New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-30
A SUSPICIOUS REQlEST

PORTY NEW PENSION AGENTS ASKED FOR-PAffIf
MACHINERY FOR WHICH THE COUNTRY HAS
pAIp-row POLITICAL WORKERS FOR The AID
MINIsTRATION ARE SENT ABOUT TIE COUNTRY
IPRoN the REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oP THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-The Commissioner OF Pen
sons desires authority to appoint forty new speela
agents for his bureau, and Congress viii soon be
called upon to act upon the request. Nb.Ic IL IL
desirabl, TO give every department of the Govern
meut annie means for the detection of fraud and the
punishment of those who are guilty of swlndllng the
Government In any way Congress will be very care
full about granting authority to increase the number
of spocial agents to be appointed by any Govern
ment officer. The character Of the special
agent service of the Treasury and Post
Office Departments has, doubtless, been Inncn
improved under the administration OF Secretary
Bristow and Postmaster-Gencral Jewell. The men
enployed by those Departments have been more
COMPETENT than formerly, and have not been en-
roxcd 10 40 great an extent in political business
BIT il las not always beer so. During the Pres-
Dental campaign Of 1872 one conductor on the
North Carolina Railroad told correspondent OF HE
TRIBUNE that the passes of six different special
agents Of the P0st-0iiiCe Department had been pre-
sented 90 him in a little week, and the most
of them were held 10y men who were devoting their
whole time TO political business The appointments
ver. given them in order that they might draw
salaries from the Government and travel az public
expense while they were at work IN behalf OF the
Administration party.
A similar practice has existed in the Treasury De
partment during former campaigns. Men VINO did
not know the difference between manifest and an
invoice have been sent Normally to investigate
the business of houses, but really on p0htl-
cal missions With orders in their pockets that they
were never expected 10 execute, they have Travelled
over whole states at Government expense, perform
inQ no official duties but trinsactug the business OF
theAdmnstratonp party 1t may be that there is i'm
portant work for the forty special agents asked
for by the Commissioner of Pensions; but persons
most familiar with the business of that office say that
there is none, and advise the Committee on Appro-
pratons before granting authority for their appoint
Inent To ascertain just bow many of the pensions,
recently suspended in Philadelphia for irregularity
in the application turned out to be improperly
granted. If it should prove that the persons to
whom these pensions were granted were all 1r nearly
all entitled TO them, and were wholly Ignorant OF
the irregGlarty OF which their attorneys were
guilty it NAV be that the salaries and expenses of
the special agents employed in the investigation will
amount 10 much moro than the money saved and
that the only result of their labor viii be the annoy
arce Of innocent pensioners.
At any rate, u request for 40 new SPECIAL agents
coming from "a department presided over by MT.
Chandler and Just on the eve of a Presidential cam
paign, will he looked upon with suspicion; and 1t
will be hard to convince a Democratic House that
there is not danger that if appointed they will be
empoyed next year Oftener in performing the bust
ness of the party under the direction of Postmaster
Edmunds than in searching for pension frauds.