley. The result was the investigation under Mr. Black of 43,725 cases against 17,283 cases under Mr. Dudley, a saving in traveling expenses alone of $190,371; a saving in total expense account of the government of $86,865, a saving in each case investigated of $38.53. In other words it costs under the present administration only 36X per cent, as much to investigate a special case as it did under Mr. Dudley. It seems to me that every honest man must admit by this comparison that both the soldier and the treasury have been greatly benefited by a Democratic administration w compared with the administration preceding it.

If we will turn to the record of appointments under the present administration of the pension bureau we will find the comparison is not to the glory of the Republican party. Of 416 appointments made by General Black from March 17,1885, to June 30,1887, 230 were soldiers or soldier’s kindred, and 186 were civilians—a net difference in favor of soldiers of fourty-four, or about 24 per cent. General Black has appointed twenty-nine ex-Union soldiers in excess of the total number dropped from the rolls by death, discharge, resignation or otherwise; and this with 150 employes less than were on the rolls during the fiscal years of the previous administration would make a net difference in favor of the sol dier of 179, or about 12 per cent, more soldiers, sailors, or their widows and kindred upon the pay rolls than were ever upon the rolls in the history of the office. Three hundred and seventy soldiers or their kindred occupy the higher positions in the bureau, paying $1,200 a year and upward, against 292 ci villians—a difference in favor of the soldier of 27 per cent. Mr. Chairman, the Democratic party can well afford to go to the country with this record, and it will only be by a false representation of the facts that the ex-Union soldiers will fail to see their true interests and recognize who are their true friends. There will be no extra force of examiners sent into the doubtful states between now and election to promise pensions in return for votes; neither will the examining boards be overrun with soldiers ordered for examination in order that our party under a false pretense may capture the votes of the veterans; but we will present to them the simple facts and figures, and trust to their intelligence and loyalty to cast their votes as may seem best to them for their own interests and the interest of the government their loyalty helped to save. But the Republicans will say, Oh, General Black is all right; we find no fault with the administration of the pension bureau; but it is the president that we find fault with; we believe he is not the friend of the Union soldier. The president is charged with unfriendliness to the soldier because of his vetoes on private pension bills. Let us investigate his conduct in this regard and see whether he has been less just to the soldiers than he ought to have been under the circumstances. Private Pension Bills. The number of private pension bills approved by President Cleveland, or allowed to become laws by him by limitation, to July 24, 1888, were 1,264. The number of private pension bills approved or allowed to become laws by limitation during the entire period of Republican administration were 1,524, or only 260 more in twenty years after the war than President Cleveland has approved in three year® and five months. There is a little doubt that before the present congress adjourns President Cleveland will have approved more private pension bills than all the Republican presidents from Lincoln to Arthur. Private pension bills approved by President Grant 435 President Hayes.. .'. 303 President. Arthur 736 President Clevelandl,264 Average per year under Bident Grant. 65 ident Hayes 75 ident Annur 134 president Cleveland 3GG During President Cleveland’s adminis- ■ Oration he has vetoed of private pension 1 bills 199; bills failed for want of signature, I fifty-five. Ai.d for this he is called the I enemy otthe Union soldier—a strange way to show his einnity. Had he desired to show his opposition to pensioning soldiers how much lietter he could have done it by Vetoing the 1,364 and allowing the 199 to pass, _