The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-19

Pension Frauds.
IL is notorious that enormous frauds
have been and still are perpctrated on the
generous fund voted by Congress for pen
hions without any real effort having been
made to arrest them. or TO put an end TO
the system through which the Treasury is
plundercd under the disguise of patriot
ism. Like the Rings for manufacturing
crooked whskey, for cheating Indians. for
procuring postal contracts, for favoring
naval iobbery, for selling public arms, for
promoting venal legislation, and for ruling
the District Of Columbia, there is an or
ganized combination for obtaining fraudu-
lent pensions.
Recent exposures in Philadelphia show
how easily these frauds may be commit
ted, by collision between the agents who
prosecute such claims as q business, and
confederates in the Pension Office. aided
by the use of genuine or forged seals of
the local courts, false personation, and
fabricated papers. 1t is believed that
thirty or forty millions of dollars have
been stolen in this way since the first cleo
ton Of GRANT.
This belief Is not confined to one party
but is ms strong among honest Republicans
as 1t Is among pronounced Democrats.
During the debate on the Pension Appro-
priation bill in the Senate, Mr.. INGALLS, of
Kansas said:
81 believe with him that very extensive wrongs are
perpetraied upon this funo and thata proper cIsmna
ton would show that Of the twenty nhe or thirty NIL.
Of this Government a iedt ne niIiions are Jrdadu
eeoey rom Ta ts IN 81
70 minors who have reached the age prescribed by law
At which the pension shs cease, the rcmarriage of
Widows tslse Personaions, and IN various other WAYS
suaa brought SS; TO your stenuon az sds oHezh
H0"dHienHV and uronRfuHy paul"
This is no recent discovery. DELANoan
his Commissioner of Pensions knew all
about the frauds, connived at them, aud
protected the Ring ms part of the politi-
cal machinery by which the Administra-
ton was upheld and GRANT Senators and
Representatives were elected, through as
sessments of money. Mr.. INGALLS, charges
in open Senate that this system is going on
now, and as an orthodox Republican he
ought TO know. He alleges broadly, that
lat least five millions are fraudulently and
improperly paid " every year out of the
pension fund.- and no Senator ventures to
dispute statement which everybody be-
leves to be short of the actual aggregate
of stealing.
Yet no movement was proposed to inves-
tiRate the frauds or to stop this barefaccd
robbery. Mr.. INGALLS,, who made the
charge, had no better remedy for the evil
Of which he thus complained than TO Gre
ate forty special agents, as the late Com
missioner of Pensions had recommended
after few months Of experience in Office,
when he was superseded by new parti-
san. More offices will not cure this THEY
ing combination, but rather serve to COM
plicate it. Less Of them would be a more
efficient means of protection.
Legislation of no kind. however strin-
gent or well intended. can be expected to
correct abuses which are the natural out
growth OF corrupt, reckless, and parti-
san administration of the Government
While the President has advisers around
him, appointed either because they sub
scribed money for his benefit, or chosen
because of their personal servility and
unfitness, venality ana jobbery Will -four
ish ms they have done on stupendous
scale ever since GRANT came into power.
He is the first President of the United
''"i'S Nho ever openly ussOcldteu win
notorious plunderers who made personal
companions and conndants of notorious
characters like Boss SHEPHERD, McDoN-
AID JoYcE, and that crew; who gave to
Ring chiefs official protection and social
recognition; and who has deliberately
prostituted his great trust for the advan-
tage of political scoundrels who ought 10
be cracking stone in the pententiarv.
The influence OF this pernicious examplo
has spread through and infected the whole
ohicial and social organization at Washing
ton, with rare exceptions like that of Mr.
BRIsTow until the astounding spectacle Is
presented 70 the world of Government
processing to be free, plain, and honest
ruled by Rings ANA knaves. If the Prcsl-
dent was pure. conscientious, and resolute
Tor the right, such a system could not DOS
sibly stand, or have ever attained its pres
ent growth.
Between nvarice on the one hand and
ambition on the other, he has encouraged
the authors aud abettoTs of these iniquities
until the Administration has become moth
ing nut huge conspiracy to debauoh and
p'under the Government committed TO its
accepting Its whole power. through every