Grand total, claims admitted for three years..................................................... 191,221 First three years of Democratic Administration. Claims admitted, fiscal year 1886: Excess of cetificates issued during first three fiscal years 359.452 168,231 Excess of net increase during first three years of Democratic administration over that of the last three years of Republican administration....... ............... 46,447 Excess of disbursements during first three years of Democratic administration over the amount disbursed during last 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. CHAPTER VI. REFORM OF THE CIVIL SERVICE. Hon. WILLIAM R. Cox, Late Chairman of the Committee on Civil Service, ONEST reform in the Civil Service has been in "HONEST augurated and maintained by President Cleveland, and he has brought the public service to the highest standard of efficiency, not only by rule and precept, but by the example of his own untiring and unselfish administration of public affairs."-Dem. Nat. Platform, 1888. An eminent author says: "Examine History, for it is Philosophy teaching by Experience." It is proposed to apply this test in a brief presentation of the treatment of Civil Service Reform by the Republican and Democratic parties and thus demonstrate which has been true to its professions in its dealings with the public. At the close of the late war the Republican party was panoplied with all the power and machinery of the general government. The public expenditures had been greatly augumented; the multiplication of offices needlessly increased; and the wild hunt after office had introduced demoralization and corruption into all departments of the government. Soon the common sense of the American people, whose discriminating mind and unimpassioned judgment, |