Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1893 — BUSSEY’S FAMOUS ORDER. [ARTICLE]

BUSSEY’S FAMOUS ORDER.

After over 300,000 certificates had been issued granting pensions to soldiers under the act of June 27 1890, General Bussey, Republican assistant secretary of the in-' terior, appears to have come to the conclusion that the act of June 27, 1890, Lad been misconstrued in the allowance, of many of these pensions. Certain it is that on that date, in the case of Hemy Weike, certificate No. 478,173, he rendered a decision (Se-* Vol. 0, page 194, of Pension Decision) in which he says: “It appears that said order as understood by the department in approving it may have been misconstrued by your bureau so far as it has been your practice to add the seDarate nominal »nd schedule rates allowed for several disabilities in making a rate under this act. This has resulted by reason of the fact that it ban been your practice under the old law to combine these rates where the total does not exceed 17 18. The question of the correctness of that practice is not now beiqre the department for decision It is deemed proper to state that the department, in approving saitt order No. 1. 4 did not intend that small rates shoula be added together as, for example, three o< more rates of 2-18 in order to make a rute under the provisions of said act. A man may have two or more separate afflictions either one of which, considered singly, entitles him to a rate of $2 turner the old law, and y t, iu the aggregate, they may not disable forthe performance Of manuel 1 bor to a much greaterdegree than either of them existing alone. Or he may have one serious disability and one or more slight disabilities, the latter of which do not lave any appreciable effect upon the degree of incapacitv for manual labor occasioned by the former.” Then the decision goes on further to

say: „ “The basis of rates under the act of June 27, 1890, is inability to earn a support by reason of incapacity for manual labor due to a permanent mental or physical disability not the result of vicious habits. In determining whether an applicant is entitled to ra e under said act for the character of disability aforementioned the only question is: Is he, from the cause or oauses involved —be they one or many—disabled for the performance of manual labor to the extentrepresei.telby the fractional rate of 6-18 ($0 per month)? If so, he is entitled to the minimum rate of $6. And so on until the maximum rate of sl2 is reached.”

Andjthen the republican secretary closes in these pointed and unmistakable words: “It is directed that the views herein expressed be observed in future adjudications of claims under the act of June 27, 1890.” It will be observed that secretary Bussey nad discovered that General Baum was violating the second section of the act of June 27, 1890, and, also, as he oonoeived, misconstruing ordei No. 164 which as before stated, had been approved by jhe department on Oct. 15, 1890. As a matter Of fact, so far as combining rates under the general law in order to make a pension ble rate under the act of June 27, 1890, was concerned, General Raum was not violating order No. 164, as ! secretary Bussey states, as any one will see by carefully reading that order; but this part of the order itself was in clear violation of the second section cf the ct of June 27, 1890. And the only wonder is that Bussey did not discover it unt 1 January 7, 1893, and after over 300,000 pension certificates had been issued under this section|of the statute, many of tb«m illegally issued. As soon as Raum.r 9 | ceived the decision above mentioned, he

took steps to reverse himself. The electioh was over, no more voteß could ; be made by extra liberal and unwarranted construction of the pension laws, and he was pleased at the possible pospeet cf connecting the blame of the change with tue advsnt of the democracy to power. Mr. Voorhees closed his remarks on the hill to repeal th. Sherman law with the following proposition: I*. A sufficient volume of currenoy at all times, State and national, on practically a specie basis, ( uaranteed also by publio honor, with which to transact the growing and expanding business developments of the oountry. 2. The absolute denial and destruction of all powej in the hands of individuals, corporations or syndicates to cause fluctuations ifli the amount of the different currencies in circulation, thus rendering panics and periods of business distress impossible for the future.

3. Every dollar in circulation, whether gold or silver, State bank paper or United States notes, on a strict parity and interchangeable with every other dollar, thus secuiing to the people the benefits and advantages of both a State currency and a national currency, circulating in harmony and uniformity and performing all the functions of money at home and abroad. 4. The settlement of the vexed question of silver money at onoe and forevei, by authorizing it to form its proportion of the speoie basis required by the Constitution of the United States for every chartered State bank in the Union; by recognizing it as it is leoognized by the terms of the Federal Constitution when defining the power of the States to make legal-tender money, thus making the use of silver, coined into money, as imperative as it will be useful to the great body of the people. 5. The total and complete overthrow of the dangerous centralization of the money power now existing at a few money centers and in the hands of a few individuals, by giving to the people of the States the right of home rule on the subject of money, and thereby seouring'to them a reliable, nonfluotuating home circulation.

To the foregoing fire propositions Mr. Voorhees added the following: A tax upon incomes, carefully adju- ted and graded, has always been, to my mind, a most equitable and apright measure in providing Government revenue. While laying taxes on the necessities snd wants of laboring men women ahd children, and from which there is no escape for them, justice-eternal, old-fashioned jus. tice —demands that those who have incomes beyond theirineoessities, 5 and as a surplus over their expenditures, should be required to contribute from their abundance, and at fair rates, to the support of the Government under whose care and protection they have prospered and grown rich. “There is nothing more contemptible in journalism than lying about public men,” say-; the Lafayette Sunday Times. “Senator Voorhees’ case is in point. It is charged that he favors th 6 repeal of the purchasing clause of the Sherman act, because of favors received from President Cleveland. What favors? There are two personal appointments to be charged, perhaps, to Senator Voorhees—John E. Bisley, of New York, minister to Denmark, and Elliott N. Bowman, of Covingtont deputy fourth auditor. Mr. Bisley’s wife —now deceased—was a sister of Mr. Voorhees, ahd it is probably true that the senator recommended his appointment, but it is also true that Mr. Eisley was endorsed by a number of the best business men in New York city, and that he was personally known to the president as a gentleman of attainments and high character, and thoroughly qualified for a diplomatic appointment. It is within the knt wledge of the writer that Senator Voorhees hid very little to do with this appointment of Mr. Bisley, beyond a mere recommendation. The appointment of Elliott N. Bowman, of Fountain county, as deputy fourth audttor, is too insignificant to talk about. Mr. Bowman bas been for years one of the wheel horses of his party in local politics, and deserving something better. And these are the only two appointments, outside of the local state appointments, that can properly be charged to Senator Voorhees. and for which he is charged with selling out to the president! Who believes such stuff? No one—but a fool or a knave.”