The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-07
TIE pa YNENT or Pensions.

seized the opportunity of our themO TO make
discourse of far wider application.
THE PAYMENT or PENSIONS. I
The relations of pensioners towards the Gov
ernment are very different from those of any
other class of creditors, and they are entitled
TO special consideration at the hands of those
who are charged with the administration of
the affairs of the nation. The majority of
pensioners are old, sick, or wounded men
who receive mere pittance as recognition
of their sacrifices in behalf of the country, or
their female representatives, who are often
even less competent than the men to under
stand the intricacies Of the Pension Bureaus
system of management. The Government
owes it to these people that the money
it engages to give them shall be paid
promptly at such times as will most conduce
to the interests of the pensioners and with as
little trouble TO themselves as possible. The
Government, of course, has to protect itself
from fraud, but the safeguards that it finds
necessary to adopt ought not to be chargea-
BILE in the slightest degree to the pensioners,
who are entitled to all that the law allows
them to the last penny. 1t is notorious that
under the present system of paying pensions
many grievous wrongs are perpetrated, and
that in very many cases the amounts actually
received by the pensioners scarcely represent
more than half what they are entitled to.
One reason for this is the practice of paying
the pensions semi-annually, and another is
the payment of them through special pen
sion agents, who are in addition to
good salaries allowed their fees and
perquisites, which come out of the pockets of
the recipients of the Government bounty.
The pensions which the Government under
takes TO pay are insignificant at the best,
and are scarcely more than sufficient
to just keep soul and body together;
and when those who are entitled to them are
obliged to sell their claims at heavy rates of
discount, and to pay fees to agents before
they can get their money, there is certainly
something wrong, that ought to receive the
attention of Congress. We are glad to notice,
therefore, that on Friday last Mr.. Lawrence,
of Ohio, introduced bill in the National
House of Representatives to remedy the
evils of the existing system, and to provide
better method of paying pensions. This
bill directs the Secretary of the Treasury to
select in every county in the United States
either a national bank, postmaster, an as
SCISSOR or collector of internal revenue, or
other existing officer, to prepare all pension
papers for the payment of pensions free of
cost to pensioners The Commissioner of
Pensions is to certify to each officer list of
the pensioners in his county, and transmit
check on the nearest Assistant Treasurer,
payable to the order of each pensioner, to be
delivered to the pensioners, who should thus
be paid every three months instead of semi
annually. The sum of 800, 900 is to be paid
annually to the officers for their services
instead of the $3.50, 900 paid now in commits
sions.
The general provisions of this bill are such
as will secure the desired reforms; but it
would be much better if the pensions were
made payable monthly. The convenience of
the pensioners certainly ought to be consulted
in matter of this kind before that of the
Government officers. 1t would not be amiss
also to make it punishable offense for any
of the agents of the Pension Bureau to take a
fee of any description from pensioners for
the performance of the duties of their Office
We sincerely hope that the bill of Mr.. Law
renee will receive the favorable consideration
of Congress, and that some prompt action
will be taken to secure either its adoption or
some law of similar character. The pen
sioners of the Government are without po-
itical influence, and because they are depen-
dent on the generosity and goodwill of mem
bers of Congress for justice in this matter,
Trey should receive cordial recognition OF
their claims.