period of Republican Administration, they will see that this charge of unfriendliness to the soldier falls harmless at the feet of our Chief Executive. A conspicuous fact in relation to this matter is that this President is the first one in many years who has scrutinized private legislation, and he has not only fearlessly exercised the duty imposed upon him by the Constitution, but, in all his administration, he has shown a fidelity, to duty and has industriously discharged that great trust in a manner unprecedented in the history of the Government. The complaints against the President in this regard are made in general terms and when made they ought to be met with a demand that the author of the charge should specify the ground upon which he makes it; require him to point out what veto it is that he complains of. When this is done, I think it can be safely asserted that no reasonable complaint can be upheld. It should be added here in justice to all concerned in this kind of legislation, that Congress is so overwhelmed with bills of this class that it is quite impossible to give them due consideration, and it should also be said in this connection that for the want of attention upon the part of the authors of these special bills, it is not always the case that the best ones are brought to a legislative conclusion. Another striking fact in this connection is that of the number of private bills vetoed in this, the 50th, Congress, not one has been reported back to either House from the Committee to which it was referred. The vetoes have been acquiesced in by all. Many of these vetoes were based upon technical grounds, such as a defect in the bill, that the claim was pending in the Pension Bureau and undetermined there; that the claim had been allowed in the Pension Bureau; a mistake in the name; that bills had been passed for the benefit of the same person and for the same purpose; that the party had a perfect remedy in the Pension Office which had never been tried; that the bill would reduce the pension which the proposed beneficiary was receiving under the general law; and to save arrearages which the beneficiary was to under the general law. was entitled One of the first acts of President Cleveland, after he assumed his great trust, was the appointment of the present able, liberal, patriotic and earnest Commissioner of Pensions-Gen. John C. Black-and he has had full control of that office since the 17th day of March, 1885. I purpose to submit here a statement showing the work of the Pension Office during the last three years of Republican Administration and the succeeding three years of the administration, of that office under President Cleveland. I do this for the purpose of comparison and because I believe that it furnishes the very best proof of the friendliness of this Administration towards the ex-Union soldier; and I also submit a statement showing the net increase of the pension roll, and of the funds disbursed on account of pensions for the same period. Grand total, claims admitted for three years...................191,221 Excess of cetificates issued during first three fiscal years ......... 168,231 Excess of net increase during first three years of Democratic administration over that of the last three years of Republican administration........... Funds disbursed on account of Pensions. Excess of disbursements during first three years of Democratic administration over the amount disbursed during last 46,447 $60,431,972 85 $64,584,270.45 74,815,486.85 78,000,000.00 .217.399.757-30 three years of Republican administration,....................$34,000,540.99 This record of what has been accomplished in the way of substantial benefits under Democratic rule will be much more satisfactory than the record of fulsome promises recklessly disregarded by the Republicans. It is taken from the official files, and has been supplied to me by the Hon. Commissioner of Pensions. It needs no comment. It speaks for itself and is enough to set at rest the fears that political alarmists may try to awaken for partisan purposes and for use in the present hotly-contested campaign. Where is the evidence of the unfriendliness so freely charged? It is easy enough to make the charge, but where is the proof of it? Figures taken from the official reports of the Commissioner of Pensions, and found upon the books of the Auditing officers of the Pension Office, show that the cost per case for adjudication, has been much less under this Administration than under previous Administrations, and a striking fact in this line is an exhibit showing that the cost of the examination of a case in the Special Examiner's division is now one-fourth what it was under the Republicans; and this, too, notwithstanding the fact that the claims last examined are the most difficult to adjudicate because of the greater lapse of time. Nor has there been any charge that the officers of this force of Special Examiners have been used for partisan purposes under this Administration while it was shown, by a Congressional investigation near the close of the 48th Congress, that, in the campaign of 1884, this corps of officers was used largely for political work, and the worst outrages upon the rights of claimants were perpetrated by those sworn officers of the law, in order to further the ends of the Republican party, by whose favor they were placed in office. I have thus briefly and hastily outlined the position of the Democratic party in its relation to pensions. It may be relied upon to continue a wise, conservative, liberal policy in this respect, and the soldiers of the Republic can well afford to rely upon its record, rather than upon the extravagant promises made by its political opponents. |